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German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF)

R and New Hampshire (link) by AgnosticPreachersKid is licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 (link)
Website:

www.gmfus.org
Location:

WASHINGTON, DC
Tax ID:

52-0954751
Tax-Exempt Status:

501(c)(3)

Budget (2017):

Revenue: $19,466,489
Expenses: $26,863,805
Assets: $181,736,251
Formation:

1972
Type:

Foreign Policy Think Tank
President:

Karen Donfried

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a nonprofit think-tank founded in 1972 by Willy Brandt, at the time West German Chancellor and leader of the left-progressive Social Democratic Party (SDP). 1 GMF was designed to serve as a think tank and grantmaking organization for American and European policy interests aligned with the Marshall Plan; today, the organization has expanded to include policy research and advocacy related to regions across the globe. 2

Most of GMF’s activity comes through research reports published by GMF staff and fellows on topics ranging from security policy to environmentalist-aligned energy policy. 3 In recent years, GMF has increasingly focused its attention on European and American relations with Asia, namely on the growing threat of China. 4 Aside from policy research, GMF hosts several high-profile summits throughout the year, bringing together global political and business leaders. 5

GMF is heavily funded by the American, German, and Swedish governments. 6 Aside from governmental funding, GMF has also accepted donations from several left-of-center grantmaking organizations, including the Democracy Fund, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Open Society Foundations. 7 Though most of GMF’s work is nonpartisan, several organization members have taken strong stances against President Donald Trump, accusing him of “imitating” Chinese aggression using “manipulation of information and bullying tactics.” 8

The former director of the Asia and Geopolitics programs at the GMF, Julienne Smith, went on to become the permanent representative of the United States to the NATO alliance under the Biden administration. She has called for escalating American and European involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict which started in 2022.9 At the same time, she has claimed that weapons shipments to the Ukrainian military have depleted NATO stockpiles, and has indicated that she and other alliance representatives would be meeting with defense contractors to negotiate new production.10

History

The German Marshall Fund was founded on June 5, 1972 to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Marshall Plan, a Truman administration program to counter Soviet influence in postwar Western Europe with civil and military aid. 11 West German Chancellor Willy Brandt established the fund as a gift to the United States with the goal of promoting relations between the United States, Germany and the European community. 12 Then-President Richard Nixon praised the move, beginning a decades long partnership spearheaded by Harvard academic Guido Goldman, who served as the first president of the German Marshall Fund. 13

GMF worked on American policy in relation to Europe for most of the remainder of the 20th century, especially in spearheading efforts to rebuild Eastern and Central Europe and promote democracy following the fall of the Berlin Wall. 14 Today, GMF’s policy focus has expanded beyond American-European economic relations, covering all areas of policy in regions across the globe. 15 GMF has also expanded to include eight offices around the United States and Europe. 16

Policy Activity

German Marshall Fund frequently publishes research reports written by GMF staff and fellows. 17 Though the work varies widely in topics from energy policy to migration, most of the published research focuses on the role of Europe and the United States in promoting democratization. 18

Though GMF was originally founded to support the ideals of the Marshall Plan in Europe, its fellows and officials today work in a range of regions and political fields. 19 GMF continues to focus on relations with Europe, managing a “Europe Project” with the goal of examining policy related to security, democracy, economic relations, and migration across the continent. 20 GMF also has a research project dedicated specifically to improving Eastern Europe and coordinating responses to Russian policy in the post-Cold War era. 21

In recent years, GMF has increasingly focused on the growing threat of China, launching a specific “Asia Program.” 22 The program aims to unify American and European responses to challenges coming from Asia, while strengthening partnerships with Asian democracies to promote democratic ideals in the region. 23 In addition to conducting research on policy in Asia, GMF hosts three annual summits aimed at creating transatlantic dialogue around China and strengthening the relationship between the United States, Europe, and Japan. 24 GMF officials have often taken strong anti-China stances, decrying Chinese practices including the detention of innocent foreign citizens and the suppression of online content that is unfavorable to the Chinese Communist Party. 25 26 27

