Global Brigades

Global Brigades is an international non-profit that uniquely implements a holistic model to meet a community’s health and economic goals. Our model systematically builds community ownership and collaboratively executes programs with the end goal of sustainably transitioning to a relationship of impact monitoring.

Our Mission
To empower volunteers and under-resourced communities to resolve global health and economic disparities and inspire all involved to collaboratively work towards an equal world.

Our Vision
To improve equality of life by igniting the largest student-led social responsibility movement on the planet.

Funded Through Student Movement:
Global Brigades funds all of its programs, leadership development and administrative costs through the fundraising efforts of more than 500 Global Brigades University Chapters around the world. This grass-roots fundraising effort gives us the autonomy to develop programs to the needs of communities, rather than the whims of a few large donors.

Community-Led Sustainability:
All of our projects include community member involvement, formation of committees and long term funding streams for future sustainability. We believe that the empowerment of local leaders is the only way that programs will continue to be maintained and grow once Global Brigades transitions its partnership with a community to follow-up.

Full-Time Local Teams:
Global Brigades employs more than 100 full-time local staff members and over 300 temporary local staff members year-round. Our local staff members are the driving force behind program development, brigade coordination, community follow-up and impact measurement. We believe that programs should be locally led.

Government Collaboration:
We believe in working with local governments instead of against or in replacement of. Our projects could not be possible without the support of local governments. The local governments are involved with each of our projects in varying degrees such as offering support in funding, transportation of supplies, equipment, and/or vocalizing support.