By Katherine A. Brown, Ph.D., President & CEO, Global Ties U.S.
Thank you for reading this and for being a part of Global Ties U.S. and our extraordinary network of 80+ nonprofit organizations. Global Ties U.S. is the national leader for connecting people and communities in the United States with global leaders through international exchange programs.
What unites us is our commitment to building trust and advancing peace and prosperity through exchanges like the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP). The IVLP celebrates 85 years in 2025. This foundational U.S. public diplomacy program, created in 1940, brings current and emerging global leaders to communities across the United States to build relationships, support U.S. foreign policy goals, and strengthen global alliances by leveraging our country’s greatest asset: our people.
I learned about the IVLP in 2003 as a public diplomacy staffer at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. I saw its impact on emerging Afghan leaders eager to connect with the United States and the world to build their businesses, government, and civil society. They returned home with a deeper understanding of the United States; new knowledge, ideas, and inspiration; and confidence through new peer networks with U.S. counterparts. I learned quickly that the IVLP is an indispensable diplomatic tool for strengthening our alliances.
A decade later, I met more IVLP alumni worldwide while running the U.S. Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy. And this is where I learned about the Global Ties Network. IVLP alumni were always struck by the palpable spirit of hospitality, volunteerism, and openness that welcomed them to the 80+ communities served by our Network. They didn’t realize that people in the United States were so generous; they didn’t realize that our democracy was best understood locally.
Our theme for this annual report – Stronger Alliances, Stronger Communities – captures this singular Network’s dual impact and will be the theme for our 2025 National Meeting in Washington, DC on February 18-21.
Through the IVLP, the U.S. Exchange Alumni Network and Capacity Building Program, the Water Smart Engagements Program (WiSE), the Law Enforcement and Security Exchange Program (LESEP), the Digital Content Creator Exchange Program, and the myriad of other programs our members implement, the Global Ties Network is strengthening our alliances abroad and our communities here at home.
This local impact within the United States is important and tangible. Our national Network had an 11:1 return on the federal investment last year. This means that for every federal dollar spent on the IVLP, $11 more was generated in local economic impact. Our Network was proud to share their impact with their Members of Congress during our Advocacy Day back in March.
This year, we also extended our work to partner with Marriott International. Our Dinner Diplomacy Program expands opportunities for Global Ties Network members to connect their communities with global leaders traveling to the United States on international exchange programs. You’ll see some photos and stories of these efforts to set the table for more people in the United States to participate in foreign affairs on page 10.
Our second-ever Global Ties U.S. Community Impact Study, published this summer, provides additional data on how global engagement within the United States benefits local people and their cities. As you’ll see on page 5, our nationwide research found that when people across the United States engage in diplomacy locally by welcoming, hosting, and interacting with the global leaders who visit them in their communities, they are changed by their experiences, with the majority of respondents (70%+) reporting benefits to workforce development, civic engagement, and global competency.
The following pages tell more stories about the impact on our alliances and communities across the United States.
More than two decades after first experiencing the power of IVLP and U.S. public diplomacy programs, I’m proud to be part of this extraordinary, timeless Network. The Global Ties Network is humanizing the world, building foundational relationships for international diplomacy and cooperation, and serving their communities. We hope you’ll join us for our celebrations next year.