In the wake of COVID-19, GMF has run several surveys to study the state of China in the world, reporting that more European citizens in US-allied countries view China as the leading global power after COVID-19 than they did before the pandemic. 28

Though most of German Marshall Fund’s content is nonpartisan, fellows took shots at former President Donald Trump and Republican foreign policy, with GMF associates accusing Trump of “beating up on our closest allies in Europe” and allowing China to infiltrate relationships with American allies. 29 Laura Rosenberger and Julie Smith, at the time both GMF program directors, accused Trump of “imitating” Chinese aggression “through their own manipulation of information and bullying tactics.” 30 GMF also published a joint report with Visegrad Insight alleging that “four years of Trump’s administration have coincided with a drop in democratic standards in Central Europe,” calling American relations with the region “devoid of values.” 31

Alliance for Securing Democracy

The Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) is a project of the GMF which promotes the fund’s preferred elections policies for Western nations, with the stated goal of preventing outside interference. The ASD claims that Russian government propaganda is a major factor contributing to distrust of state institutions in Europe and the United States.32 During the 2021 elections in Germany, the ASD attempted to link supporters of the populist party Alternative für Deutschland, as well as skeptics of COVID-19 vaccine mandates and opponents of  immigration into Germany, with perceived Russian influence.33 During the 2022 elections in France, the ASD also attempted to connect mistrust of the political establishment to alleged Russian propaganda.34 The ASD also runs a 2024 United States elections initiative which has produced statements attacking advocates of election-integrity measures and calling for greater federal government involvement in election administration.35

In January 27, after Twitter chief executive officer Elon Musk released a large number of internal communications from the organization’s previous leadership collectively known as the Twitter Files, reports emerged that alleged that ASD had been involved in targeting right-of-center accounts on the site. According to reporter Matt Taibbi, the alliance’s “Hamilton 68” project falsely labeled hundreds of users, including prominent influencers, as associated with Russian influence campaigns. Taibbi reported that the ASD refused to disclose the list, forcing Twitter executives to recreate it using the alliance’s requests for data, and that they determined that the overwhelming majority of accounts on the list had little to no potential connection to the Russian government. Nonetheless, according to Taibbi’s report, numerous leading media sources used ASD claims based on the “Hamilton 68” project as evidence in stories reporting on alleged Russian involvement in American elections.36

Events

German Marshall Fund hosts major international leadership conferences, most notably the Brussels Forum. 37 For the last 15 years, the Brussels Forum has brought together leaders from countries across the globe for transatlantic dialogue. 38 In 2020, guests included United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, European Union Minister of Foreign Affairs Arancha Gonzalez Laya, and former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg. 39 The forum also includes prominent business leaders, with the 2020 agenda featuring the president of Boeing International, the director of Carnegie Europe, and the president of ExxonMobil Europe. 40

Aside from the Brussels Forum, GMF hosts several smaller events throughout the year, including the Atlantic Strategy Group, the Transatlantic Security Task Force, and the Trilateral Strategy Group. 41 GMF has also frequently collaborated with the United States government. 42 Once per year, GMF convenes ambassadors from NATO member countries for a strategy-planning session on the future of NATO policy. 43

Aside from hosting formal summits, GMF’s Washington, D.C. headquarters often serves as a stopping point for European emissaries to the United States. When Ukranian deputy prime minister Dmytro Kuleba visited the United States capital in 2019, he spoke to press at GMF headquarters on the relationship between the United States and Ukraine. 44

Leadership

J. Robinson West is the chairman of the German Marshall Fund board of trustees.45 He is also a senior advisor to the energy and national security program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a world-affairs think tank which is known for recruiting influential government and private sector leaders to develop its policy prescriptions. West was the chairman and founder of the natural resources industry consulting firm PFC Energy. He was also an assistant secretary in the Department of the Interior under the Reagan administration and was previously the United States Institute of Peace board director.46

