History

The Building Bridges Coalition was born out of the Brookings Institution Initiative on International Volunteering & Service. In 2005, Brookings scholar Lex Rieffel was researching the image of the US abroad and the effect of various US Government policies to improve perception of the US around the world. From his research, Lex concluded that programs like Peace Corps that engage US citizens in service around the world delivered the greatest impact for the money spent. In several Brookings policy briefs, Lex recommended “soft power” or “smart power” policies to get more US citizens engaged in volunteer projects abroad.

In June 2006, Brookings hosted a meeting with various stakeholders from the field of international volunteering where General Colin Powell challenged those present to take international service to a new level. In December 2006, the Brookings Institution held a policy forum where the Initiative on International Volunteering & Service was officially launched. Representatives from the academic, corporate, government and non-profit sector all gathered together and committed to the goal of increasing international volunteering. You can watch video from the launch of the Brookings Initiative on International Volunteer Day in 2006 (Dec. 5, 2006) here: http://fora.tv/2006/12/05/Int_l_Volunteering_Leadership_Forum_Policymaker_Forum

The Building Bridges Coalition is one of three elements that comprise the Brookings initiative. The three parts of the initiative are:
1) Public Policy – makes policy recommendations to advance international volunteering
2) Building Bridges Coalition – consortium of leading international volunteering organizations, corporations, academic institutions and government agencies working collaboratively to double the number of volunteers serving abroad by 2010.
3) Research & Impacts – conduct research to quantify the effects of international volunteer service on all parties involved

The Building Bridges Coalition grew from this beginning and now has more than 200 member organizations. The all-volunteer coalition has five workgroups actively involved in organizing effective practices, increasing public awareness, energizing campus and corporate engagement and advocating for public policy initiatives. The coalition worked to ensure that the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act included international volunteering through authorization of the Volunteers for Prosperity program. The coalition continues its work on many fronts, which you can learn about as you explore this website.