The Global Knowledge Partnership Foundation was designed to ensure its sustainability in contributing, with other networks, to the local and global use of Information and Communications Technologies for Development.

Business Model

The Business Model is built on the principle of Multi-Stakeholders Partnerships - civil society, private and public sectors coming together as the pillars of consensus - the metaphoric "three legs of the stool" if you wish. When there is a dynamic consensus, adapted and adapting to our changing environments, there is an optimal outcome of sustainability.

The Foundation is solely dedicated to RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR THE MEMBERS and their PROJECTS. This had to be the major driver of the business model as this objective was decided by a majority of GKP MEMBERS when the move was made from a donor-driven network to a member-driven foundation.

At the centre of the network are the MEMBERS (A), the very focus of the Partnership. It is the MEMBERS who put ICTs to work in many different ways to the profit of their BENEFICIARIES, meaning more income and equity for all. MEMBERS do it through innovation, knowledge generation and exchange and by scaling up, diffusing and replicating successful initiatives. There is a modest stream of revenue for the GKP Foundation generated by MEMBERS' FEES from INSTITUTIONAL and INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS, as well as website traffic revenue generated by WEBSITE MEMBERS' participation.

The next block in the business model represents the Programs, Partnerships and various Initiatives (C) the MEMBERS design and implement with the facilitation and brokering of GKP. They are not Programs "owned" by GKP per se, but Programs owned by the MEMBERS that benefit from shared economies of scale, funding and expertise provided by the network. The funds to implement reside with the MEMBERS and GKP earns a negotiated administration fee, the second stream of revenue for the GKP Foundation. It is the DONORS, SOCIAL INVESTORS and PROGRAM-RELATED INVESTORS (B) who fund and invest in these PROGRAMS and PARTNERSHIPS.

The legal and administrative governance functions of the Foundation reside with the GKP FOUNDATION (F) registered in Spain and operating under Spain's Foundation Law and Regulations. All network funding is accounted and managed from that Foundation, hosted by a GKPF MEMBER. There is physical and legal separation of administrative functions provided by the host of the Foundation and network executive direction, always provided by a MEMBER.

Finally, there is at least one ENDOWMENT FOUNDATION (D), whose sole purposes are to channel philanthropic funding to the GKP FOUNDATION operating in Spain. The first Endowment foundation will be based in the US under 501 (c) (3) rules, other endowment foundation or funds will be created as needed in other parts of the world where philanthropy thrives.

back to top

Board of Trustees

	Caroline Figuères President GKP Foundation	Anthony Harris Vice President GKP Foundation
	Executive Director IICD, The Netherlands	Executive Director eCOM-LAC, Uruguay
Pablo Priesca Balbín Secretary GKP Foundation	Alain Berranger Board of Trustee GKP Foundation	Ilari Lindy Board of Trustee GKP Foundation
Executive Director CTIC, Spain	Director of Central for International Studies and Cooperation, Canada	Senior ICT Policy Specialist The World Bank,

The existing GKPF Board of Trustees is the result of the transition process during the Costa Rica board meeting. A number of concrete measures have been undertaken to attract and appoint new trustees. These actions hopefully will result in 3-5 new trustees by autumn 2012.

The role of the trustees is not only the governance of the Foundation but the expectation is that the trustees use their trusteeship to actively bring in ideas, projects and activities that create win/win situations between their own organizations and GKPF.

The new organization wants to engage in his governance people and organizations who accept the challenge and that want to contribute to make GKPF’s mission and vision a reality. GKPF also wants to give them and the organizations they present opportunities for the development of real win/win situations.

The GKPF trustees are supported by the Executive Director and Fundacion CTIC which provides legal, financial and logistical support. Other support services are outsourced as required.

Short biographies of the board of trustee are available here.

 back to top

Secretariat

Klaus Stoll
Executive Director

Advisory Committee

Another main element of the GKPF governance is the GKPF Advisory Committee. The advisory committee consists of Honorary Trustee and International Advisers. Further international advisers will be appointed from a shortlist that has been developed during the Costa Rica trustees meeting. International advisers will be also appointed from the membership after the next round of membership renewal autumn 2012. Short biographies of the advisory committee are available here.

Honorary Trustees

Mr. Walter Fust	Ms. Rinalia Abdul Rahim	Ms. Clotilde Fonseca

International Advisors

Mr. Raul Zambrano	Mr. Eduardo Monge

back to top

GKPF Operational Team

Klaus Stoll
Executive Director

Sasha Gayatri
Communication and Digital Media Officer