In February 2023, Christopher M. Schroeder was promoted to vice chairman of the GMF board of trustees, on which he has sat since 2015. Schroeder is a technology investor. He was previously the chief executive officer and publisher of the since-separated Washington Post-Newsweek Interactive. He was also a staffer in the offices of former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and deputy secretary Robert B. Zoellick. In addition, Schroeder has also sat on the boards of the American University School of International Service. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.47

Heather A. Conley is the president of the GMF. She spent more than a decade at the CSIS, where she was the director of the think tank’s Europe, Russia, and Eurasia program. Previously, Conley was the deputy assistant secretary of state at the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, where she played a key role in the expansion of NATO into Eastern and Southern Europe during the early 2000s. She has also worked for Armitage International, the world affairs consulting firm of former deputy secretary of state Richard L. Armitage.48

Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer is the senior vice president for geostrategy at the GMF. She is also the managing director of the fund’s annual publication Transatlantic Trends. Like GMF president Heather Conley, Scheffer previously worked with NATO, having worked as an advisor to the alliance’s supreme allied commander in Europe. Prior to that, she held several positions in the French government, including an advisory role on relations with the United States at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a consulting role at the French Ministry of Defense. In addition, she has provided policy advice to the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations.49

Laura Thornton is the senior vice president for democracy at the GMF. She manages the fund’s Alliance for Securing Democracy, which works to intervene in the elections of nations significant to the policy objectives of the GMF with the claimed goal of combating “external influence operations.” Thornton also runs the fund’s political intervention initiatives in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and the Baltic States, as well as Belarus and Ukraine. She previously spent more than two decades at the National Democratic Institute.50

Financials

In 2020, the German Marshall Fund distributed more than $6 million in grants and reported more than $21 million in contributions.51

For the 2022 fiscal year, the GMF reported grants of at least $1 million each from the United States Agency for International Development, the European Commission, and the German Foreign Office, as well as the Norwegian and Swedish Foreign Affairs Ministries. Other state institutions supporting the fund that year included Global Affairs Canada, the Latvian Ministry of Defense, the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassies of Slovakia and the Netherlands in the United States, and several American embassies in Europe.52

Aside from government funding, GMF has reported grants from some of the largest left-of-center grantmakers in the world, including the Democracy Fund of eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and Open Society Foundations of liberal hedge-fund billionaire George Soros. 53

