Phelps Stokes

The Phelps Stokes Fund was born in 1911 through the bequest of Caroline Phelps Stokes, a wealthy New York woman whose own life had been dedicated to the service of others. Caroline gave the organization its direction, astounding for its time: “improving housing, promoting racial harmony and providing education for Africans and African Americans, Native Americans and needy whites.” Today, Phelps Stokes is America’s oldest continuously-operating foundation serving the needs of African-Americans, Native Americans, Africans, and the rural and urban poor. The list of Phelps Stokes good works reads like a history of the advancement of the important educational and social issues of our time – and is, indeed, woven into the very fabric of America and of the World. Phelps Stokes has indeed changed the world. Now, the organization has re-shaped and re-tooled itself to face the challenges that lie ahead. Phelps Stokes’ mission is to develop self-sustainable global communities by nurturing a new generation of global leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, students, and citizens, with particular attention to the needs of people of color and indigenous affiliation. Phelps Stokes’ program participants invest their skills, time and effort to build on essential global competencies through one or more of our four service lines; Global Education, Global Leadership, Global Entrepreneurship and ICT, and Global Citizenship, each designed to foster competent Global Leaders around the world.