Glasswing International works to improve the education and health care of youth in some of the most violent and poor areas of Central America. Glasswing engages and trains volunteers to provide most of the services, which include public school revitalization, after-school programs, and improvements to healthcare facilities.

Its United States division is focused on fundraising for the creation of volunteer centers in Central America. ¹ Glasswing partners with and is supported by large left-of-center philanthropists and organizations, including MacKenzie Scott, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Tides Foundation.

Background

Glasswing International was founded in 2007 by Celina de Sola, her husband Ken Baker, and her brother Diego de Sola in San Salvador, El Salvador. ² A native of El Salvador, de Sola was educated and worked in the United States and founded Glasswing upon her return to El Salvador. ³

Glasswing has expanded to 12 Central American countries with regional and United States based offices and from three employees to almost 600. ⁴ Glasswing International’s focus is on improving youth health and education in Central America’s poorest and most violent areas. ⁵ It leverages volunteers for much of its work and claimed almost 140,000 volunteers as of June 2022. ⁶

Programs and Partnerships

Glasswing International’s programs focus on youth health and education in Central America’s most violent and poor areas. Programs include revitalizing public schools and creating after-school programs to keep the youth in school and out of the neighborhoods and investing in clinics and hospitals to improve the healthcare provided. After-school programs include debate clubs, soccer, robotics, and youth employability. ⁷

Glasswing International partners with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to revitalize public schools and implement-after school clubs. ⁸

Glasswing partners with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to create safe spaces in some of the most violent areas of Central America. ⁹

Glasswing partners with Chevron-Texaco to improve public school infrastructure and to provide equipment and training focused on STEM. ¹⁰

World Bank partners with Glasswing to conduct research into the impact of Glasswing’s after-school programs in San Salvador. ¹¹

Financials and Donors

Revenues for Glasswing International were reported at $6,300,292 and expenses were $3,961,165 according to the 2020 tax return. ¹²

Glasswing International was one of 465 funding recipients from left-wing billionaire MacKenzie Scott (formerly MacKenzie Bezos) in 2021 and 2022. ¹³

Glasswing International was a 2021-22 funding recipient of The Audacious Project for $42 million, the first Latin American grantee. ¹⁴ The Audacious Project is a funding collective which is housed at TED with support from nonprofit advisor The Bridgespan Group. ¹⁵ In 2021, the project funded several left-of-center groups focused on electric vehicles to stop global warming, welfare-state expansion, and “modernizing” U.S. elections. The Audacious Project is funded from left-wing foundations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. ¹⁶

Glasswing’s 2020 tax return lists donations of $417,763 from Chevron Corporation, $22,500 from Morgan Stanley, $150,000 from NoVo Foundation, $35,996 from Population Services International (PSI), $1,208,224 from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, $75,000 from Skoll Fund, $110,220 from Tides Foundation, $15,000 from Robin Hood Foundation , $100,500 from W. K. Kellogg Foundation,  and $380,356 from Keep a Child Alive. ¹⁷

Leadership

President and co-founder Celina de Sola was a humanitarian relief worker and public health specialist for 20 years. She consulted for Population Council and was director of emergency response for AmeriCares, a large international relief foundation. She is a fellow of the Obama Foundation and Ashoka. ¹⁸ At the World Economic Forum in January 2023, de Sola was awarded the Social Innovation Award by the Schwab Foundation. ¹⁹

CEO and co-founder Ken Baker was previously a vice president with AmeriCares. He was a city councilman for Norwalk, Connecticut and a board member for the World Affairs Forum. ²⁰

Board member and co-founder Diego de Sola is a real estate developer in El Salvador. He is a fellow at the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network and a World Economic Forum global fellow. ²¹

Board chair John Moore is the Head of Latin America at Morgan Stanley and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. ²²

1. Glasswing International. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part III). 2020.
2. “Our Story.” Glasswing International – About Us. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/our-story/
3. Sophia Melissa Caraballo Piñeiro. “This Salvadoreña Is on a Mission to Help Migrant Youth, and This Is How She’s Doing It.” Popsugar. October 24, 2019. Accessed January 23, 2023. https://www.popsugar.com/latina/how-celina-de-sola-is-helping-migrant-youth-crisis-46782569
4. “Snapshot 2022.” Glasswing International – Impacts & Insights – Annual Reports. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/snapshot-2022-FINAL.pdf
5. “Our Programs.” Glasswing International – Our Work. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/our-programs/
6. Carlos Lopez Vides. “Glasswing celebrates 15 years of promoting health and education.” Elsalvador.com. June 15, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/nacional/glasswing-international-fundacion-the-howard-graham-buffett-gobierno-ministerio-de-salud-educacion-/967579/2022/
7. “Our Programs.” Glasswing International – Our Work. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/our-programs/
8. “Our Partners.” Glasswing International – About Us. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/our-partners/
9. “Our Partners.” Glasswing International – About Us. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/our-partners/
10. “Our Partners.” Glasswing International – About Us. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/our–partners/
11. “Our Partners.” Glasswing International – About Us. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/our-partners/
12. Glasswing International. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Part I). 2020.
13. MacKenzie Scott. “Helping Any of Us Can Help Us All.” March 23, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://mackenzie-scott.medium.com/helping-any-of-us-can-help-us-all-f4c7487818d9
14. “Snapshot 2022.” Glasswing International – Impacts & Insights – Annual Reports. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/snapshot-2022-FINAL.pdf
15. ^[1] “FAQs – Who is funding this work?” U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.electionexcellence.org/faq
16. Hayden Ludwig. “Dark-Money Groups Push Vote by Mail.” Capital Research Center. August 22, 2022. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://capitalresearch.org/article/dark-money-groups-push-vote-by-mail/
17. Glasswing International. Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990 – Schedule B). 2020.
18. “Celina de Sola.” Glasswing International – About Us – Our Team. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/team-member/celina-de-sola/
19. Facebook – Glasswing International. Accessed January 23, 2023. https://www.facebook.com/GlasswingI/
20. LinkedIn – Ken Baker. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-baker-4226976/
21. “Diego de Sola.” Glasswing International – About Us – Our Team. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://glasswing.org/team-member/diego-de-sola/
22. LinkedIn – John Moore. Accessed January 21, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-moore-a7831a41/