References

  1. Siegel, Nicholas. “A Brief History.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 17, 2015. https://www.gmfus.org/publications/german-marshall-fund-united-states-brief-history.
  2. “Policy.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/gmf-pillar/policy.
  3. “Research & Analysis.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/listings/research.
  4. “Asia Program.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, August 5, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/program/asia.
  5. “Forum.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, January 1, 1970. https://www.gmfus.org/gmf-pillar/forum.
  6. “German Marshall Fund of the United States.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, Form 990. 2017. Part VIII, Line 1e.
  7. “Our Partners.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, May 21, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/our-partners.
  8. Rosenberger, Laura, and Julie Smith. “While the U.S. Sits Back, China Is Using COVID-19 to Cozy up to Europe: Opinion.” Newsweek, May 14, 2020. https://www.newsweek.com/while-us-sits-back-china-using-covid-19-cozy-europe-opinion-1503778.
  9. Megan Ballema. “Ford hosts 5th annual Vandenberg lecture with NATO Ambassador Julienne Smith.” The Michigan Daily. March 29, 2023. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://www.michigandaily.com/government/ford-hosts-5th-annual-vandenberg-lecture-with-nato-ambassador-julienne-smith/
  10. Nick Mordowanec. “NATO Facing ‘Very Real’ Arms Shortage Due to Ukraine War.” Newsweek. December 13, 2022. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://www.newsweek.com/nato-arms-shortage-ukraine-war-ambassador-julianne-smith-comments-1766862
  11. Siegel, Nicholas. “A Brief History.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 17, 2015. https://www.gmfus.org/publications/german-marshall-fund-united-states-brief-history.
  12. Siegel, Nicholas. “A Brief History.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 17, 2015. https://www.gmfus.org/publications/german-marshall-fund-united-states-brief-history.
  13. Siegel, Nicholas. “A Brief History.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 17, 2015. https://www.gmfus.org/publications/german-marshall-fund-united-states-brief-history.
  14. Siegel, Nicholas. “A Brief History.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 17, 2015. https://www.gmfus.org/publications/german-marshall-fund-united-states-brief-history.
  15. “Policy.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/gmf-pillar/policy.
  16. “About GMF.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, March 14, 2019. https://www.gmfus.org/about-gmf.
  17. “Research & Analysis.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/listings/research.
  18. “Research & Analysis.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/listings/research.
  19. “Asia Program.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, August 5, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/program/asia.
  20. “Europe Program.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 6, 2019. https://www.gmfus.org/program/europe.
  21. “Europe’s East and Russia.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, February 8, 2019. https://www.gmfus.org/topic/europes-east-russia.
  22. “Asia Program.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, August 5, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/program/asia.
  23. “Asia Program.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, August 5, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/program/asia.
  24. “Asia Program.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, August 5, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/program/asia.
  25. Bouchet, Nicolas. “The Human Face of Systemic Rivalry and the Mistake of Not Speaking Out.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, June 21, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/blog/2020/06/19/human-face-systemic-rivalry-and-mistake-not-speaking-out.
  26. Berzina, Kristine, Nad’a Kovalcikova, and Lindsay Gorman. “[Opinion] And Now Some Questions for China’s TikTok.” EUobserver, June 15, 2020. https://euobserver.com/opinion/148635.
  27. Gorman, Lindsay. “Companies like Zoom Must Choose: America or China: Opinion.” Newsweek, June 19, 2020. https://www.newsweek.com/companies-like-zoom-must-choose-america-china-opinion-1511645.
  28. “Coronavirus Latest: US Cases May Hit ‘100,000 a Day’.” DW.COM. Deutsche Welle. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-latest-us-cases-may-hit-100000-a-day/a-53992019.
  29. Rosenberger, Laura, and Julie Smith. “While the U.S. Sits Back, China Is Using COVID-19 to Cozy up to Europe: Opinion.” Newsweek, May 14, 2020. https://www.newsweek.com/while-us-sits-back-china-using-covid-19-cozy-europe-opinion-1503778.
  30. Rosenberger, Laura, and Julie Smith. “While the U.S. Sits Back, China Is Using COVID-19 to Cozy up to Europe: Opinion.” Newsweek, May 14, 2020. https://www.newsweek.com/while-us-sits-back-china-using-covid-19-cozy-europe-opinion-1503778.
  31. Zaborowski, Marcin. “Do Not Turn a Blind Eye – US and Central Europe.” Visegrad Insight, June 3, 2020. https://visegradinsight.eu/not-turn-blind-eye-us-central-europe/.
  32. “Our Work.” Alliance for Securing Democracy. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/our-work/
  33. “2021 German Elections Project.” Alliance for Security Democracy. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/2021-german-elections/
  34. “2022 French Election Project.” Alliance for Securing Democracy. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/2022-french-election-project/
  35. David Levine, Gideon Cohn-Postar. “Securing 2024: Defending US Elections through Investment and Reform.” Alliance for Securing Democracy. March 27, 2023. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://securingdemocracy.gmfus.org/securing-2024/
  36. Taibbi, Matt. “Move over, Jayson Blair: Meet Hamilton 68, the New King of Media Fraud.” Move Over, Jayson Blair: Meet Hamilton 68, the New King of Media Fraud. Racket News, January 27, 2023. https://www.racket.news/p/move-over-jayson-blair-meet-hamilton?r=2xssg&utm_medium=ios&utm_campaign=post.
  37. “Watch Brussels Forum 2020 Sessions.” The German Marshall Fund – Brussels Forum. Accessed August 20, 2020. http://brusselsforum.org/.
  38. “Speakers.” Brussels Forum. Accessed August 20, 2020. http://brusselsforum.org/presenters/.
  39. “Speakers.” Brussels Forum. Accessed August 20, 2020. http://brusselsforum.org/presenters/.
  40. “Speakers.” Brussels Forum. Accessed August 20, 2020. http://brusselsforum.org/presenters/.
  41. “Forum.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, January 1, 1970. https://www.gmfus.org/gmf-pillar/forum.
  42. “Transatlantic Security Task Force.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, July 9, 2019. https://www.gmfus.org/forum/transatlantic-security-task-force.
  43. “Transatlantic Security Task Force.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, July 9, 2019. https://www.gmfus.org/forum/transatlantic-security-task-force.
  44. Hansler, Jennifer. “Top Ukrainian Official: All We Are Asking for Is Fair Treatment.” CNN. Cable News Network, December 13, 2019. https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/13/politics/us-ukraine-deputy-prime-minister-dmytro-kuleba-german-marshall-fund/.
  45. “Our People.” German Marshall Fund. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://www.gmfus.org/about/our-people
  46. “J. Robinson West.” Center for Strategic and International Studies. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://www.csis.org/people/j-robinson-west
  47. “Christopher M. Schroeder Selected as Vice Chair of GMF’s Board of Trustees.” German Marshall Fund. February 28, 2023. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://www.gmfus.org/news/christopher-m-schroeder-selected-vice-chair-gmfs-board-trustees
  48. “Heather A. Conley.” German Marshall Fund. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://www.gmfus.org/find-experts/heather-conley
  49. “Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer.” German Marshall Fund. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://www.gmfus.org/find-experts/alexandra-de-hoop-scheffer
  50. “Laura Thornton.” German Marshall Fund. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://www.gmfus.org/find-experts/laura-thornton
  51. German Marshall Fund Of The US 2020 Internal Revenue Service Form 990. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/display_990/520954751/download990pdf_03_2022_prefixes_47-54%2F520954751_202105_990_2022030219682358
  52. “Our Donors.” German Marshall Fund. Accessed April 2, 2023. https://www.gmfus.org/about/our-donors
  53. “Our Partners.” The German Marshall Fund of the United States, May 21, 2020. https://www.gmfus.org/our-partners.
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Nonprofit Information

