The Strategic Capacity Group (SCG) is a nonprofit organization funded almost entirely by the U.S. government that supports law enforcement training, security education, and border security in foreign nations, especially in East Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and the Caribbean. ^{1 2}

As of 2025, SCG has received nearly $67 million in funding from the U.S. Department of State. In at least one year, the organization received over 98 percent of its budget from government grants. ^{1 3}

Activities

The Strategic Capacity Group is an American nonprofit that provides grant funding and support for law enforcement and border security agencies and activities in foreign nations. SCG was founded in 2013 by Querine Hanlon to affirm that supporting foreign law enforcement was best done not by providing enforcement tools but by training of law enforcement agents. ^{1 2 4}

SCG activities include embedding with security sectors to build best practices; conducting assessments of institutions, threat monitoring, and evaluating security sector assistance programs; creating policy guidance and research; facilitating cross-border training and coordination; training military and civilian security officials; and designing military and law enforcement academies. This includes helping foreign nations improve their border security as well as programs to support women in law enforcement in Asia. ^{4 5 2}

SCG has programs in nearly all inhabited regions, including in the nations of Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, Barbados, the Philippines, and Mali. ² SCG has also released publications on North African border security in Libya, how to improve defense institutions, promoting cooperation in security, Mali border security, and security sector reform in Tunisia. ⁶

Leadership

The president of the board of the Strategic Capacity Group is Querine Hanlon. Hanlon is also the president of Hanlon Group LLC, was previously a special advisor and senior defense fellow at the United States Institute of Peace, and was the associate dean of academic programs at the National Defense University. ^{7 8}

Other members of the board include Ross Harrison and Richard Shultz, Jr. Harrison is a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University and Schultz is a professor at Tufts University. ^{7 9}

Financials

According to tax filings, in 2022, the Strategic Capacity Group reported $8,551,387 in revenue, $8,534,172 in expenses, and $2,272,560 in assets. Of its expenses, the organization spent $8,503,432 on its international programming, including the International Law Enforcement Expertise Project and the International Liberia Law Advancement Program. Of those expenses, $1,375,615 were devoted to programs in Central America and the Caribbean; $378,339 were devoted to programs in East Asia and the Pacific; $391,810 were devoted to programs in Europe, Iceland, and Greenland; $911,536 were devoted to projects in South Asia; and $4,699,636 were devoted to programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. Of its revenue, SCG received over 98 percent ($8,406,515) from government grants. ¹

SCG began receiving annual grants from the U.S. Department of State in 2020. According to USASpending.gov, SCG has received nearly $67 million from the State Department, including reportedly $2.5 million to support drug enforcement, immigration, and border patrol agencies in Liberia. Other notable grants from the U.S. State Department to SCG include $10,184,541 to support travel and logistics to the Sahel, a region in Africa; $9,228,096 to support the International Law Enforcement Academy; $4,515,097 to support law enforcement training in Mali; $4,405,800 to train the Central African Gendarmerie; $2,799,970 to support travel and logistics in Haiti; and $2,212,597 to support Caribbean forensic capabilities. ^{10 3}

1. Strategic Capacity Group Inc. Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2022.
2. “Strategic Capacity Group.” Strategic Capacity Group. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.strategiccapacity.org/.
3. “Strategic Capacity Group.” USA Spending. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=968410622a5fb1abe9f6db456afc14ce.
4. “Who We Are.” Strategic Capacity Group.” Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.strategiccapacity.org/who-we-are.
5. “What We Do.” Strategic Capacity Group. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.strategiccapacity.org/what-we-do.
6. “Publications.” Strategic Capacity Group. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.strategiccapacity.org/publications.
7. “Team.” Strategic Capacity Group. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.strategiccapacity.org/team
8. “Querine Hanlon.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/querinehanlon/details/experience/.
9. “Ross Harrison.” LinkedIn. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-harrison-8ab7416/.
10. Thayer, Parker. “DOGE and the Department of State.”  Capital Research Center. February 13, 2025. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://capitalresearch.org/article/doge-and-the-department-of-state/.