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Counterpart International is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. Counterpart partners with local organizations to build inclusive, sustainable communities in which people thrive. Since its founding in 1965, Counterpart has established programs and activities in more than 65 countries on six continents.
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The organization was established in 1965 as the Foundation of the People of the South Pacific (FSP) by an Australian Marist missionary priest, Father Stanley Hosie, and actress Betty Bryant. Ms. Silverstein and Father Hosie focused on supporting communities in the remote and often-overlooked islands of the South Pacific. In 1968, the organization began receiving funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). During the 1970s, FSP obtained more grants to expand its staff and to transition its field offices into indigenous, independent NGOs that were locally staffed. FSP improved on the model of international aid by providing institutions in the South Pacific with skills to rebuild infrastructure, develop sustainable solutions to poverty, and facilitate economic growth. In 1992, (USAID) tapped the organization to "go global" and help determine a role for U.S. non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the former Soviet Union. At this time, the organization's name was changed to Counterpart International to better reflect an expanded mission.
Counterpart International currently has programs in governance and civil society, resilient food systems, women's empowerment, and climate resiliency. Gender equity and social inclusion have been guiding principles at Counterpart since its founding. The organization's programs bring marginalized groups into civic life, supporting their ability to influence decisions that affect their lives.
Counterpart has a staff of 800 people in more than 25 countries with headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. The organization is overseen by a board of directors who are responsible for the legal and fiduciary operations of the organization. The current board of directors consists of:
- Board Chair: Mary Karen Wills, Managing Director, Berkeley Research Group, LLC
- Board Vice Chair: Hilda M. Arellano, Counselor, USAID (retired); Coordinating Director for Economic Affairs and Development, U.S. Embassy Afghanistan (retired)
- Jose Guillermo Castillo, CEO, Corporación Castillo Hermanos; President, 2020 Foundation
- Roldan Trujillo, Founder and Managing Director, RCT Advisory LLC
- Jocelyn Brown Hall, Deputy Regional Representative, Regional Office for Africa of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Lois Bruu, Vice President, Humanitarian & Development team, MasterCard
- William Hammink, Career Minister, U.S. Senior Foreign Service/U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) (retired)
- Dr. Renata Vargas Amaral, Under Minister for International Affairs and Development, Ministry of Planning and Budget of Brazil
- Rashid Sesay, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Sierra Leone to the United Arab Emirates, India, and Bangladesh
- David Burton, Director of Finance and Accounting, Bezos Earth Fund
- Manlio Carrelli, CEO, CB Insights
- Pauline Devinger, Senior Director of Internal Audit & Risk Management, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
- Dr. Joe Leonard, Assistant Vice President of External Affairs, Howard University
- Tiffany Russo, Senior Managing General Counsel, Verizon
In 1991, President George Bush awarded FSP co-founder Betty Silverstein with the U.S. Presidential End Hunger Award for Individual Achievement. First Lady Hillary Clinton also commended Silverstein at Counterpart's 500th humanitarian Airlift at Andrews Air Force Base in Virginia in early 1998.[1]
In May 2009, Counterpart was granted a Leader with Associates (LWA) Cooperative Agreement with USAID, who expressed confidence in Counterpart to implement the "Global Civil Society Strengthening" (GCSS) program that builds the capacity of civil society organizations around the world. Counterpart held the LWA for eight years, and received $350 million in awards through the agreement.
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