  • Accounting Period: May - April
  • Tax Exemption Received: December 1, 1972

    • Available Filings

    Period Form Type Total revenue Total functional expenses Total assets (EOY) Total liabilities (EOY) Unrelated business income? Total contributions Program service revenue Investment income Comp. of current officers, directors, etc. Form 990
    2017 May Form 990 $19,466,489 $26,863,805 $181,736,251 $15,396,110 Y $17,715,121 $18,709 $1,450,547 $1,387,239 PDF
    2016 May Form 990 $20,093,056 $28,378,109 $175,318,654 $16,858,543 Y $16,479,373 $18,370 $1,425,570 $1,546,367 PDF
    2015 May Form 990 $27,452,817 $31,830,116 $200,122,229 $21,679,316 Y $17,533,741 $38,536 $1,179,857 $1,121,978 PDF
    2014 May Form 990 $36,995,076 $38,032,448 $208,002,901 $24,838,036 N $25,811,577 $73,224 $4,187,097 $1,790,224 PDF
    2013 May Form 990 $41,616,944 $37,633,741 $199,259,803 $23,432,193 N $29,554,047 $0 $3,720,031 $2,204,225 PDF
    2012 May Form 990 $29,523,143 $37,987,491 $200,692,260 $29,223,652 Y $18,650,313 $34,578 $8,615,397 $1,988,368 PDF
    2011 May Form 990 $40,856,014 $38,617,770 $227,153,417 $31,578,221 Y $21,388,423 $12,716 $4,086,885 $2,200,018 PDF

    Additional Filings (PDFs)

    Map image for German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF)

    German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF)

    1744 R ST NW
    WASHINGTON, DC 20009-2410