FAQ

We fund projects targeting improvements in educational infrastructure. Communities dealing with, or vulnerable to, multidimensional poverty, marginalization, inequality are our priority. In order to apply, you would need to be an authorized representative of the community, a school leader, or part of a nonprofit (or an established equivalent).

Our mission, at its core, is to improve primary education in communities around the world. We fund projects that create a lasting impact where there is need, and in accessible locations.

We recognize that finding a balance between a community that needs the most help, and the communities that are immediately accessible is a challenge. In instances where communities in need, cannot be reached, we often seek a local partner on the ground who can provide support directly.

We would love to hear from you. We have an application packet that can be requested using the contact page. A team member will reach out to you and discuss our program operations, eligibility, and further criteria. We are always happy to connect with new potential partners, even in instances where a construction project is not possible.

We are happy to help applicants through the application process, and to help with project development. If there is an obstacle you’re dealing with as part of the application, or part of your local mission, we may be able to help you through it.

Some nonprofits, schools, and communities that we work with are seeking help to expand their services and improve their access to local resources. We can help you to involve local leadership, community-based organizations, families, and more.

We have lots of options, and the best projects come from deep listening, community meetings with parents and staff, and participation. We will always work with you to develop YOUR project, not ours.

Our partnerships and grants are not based on a fixed donation amount. They are based on the project we develop together, and the costs associated with its establishment and construction.

Any eligible entity can apply for funding each calendar year. In some instances we may seek to understand priorities on the ground further, so we can start with what is needed most. In those instances, we can work in phases, so that each calendar year, a component of the larger project can be proposed.

We don’t yet have it in place to accept donations that are geared towards specific projects or nations. Each project listed on our site has link below the images that says ‘Ideas for Further Involvement’. Selecting it will reveal some information specific to getting involved at that location.

If the project has a local NGO partner, you can often donate directly to them through their website. All of the nonprofit partnerships involve vetted and established charitable organizations. They are even eligible through ‘established equivalency’ to receive donations from managed trusts or charitable oversight organizations.

Some of our project sites have active volunteer programs in-place. If you contact a site directly, they can advise about the policies and procedures.

We are still developing policies and procedures that would allow us to benefit from volunteers helping the Gate 1 Foundation directly. Please, stay tuned.

Many of our partners have publicly listed contact information. While many don’t have websites, they may still have access to other ways. If you want help contacting one of our project sites directly, please use our contact page. We are happy to help.

Some of our community partners have invited the general public to donate supplies and materials needed by their students and participants. In many instances this is the most direct way to give to a partner site. In general, school supplies are routinely requested. Please consider the climate, too. In hotter climates, school supplies like crayons or pastels may easily melt. In colder climates, outerwear for students, like gloves, hats, coats, etc. can be a big help.

If you are visiting thanks to a local guide, check with them for what is best for that particular site and season.

Please also know, if you want to bring lots of things to donate, it may be best to fully research what is possible. In some locations, they cannot accept used clothing, even if its clean and kempt. In others, they cannot accept electronics. In rare instances, someone bringing large amounts of supplies may be expected to pay an import fee, or the school itself may have to pay a customs fee upon receipt of a delivered donation. Please contact us if you have a specific idea and we may be able to help you plan and coordinate.

We don’t solicit contributions at this time. Some passengers choose send donations that go directly to our global project fund, by mailing a check to our mailing address here: Gate 1 Foundation, 455 Maryland Drive, Fort Washington PA, 19034.

We are not yet able to accept donations by credit card, and not able to accept donations of assets, investments, bonds, or estates.

Thank you! We appreciate feedback, questions, concerns, ideas, and comments from people who have seen our work firsthand. Please check out our contact page to start a conversation with us.

The majority of our funding comes from directly from the travel company, Gate 1 Travel. We are very thankful for their support, and their commitment to providing improved educational resources in areas of need throughout the world.

We are a legally distinct, charitable foundation, established as a nonprofit (501c3) in the US. Since 2015 we have been incorporated in Pennsylvania, USA. We are also board-governed and subject to regulations and laws designed to protect our status. We ensure we are operating within an established mission, transparently and justly.

If you visited a site with a nonprofit community partner, or a protected indigenous community, you may be able to donate directly to that community and request a receipt for your records.

If you visited a site that does not yet have a community partner working with the local community, giving a cash donation may create a challenge for the project site. We discourage any cash donations to individuals working on site as we don’t want to create a legal vulnerability for our hosts, schools, or their communities.

If you were not able to get the information from a guide or host, you can send the information to us using our contact page, and we will help you to connect. In some instances, community partners may not have access to the internet, and may not be able to respond directly. We will work with you to make sure you can get your message to them.

If you are part of a group traveling, you should receive a letter from the Foundation within your itinerary. Each location is different, and in general, the most commonly requested items are environmentally stable school materials and supplies. In hot climates crayons and some materials can melt. In colder areas the students often need winter wear.

Please check out the specific import rules for your travel. We want to make sure that schools requesting donations do not over burden your trip or create costs for import at entry.

If you are interested in making a larger donation of supplies, materials, etc. Please let us know so we can arrange with you and avoid import penalties or burdens.