Education | Research | Policy | Community

An institute for the AI era of work and opportunity.

The Global Institute for Sustainable Development is a Virginia-based 501(c)(3) working where education, applied research, and economic development meet. We train the workforce, strengthen nonprofits, convene employers and policymakers, and turn what we learn into policy recommendations, from Northern Virginia outward.

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501(c)(3) public charity | EIN 99-4238190 | UEI MR2JANW5AE45

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Tax status501(c)(3) public charity

Classification170(b)(1)(A)(vi)

IRS recognitionJune 28, 2024

SAM.govActive registration

ReachVirginia, the DMV, and virtual worldwide

Three pillars, one institution

Educate. Convene. Advance.

Education builds capability. Community engagement builds the networks that capability needs. Economic advancement, backed by research and policy work, turns both into lasting opportunity. No pillar is an add-on; the institute is the interaction of the three.

Pillar 01

Education and Skills Development

A training portfolio for the AI economy

AI Training Academy with dedicated AI tracks
AI for Mission, our nonprofit AI initiative
Professional certificates, including the Certified Administrative Specialist with AI
Project management fundamentals
Digital literacy and productivity platforms
Career readiness for the U.S. labor market

Pillar 02

Community Engagement and Development

Convening and community development

AI and Employment Forum series and conferences
Virginia Nonprofit AI Network
Community development supports for local organizations
SDGs and local impact dialogues
Employer and cross-sector roundtables
Immigrant professional network
Youth and early-career engagement

Pillar 03

Economic Opportunity and Advancement

Research, policy, and economic pathways

GISD Research Fellows program
Policy advocacy and policy recommendations support
Economic Opportunity Map research initiative
State of AI in Virginia Nonprofits annual study
Entrepreneurship readiness and small business education
Career pathways, mentorship, and financial capability

Flagship initiative

The nonprofit sector runs Virginia's safety net. We are making sure AI does not leave it behind.

Virginia is home to tens of thousands of nonprofit organizations, most of them small, under-resourced, and years behind on technology. AI for Mission is GISD's initiative to change that: readiness training for nonprofit teams, executive briefings for boards, a peer network, and an annual study of AI adoption in the sector. Built in Virginia, designed to scale nationally and globally.

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The research institute behind the programs

Knowledge that leaves the classroom.

What we learn from cohorts, forums, and nonprofit partners becomes applied research, and applied research becomes policy recommendations. That loop is what makes GISD an institute rather than a program provider.

GISD Research Fellows

Practitioners, scholars, and graduate researchers producing applied work with the institute.

Economic Opportunity Map

A data initiative mapping workforce demand, training assets, and opportunity gaps in the region.

Policy recommendations that reach decision makers

Community-informed briefs for local and state stakeholders.

Forums and an annual conference

Convenings that connect participants, employers, researchers, and policymakers.

Research and policy

Strategic Plan FY2027 to FY2029

What we are committing to, in public.

These targets come from the board-adopted Strategic Plan FY2027 to FY2029. We track them quarterly and publish an annual impact summary.

0Certified graduates

0Individuals reached

0Forums, workshops and dialogues

0Institutional partnerships

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Build the institute with us.

Partner on a program, fund a research fellow, sponsor a nonprofit cohort, or join a training. Every commitment compounds.

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