Global Foundation for Democracy and Development

What Global Foundation for Democracy and Development does

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization headquartered in New York that conducts research, public policy design, strategy development, and capacity-building programs aimed at social, economic, democratic, and cultural sustainable development for Dominican professionals, institutions, and diaspora communities. Founded by former Dominican President Dr. Leonel Fernández, GFDD operates as the US-based counterpart to its sister organization Funglode (Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo), which is headquartered in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; the two organizations collaborate on all major programs. GFDD runs a portfolio of approximately 14 programs across four focus areas: international affairs (Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean, Global Roundtables), Dominican issues (Dominican Week in the US, Dominican Films Showcase, Funglode/GFDD Golf Tournament, GFDD-Funglode Awards), environmental programs (Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival, DREFF 24/7, ReCrearte, Globo Verde Dominicano Award, RDescubre), and education (InteRDom Internships, Fellows Program, Global Dominican Academic Exchange).

The foundation's core operational model is event-driven programming supported by a network of institutional partners including the United Nations, Organization of American States, Inter-American Development Bank, World Bank Film4Climate initiative, Green Film Network, AMCHAMDR, multiple Dominican universities (UNIBE, PUCMM, UNAPEC), and the Dominican Republic Ministry of Environment. Distribution channels include direct event delivery, partner-organization co-programming, digital platforms (DREFF 24/7, Dominicanaonline.org), and year-round environmental film screenings. There are no proprietary technology products, AI/ML capabilities, or software offerings; the foundation's "technology" is the programmatic and convening infrastructure supporting its events and partnerships.

GFDD is funded entirely through donations, one-time gifts, monthly contributions, in-kind support, and fundraising events (primarily the annual golf tournaments held in New York and Florida). The foundation does not charge for its programs and services. It is led by President Leonel Fernández, Executive Director Natasha Despotovic, and Acting Executive Co-Director Yamile Eusebio, with a 22-member team spanning executive leadership and an advisory committee that includes prominent Dominican-American figures from media, academia, sports, and philanthropy. The organization has no disclosed revenue figures, no funding rounds, and no parent company or subsidiaries.

Name

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development

Legal name

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development

Website

https://globalfoundationdd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) is a US-based non-profit and sister organization to Funglode, founded by former Dominican President Leonel Fernandez. It runs research, policy, and event programs covering democracy, environment, education, and culture for Dominican professionals and diaspora communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Foundation and International Development

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

akta.pro primary industry

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Democratic Governance & Public Administration Reform (BPADAGAJ), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Democracy and development
• Environmental film festival
• Public policy research
• Cultural exchange programs
• Non-profit foundation

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: GFDD is funded through donations and contributions from supporters. The foundation states it welcomes all levels of contribution, including one-time gifts, monthly donations, and in-kind support. The annual golf tournaments serve as fundraising events to support the foundation's programs and initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development is a non-profit foundation that conducts research, designs public policies, devises development strategies, and delivers capacity-building programs across democracy, environment, education, and culture. Its portfolio includes the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF), the Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean, the InteRDom internship program, the ReCrearte recycling initiative, the Funglode/GFDD Awards, the annual Golf Tournament, and Dominican Week in the US. Programs are delivered through events, screenings, conferences, publications, and digital platforms for Dominican professionals, diaspora communities, and institutional partners.

Product overview

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) is a non-profit organization that operates a portfolio of programs rather than a unified technology product. Its offerings span four main areas: International Affairs (including the Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean and GFDD Global Roundtables), Dominican Issues (including the Dominican Films Showcase, GFDD Short Productions, Dominican Week in the US, and Funglode/GFDD Golf Tournament), Environment (centered around the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival/DREFF and its sub-programs including DREFF 24/7, Year Round Environmental Film Screenings, ReCrearte Program, and the Globo Verde Dominicano Award), and Education (including InteRDom Internships, Fellows Program, Panel Discussions, and Global Dominican Academic Exchange). The organization also runs the GFDD-Funglode Awards recognizing excellence in culture and journalism. These programs work collectively to advance social, economic, democratic, and cultural sustainable development in the Dominican Republic and abroad.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DREFF (Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival): Environmental film festival that aims to raise awareness and deepen understanding of environmental issues among Dominican audiences.
• Globo Verde Dominicano Award
• ReCrearte Program
• InteRDom Internships
• Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean
• Dominicanaonline.org
• Dominican Week in the US

Products and services

• Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival (DREFF) Annual environmental film festival held each September that screens films on environmental issues and climate change, complemented by panel discussions with environmental experts and filmmakers. The festival is intended for Dominican audiences, students, environmental advocates, and international partners, and serves as GFDD's flagship environmental awareness program.
• DREFF 24/7 Year-round online platform for environmental films, extending the reach of the Dominican Republic Environmental Film Festival beyond the annual September event.
• Year Round Environmental Film Screenings Ongoing environmental film screening program distributed to schools, universities, and community centers across the Dominican Republic to extend the impact of the DREFF festival throughout the year.
• ReCrearte Program Creative recycling program that focuses on the three R's of sustainability, teaching participants to repurpose discarded materials into new objects and works of art. The program targets communities, schools, and environmental advocates in the Dominican Republic.
• Globo Verde Dominicano Award Environmental film and media award competition recognizing productions on climate change and sustainable development, with categories including short film, public service announcement, photography, and a junior category. Targets Dominican filmmakers, photographers, and young creators.
• Global Forum Latin America and the Caribbean International forum that brings together leaders and experts to discuss political, economic, and geopolitical challenges facing the Latin America and Caribbean region. Targets policymakers, diplomats, academics, and thought leaders.
• GFDD Global Roundtables Discussion platform facilitating dialogue on global affairs and international cooperation among experts, policy professionals, and partner organizations.
• InteRDom Internships

Quantifiable outcome

• Environmental Film Festival reaches 140+ screenings across 11 cities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Funglode (Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunglode is the sister organization of GFDD based in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Both organizations work together on all major programs including the Global Forum, environmental initiatives, golf tournaments, and cultural events. Funglode celebrated 25 years of contributions in November 2025.
• United NationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFDD maintains formal collaboration with the UN through various initiatives including participation in UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, UN panels during Dominican Week, and Earth Day celebrations at UN Headquarters.
• Organization of American States (OAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGFDD has ongoing collaboration with OAS on various international affairs programs and initiatives related to democracy and development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• American Chamber of Commerce DR (AMCHAMDR)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGFDD partners with AMCHAMDR annually to organize Dominican Week in the United States, promoting trade and business connections between the Dominican Republic and the US.
• DC Environmental Film Festival (DCEFF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership hosting annual Dominican Night at the DCEFF, showcasing Dominican environmental films and filmmakers to Washington D.C. audiences.
• Green Film Network (GFN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDREFF became a member of GFN in 2015, joining a prestigious international association of environmental film festivals. GFN connects DREFF with 30+ environmental festivals worldwide and coordinates the annual GFN Award.
• Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDB collaborated with DREFF and DCEFF to present screenings such as Death by a Thousand Cuts at the IDB Enrique V. Iglesias Auditorium.
• World Bank - Film4Climate InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDREFF joined Film4Climate, an initiative launched by Connect4Climate, a global partnership program dedicated to raising awareness about climate change issues created by the World Bank.
• DisneynatureminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with Disneynature to screen several films on global biodiversity during DREFF 2016 in collaboration with Caribbean Cinemas.
• Cinemateca DominicanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration with Cinemateca Dominicana (part of Dominican Republic Film Commission) for environmental film screenings and cultural events throughout the year.
• Various Dominican Universities (UNIBE, PUCMM, UNAPEC, UASD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with Dominican higher education institutions for environmental film screenings, educational programs, workshops, and academic exchanges.
• German Embassy in Dominican RepublicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with German Embassy for environmental initiatives and film programming in the Dominican Republic.
• Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (DR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Dominican Republic Ministry of Environment for World Environment Day and World Ocean Day celebrations, and environmental film programming.
• Green Screen T&T (Trinidad and Tobago)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaribbean partnership between DREFF and Green Screen T&T environmental film festival to promote environmental filmmaking and sustainability in the Caribbean region.
• Cinema Planeta (Mexico)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Mexico's Cinema Planeta environmental film festival to co-present Dominican environmental film productions internationally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights13 records

Direct peers

• Aspen Institute: Nonpartisan policy and leadership organization running international forums, roundtables, and fellowships. Closely comparable to GFDD's Global Forum LAC, Global Roundtables, and Fellows Program in structure and convening-style mission.
• Inter-American Dialogue: U.S.-based think tank convening policymakers on Latin American and Caribbean politics, economics, and democratic governance. Directly comparable to GFDD's Global Forum LAC and international affairs programming in scope, audience, and convening model.
• Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital (DCEFF): Long-standing environmental film festival in Washington D.C. and GFDD-DREFF's most established international partner. Operates the same festival-on-environmental-issues model and jointly hosts screenings, making it the closest direct peer to DREFF.
• Hispanic Federation: National nonprofit supporting Hispanic-serving organizations and diaspora communities across the United States. Comparable to GFDD in model — mobilizing diaspora for community development, culture, and advocacy — and overlapping in target audience.
• CUNY Dominican Studies Institute: Academically focused research and cultural institution dedicated to the Dominican diaspora experience. Comparable to GFDD in its focus on Dominican heritage, scholarship, and diaspora engagement, with similar advisory overlap.

Broad incumbents

• United Nations Foundation: Major philanthropic foundation supporting UN-led programs across global development, climate, and democracy. Comparable to GFDD in its UN-aligned convening role and broad thematic mandate, but operates at materially larger scale.
• UnidosUS: Large national Latino advocacy and policy organization serving Hispanic communities in the United States. Comparable to GFDD's diaspora-focused advocacy and education programs, but with a much broader U.S. Latino mandate and substantially larger donor base.
• Connect4Climate (World Bank Group): World Bank-hosted global partnership using film, media, and storytelling to drive climate awareness. DREFF is a Film4Climate partner, making Connect4Climate a direct ecosystem partner and thematically aligned incumbent in the climate-media space GFDD's DREFF operates in.

Others

• Funglode (Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo): Sister organization of GFDD based in Santo Domingo, with shared leadership, joint programs, and matching mission. Not a true peer but a closely co-dependent entity executing overlapping research, policy, and cultural work in the Dominican Republic.

Regional players

• Cinema Planeta: Mexico-based environmental film festival and GFDD-DREFF's co-presenting partner for Dominican environmental films. Operates the same festival-and-public-awareness model but in a different geography, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GFDDorg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/GlobalFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/GlobalFoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/GFDDorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-foundation-for-democracy-and-development

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global Foundation for Democracy and Development