Seeds of Peace, Inc.
Courage to Lead Change
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Young people are consistently at the forefront of movements for social change and can serve as a driving force behind either peace or violence. Seeds of Peace is critically aware that the youth of today will be the parents, educators, politicians, lawyers, journalists, businesspeople, and other influencers of tomorrow. We therefore consider it crucial to nurture empathy and a global outlook in promising young leaders and to provide them with the partners, skills, and tools they need to overcome the legacies of hatred and mistrust that they inherit.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Program Overview
Since 1993, Seeds of Peace has set the standard in international peacebuilding by providing exceptional young people and educators from regions of conflict with an otherwise impossible opportunity to meet their historic enemies face-to-face at our Camp in Maine.
We build on their extra-ordinary and critical relationships and understanding through year-round local programs that focus on the core leadership capacities needed to advance peace.
There are now over 7,000 Seeds and Educators from 27 countries who prove that solutions exist, peace is possible, and there is reason to have hope for a better future.
Where we work
Accreditations
American Camping Association (ACA) - Accreditation 2014
Affiliations & memberships
American Camp Association - Member 2014
External reviews

Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We inspire and cultivate new generations of global leaders in communities divided by conflict by equipping them with the skills and relationships needed to accelerate social, economic, and political changes essential for peace.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Seeds of Peace’s approach focuses on three types of change: personal, interpersonal, and wider societal change. Our leadership development model begins with a transformational camp session in Maine for exceptional young people and educators living in conflict. The program shifts attitudes and perceptions while building respect and empathy.
Our approach continues through year-round local programs that strengthen relationships and leadership capacities. We then accelerate the impact and influence of our alumni who are challenging the ideologies, policies, and practices that perpetuate conflict.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
-26 years experience working in some of the world's most intractable conflicts, with youth and educators from 27 countries
-Highly talented year-round staff in each country in which we currently work
- ACA accredited camp facility with strong track record of meeting short term impact outcomes
-Alumni network numbering more than 7,000, increasingly mobilized to give back to the organization through volunteerism, involvement with youth, and financial or in-kind donations
-Energized and committed Board and volunteer community
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Seeds of Peace's International Camp and local programs consistently demonstrate positive results. For example:
Campers show significant positive attitude change about the other side from pre-camp to post-camp in terms of empathy and humanization towards the 'other side', as well as reduced anxiety about interacting with them
100% of Jewish Israeli campers and 94% of Palestinian campers reported having formed more than one personal, positive relationship with someone from 'the other side' while at Camp. These relationships have been found to be the single most important factor in shifting attitudes—the foundation for improving relations between Palestinians and Israelis and driving social change.
1 in 5 of our Israeli and Palestinian alumni continued to participate in formal peacebuildng work, for more than 40 initiatives and institutions, in their adult years
We are currently working to better measure and understand our alumni's efforts to enact economic, social, and political change in ways that can meaningfully transform conflict – beyond involvement in explicit peacebuilding activities. We launched a beta survey with a small group of alumni in 2015 and aim to roll that out with our full alumni community in the coming year.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Seeds of Peace, Inc.
Board of directorsas of 09/17/2019
Steven B. Gruber
No Affiliation
Term: 2017 -
Jane Toll
No Affiliation
Richard Berman
No Affiliation
Arn Tellem
No Affiliation
Nancy Tellem
No Affiliation
Janet Wallach
No Affiliation
David Strasser
No Affiliation
Robert Toll
No Affiliation
Christine Covey
No Affiliation
David Avital
No Affiliation
Bobbie Gottschalk
No Affiliation
Sebastian Stubbe
No Affiliation
Peggy Tanner
No Affiliation
Cynthia Baker-Burns
No Affiliation
Vivek Bantwal
No Affiliation
Scott Birnbaum
No Affiliation
Matthew Courey
No Affiliation
Jeremy Goldberg
No Affiliation
Joel Jacob
No Affiliation
Amin Badr-El-Din
No Affliliation
Ali Velshi
No Affliliation
Leila Straus
No Affiliation
Deborah Scher
No Affiliation
Raed Elkhatib
No Affiliation
Tal Recanati
No Affiliation
Steven Gruber
No Affiliation
Tiziana Sousou
No Affiliation
Bob MacLeod
No Affiliation
Bruce Saber
No Affiliation
Jordan Solomon
No Affiliation
Karen Karniol-Tambour
No Affiliation
Robert Bordone
No Affiliation
Sandra Wijnberg
No Affiliation
Louis D’Ambrosio
No Affiliation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes