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2013 Year in Review

Our MissionGrand Circle Foundation will help change people’s lives in the world we travel and where we live and work. To this end, we are committed to:

Identifying and developing

strong, gutsy leaders who create social change and economic opportunity through their courage, passion, example, unbridled energy, and vision

Listening to and partnering

with strong, gutsy leaders in the villages where we travel, live, and work to create jobs, improve school performance, support small business, and promote the health and safety of citizens

Bringing together in dialogue and action

our associates, travelers, travel partners, and gutsy leaders around a shared set of values and goals to create change

For the leaders we develop, the villages we support, and the travelers who join us on the road, at Grand Circle Foundation, we are traveling for change.

Contents4 A Message from Harriet Lewis

6 Our Honorary Directors

7 How We Support Our Projects

8 Where We Give Back Together

10 Africa & the Middle East

13 Our Generous Travelers: Rob and Deborah Givens help protect children from wildlife in Kenya

14 Asia & the South Pacific

17 Our Generous Travelers: Kathy Kerdus journeys from tragic loss to offering hope to Vietnamese orphans

18 Americas

21 Our Generous Travelers: Jeannie Ling honors her parents’ legacy with a gift to a Chilean school

22 Europe

25 Our Generous Travelers: Jackie Abreo becomes the “Godmother” by donating to a Sicilian school

26 Worldwide Community Service

28 Honors & Awards: A Tradition of Excellence

29 How to stay informed

30 A World of Thanks: Saluting Our Top Donors

A Message from Harriet Lewis

A message of gratitude, from our home to yours

“When I got home, I was so grateful for what we have.” This sentiment is one I hear often from Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) and Grand Circle travelers after their journeys. In the travel industry, the world is our workplace, and I’m proud that we have always made giving back to the communities we visit a top priority. Grand Circle Foundation is an entity of the Lewis Family Foundation, which has pledged or donated more than $130 million since 1981.

This support has helped teach children 21st-century skills … built and refurbished classrooms … offered training in music and the arts … preserved cultural traditions … and more.

In these pages, you’ll see a review of Grand Circle Foundation’s history of giving around the globe, with an emphasis on our projects in 2013. Our work in Africa has included expanding access to secondary school through a scholarship program founded by generous traveler Hugh Thurnauer. In the Americas, we’ve sought to advance education in impoverished schools by also helping to provide the nourishment children need in order to concentrate on their studies.

Our projects in Asia have included providing clean water in a Burmese village, and supporting the estab-lishment of a Laotian poultry farm and weaving center. In Europe, we supported a day-care center for the disabled in Lithuania, strengthened our ongoing partnership with the St. Petersburg Music Boarding School, and donated to a German kindergarten that was damaged by last summer’s Elbe River flooding.

This report will also introduce you to travelers who have given generously of their funds and their hearts. Rob and Deborah Givens felt impelled to help protect children from wildlife in a Maasai village in Kenya, and Kathy Kerdus honored her daughter’s memory with a gift to a Vietnamese orphanage. Jeannie Ling allocated a large share of a nonprofit founded by her parents to a school in Chile, and Jackie Abreo generously donated to a local school in Sicily in need of support.

We are deeply touched by the support of these travelers and the many, many others who have reached beyond national boundaries to offer help—including our Honorary Directors, who inspire us with their courage and their wisdom, the on-the-ground support staff of our regional offices around the world, and the vendors, associates, and friends who don’t ask whether they can help—but rather, how.

As I consider the many blessings of my life, among the most important are all of you who have helped us make Foundation giving possible. At home and on the road, I am so very grateful for all you give.

Love and peace,

Harriet Lewis Chair, Grand Circle Foundation

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Our Honorary DirectorsLeaders, advisors, mentors, friends

At Grand Circle Corporation, our primary mission is to change people’s lives—through travel and by giving back to the destinations our travelers encounter along the way. It’s a big goal, and achieving it requires leadership. That’s why Grand Circle Foundation has sought the wisdom, guidance, and experience of some of the world’s gutsiest leaders.

Our Honorary Directors include a Nobel Peace Prize winner, a former president, entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, and more. Yet they all have one thing in common: They have led from the heart and given generously of their time and talent to help make the world a better place.

One of our greatest heroes was the late Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to successfully summit Mount Everest. His widow, and former chair of the Himalayan Trust, Lady June Hillary, continued to guide us for several years after his death. Another inspiring couple has been the late Bradford Washburn—an accomplished mountaineer, photographer, cartographer, and museum director—and his wife, Barbara Washburn, who continues to inspire with us her pioneering spirit.

We benefit from the expertise of specialists in politics, culture, and environmentalism, including Nobel Peace Prize winner and former president of Poland, Lech Walesa, President of the Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research, Angeles Arrien, and conservationist Ree Sheck, former Information Director of Costa Rica’s Monteverde Conservation League.

And in Tanzania, Willy Chambulo, Owner and Managing Director of Kibo Guides Safaris, has been an invaluable partner in the Foundation’s support for schools in the village of Karatu.

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From purchasing new schoolbooks to creating scholarships for promising young pupils, purifying water supplies, and supporting local clinics, we try to provide assistance to local communities in meaningful ways. And we always ask for the wisdom of local leadership, and the involvement of the community, to ensure that the regions we work with receive exactly what they need.

Here’s a brief overview of the resources we’ve allocated in 2013 to our projects around the world …

Other5%

Self-Sustenance6%

Education Materials

7%Furnishings9%

Renovation14%

Technology7%

WaterSystems

7%

Transportation5%

Scholarship6%

Construction of classrooms, toilets,

kitchens, fences 34%

Education (Schools & Orphanages)

Village Investment

Cultural & Historical Preservation

Health & Wellness

Community Service

Relief

79%

11%5%

3%1%1%

How We Support Our ProjectsFoundation resource allocation

We are grateful to all those who have graced us with their guidance while offering living proof that, with dedication and imagination, dreams can come true.

Other5%

Self-Sustenance6%

Education Materials

7%Furnishings9%

Renovation14%

Technology7%

WaterSystems

7%

Transportation5%

Scholarship6%

Construction of classrooms, toilets,

kitchens, fences 34%

Education (Schools & Orphanages)

Village Investment

Cultural & Historical Preservation

Health & Wellness

Community Service

Relief

79%

11%5%

3%1%1%

Projects by Cause

Education & Village Investment Allocations

Barbara Washburn

Lech Walsea

Ree Sheck

Willy Chambulo

Angeles Arrien

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Where We Give Back Together

“Our most profound experience was our visit to the Foundation-funded school. The presentation and tour by their young principal,

Moses, was unusually moving and impressive. His dedication

to his students, his teachers, and the ongoing reconstruction of his

classrooms is incredible. It left an indelible mark on our group.”

Sharon & George Bloch, 13-time travelers

“The principals, teachers, and students were outstanding. What they have done with that school with the assistance of Grand Circle Foundation is outstanding … the impact

on their families and the community is endless. I was proud to be able to assist with this program.”

Naomi & Mark Hughes, 10-time travelers

Africa & the Middle East Israel: Lakia Bedouin Village • Lakia Young Bedouin Women’s Leadership Project • Kenya: Amboseli Masaai Boma Village • Amboseli Primary School • Morocco: Dar ET-Taleb Education Center • Tingher Village • Namibia: Bergsig Village Damaraland • Jacob Basson Primary School • Swaziland: Fontein Social Center • Tanzania • Bashay Primary School • Njia Panda Primary School • Rhotia Primary School • Tarangire Maasai Boma Village • Tarangire Primary School • Tloma Primary School • Zimbabwe: Jabulani Primary School • Jabulani Village • Lukhovi Village • Ngamo Primary School • Ngamo Village • St Mary’s Primary School • Ziga Primary School • Ziga Village

Asia & the South Pacific Australia: Yipirinya School • Burma: Aye Yeik Mon Orphanage • Myin Ka Primary School • Myin Ka Village • Kalaw Village • Myin Mahti Middle School • Setpagone Post Primary School • Thanlar Boys Orphanage • China: Guang Ming Primary School • Hu Xian Donghan Village • Huo Kou Primary School • Shao Ping Dian Primary School • Fiji: Sigatoka District School • India: Adarsh Bal Vidhya Mandir • Khilchipur Village • Ramsingh Pura Village • Saini Adarsh Vidhya Mandir • Sri Venkateshwara Orphanage • Laos: Houay Hia School • Kia Luang School • Kia Luang Village • Tin Keo School • Tin Keo Village • Mongolia: Lotus Children’s Center • Children’s Summer Camps • Unur Bul Orphanage • Nepal • Laxmi Primary School • Tomejhong Village • New Zealand: Kaitao Middle School • Murupara Town & Community • Thailand: Boonyapark Early Childhood Center • Don Chum Primary School • Don Chum Village • Mae Yang Rong Primary School • Vietnam: Hai Duong Care Center • Minh Tu Orphanage • Xom Gio

Americas Argentina: Escuela No. 27 Jorge Hall • Chile • Cocotue School • Escuela Rural Sol Del Pacifico • Quel Quel School - Chiloe • Colombia: Alex Rocha Youth Center • Costa

Rica: Chachagua Village • San Francisco School • San Josecito de Cutris School • Sonafluca Primary School • Sonafluca Village • Cuba: Caritas Cubana • Ecuador: Sinamune Disabled Children’s Orchestra • Guatemala: Oficial Parvulos Santa Catarina School • Santa Catarina Barahona Village • Panama: Centro Educativo Basico de El Valle • El Valle de Anton • Peru: Las Palmas Primary School • Las Palmas Village • Pucruto School • Raqchi School • Villa Marcelo Primary School • Chinchero Village • Urubamba Village • Yanamono Clinic

Europe Croatia: Dobrisa Cesaric Elementary School • Italy: Corleone School • ML King Caltanissetta School • Santa Maria della Pieta School • Lithuania: Salantai Day Care Center • Russia: St. Petersburg Music Boarding School • Slovakia: Gessayova Kindergarten • Haanova Kindergarten • Strecnianska Kindergarten • Turkey: Ahmet Ergun Primary School Avanos • Ataturk Primary School • Belenbasi School • Belenbasi Village • Cumhuriyet Primary School • Dogancilar Village • Hacibektas High School • Hacibektas Veli Primary School • Hacibektas Vocational High School for Girls • Hacibektas Town • Ilicek Village • Kapisuyu Village School • Kapisuyu Village • Karaca Agac Village School • Karaca Agac Village • Kiriklar Village • Kiriklar Village Primary School

Current World Classroom schools and A Day in the Life villages worldwide

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Grand Circle Foundation supported 17,289 students at 88 schools in 37 countries in 2013.

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Amboseli Primary School Where We Give Back City of David, Israel $1,325,000 donated Supported excavation and preservation of the City of David

Namibia Rand Nature Reserve, Namibia $300,000 donated Purchased conservation land

Ziga Primary School, Zimbabwe $118,539 donated Constructed 2 classrooms, a library and media center, and provided books, and chickens

Nija Panda Primary School, Tanzania $104,222 donated Provided a dining hall, smokeless cooking pots, desks, chairs, and books

Amboseli Primary School, Kenya $65,685 donated Provided well, fencing, books, and educational materials

Valley of the Kings, Egypt $53,025 donated Supported conservation efforts, as well as installation of railing, lighting, and educational signs

Fontein Social Center, Swaziland $28,655 donated Provided solar heating, floor repairs, and painting of exterior

Lakia Bedouin Village, Israel $26,951 donated Provided sewing machines, day care services, and English lessons

Dar ET-Taleb, Morocco $25,780 donated Provided toilets, showers, mattresses, a study room, and computers

Please note: This is a sample of donations made to this region.

Africa & the Middle East

$6,438,790In some parts of this vast region, infrastructure is still

evolving to meet the needs of students. Schools may need furniture, books, or kitchen supplies; in hotter areas, refriger-ation is rare but necessary to safely feed children. And in areas without public utilities and electricity, some schools cannot teach one of the fundamentals of getting ahead in today’s world: learning to use a computer.

Sometimes personal considerations make it difficult for children to go to school. Transportation is an issue in more remote villages, and young people must sometimes stay home to help provide for the family. In sub-Saharan Africa, more than one in three children either never attend school or leave before even completing primary school.

Yet, travelers who visit Foundation-supported schools on our adventures to Africa are deeply touched by the commitment of students and teachers alike to education, despite their challenges. Grand Circle Foundation is proud to support that commitment through our World Classroom initiative, designed to help strengthen schools and communities along the paths of OAT and Grand Circle itineraries.

More than 1/3 of sub-Saharan

Africa’s children do not complete primary school.*

“The kids are amazing,” says Rob. “They have aspirations—they want to be doctors and lawyers. We just want to protect them enough that they can live the

life they want to live.”

Rob Givens, 3-time traveler

*Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, UIS Fact Sheet, June 2013

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From Egypt to South Africa, our funds have built, refurbished and furnished classrooms, replaced roofs and windows, installed cooking equipment and solar heating, purchased books and other educational supplies, provided sporting equipment and athletic fields, fenced playgrounds for protection from wildlife, and more.

We have also partnered with generous travelers such as Hugh Thurnauer of Westlake, Ohio, to provide scholarships that enable students to go on to second-ary school. The program was originally established for Tanzanian schoolchildren. Last year, we expanded it to include students at the Amboseli Primary School in Kenya. When Grand Circle Foundation first partnered with Amboseli in 2011, it was a low-performing school. Last year, it improved to fifth out of 85 schools participating in government mock exams held four weeks prior to finals. Now, with our expanded scholarship program, eleven Amboseli students are given hope for a brighter future through higher education. Among them are Nkomo, who hopes to become a doctor, and Rosemary, whose goal is to become a pilot.

Girls are much more likely than boys to be kept home from school. An estimated 34 million girls around the world do not attend school, with the result that nearly two-thirds of the world’s illiterate adults are female.

One especially touching story is that of Flora, who was only eleven years old when her father

illegally “sold” her into marriage. Village leaders rallied to help her and moved her into a home for rescued girls. Amboseli’s head teacher asked Grand Circle Foundation to sponsor a scholarship for

her at a boarding school in a remote

area. Flora has flourished in her new setting, ranking 10th of 85 students last year.

Sadly, Flora’s story is not uncommon in Amboseli. Another local girl, Reson (nicknamed Agnes), recently lost her mother, and her father tried to sell her for livestock. With the support of OAT travelers, the Foundation’s scholarship program is now allowing Agnes to continue her education.

It is stories like these that motivate us to do what we can to provide a brighter future through education—one child at a time.

GAME CHANGERSRob and Deborah Givens help protect children from wildlife in Kenya

Rob and Deborah Givens of Overland Park, Kansas, knew that they would likely venture to Africa only once, so they wanted to make the most of their trip. The couple chose OAT’s Out of Africa adventure, a combination of two safaris that together visit Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Tanzania.

Two school visits are included on the itinerary—one in Ngamo, Zimbabwe and one in Amboseli National Park, Kenya. While the Givens were touched by the Ngamo villagers, it was the visit to Amboseli Primary School in a Maasai village that made a special impression on them.

Because of its location inside a wildlife reserve, the school faced a challenge most primary schools don’t: big game wandering through the schoolyard. A fence was needed—and not just any fence. This fence needed to keep out elephants.

“The project had been going on for seven or eight years,” declares Rob. “We saw charts on the classroom walls that showed the progress to date. You could see that it would be another four or five years before the fence was completed.” The Givens wanted to help speed the project along, so they donated $3,000 toward the project.

The Givens then contacted Grand Circle Foundation for help. “They were able to find additional funds, so we covered that four- or five-year gap almost immediately,” says Rob.

Now that it is completed, the fence has another benefit beyond student safety—a school garden, which is teaching the children important agriculture skills. “The kids are amazing,” says Rob. “They have aspirations—they want to be doctors and lawyers. We just want to protect them enough that they can live the life they want to live.”

Want to help?www.grandcirclefoundation.org

Teachers at Amboseli Primary School receive needed supplies on behalf of Grand Circle Foundation.

Children at the Ngamo School share smiles with traveler, Ruth Evans, of Punta Gorda, Florida.

OUR GENEROUS TRAVELERS

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Thayetow Village, Burma Where We Give Back Minh Tu Orphanage, Vietnam $196,654 donated Built dining room, renovated the boys dorm, kitchen, and bathroom, and established a garment workshop

Di Ji Orphanage, Tibet $94,399 donated Constructed a new building and provided water and electric systems for the kitchen

Kangaroo Island, Australia $67,314 donated Supported the Kangaroo Island Sea Lion Research Project

Krovan Primary School, Cambodia $58,410 donated Built a library, classrooms, toilets, and playground

Shao Ping Dian Primary School, China $55,083 donated Provided computers, desks, blackboards, and upgraded the water system

Kaitao Middle School, New Zealand $34,505 donated Provided a digital classroom and amphitheater

Tin Keo Village, Laos $32,230 donated Provided a water pipeline and reserve tank

Sri Venkateshwara Orphanage, India $31,100 donated Provided bathrooms with new toilets

Aye Yeik Mon Orphanage, Myanmar $20,127 donated Renovated a dormitory, replaced roof, and provided toilets, beds, tables, and chairs

Don Chum Village, Thailand $10,399 donated Established a women’s cooperative to sell handcrafts

Please note: This is a sample of donations made to this region.

Asia & the South Pacific

$2,432,561

While the bulk of Grand Circle Foundation’s giving continues to benefit schools in the

villages our travelers visit, we have expanded our focus over the years to include the larger community. We seek to partner with these communities to create self-sustaining projects that address a critical need.

Located in the mountains, the village of Myin Mahti, Burma, is home to some 3,000 members of the Danu tribe. The need for clean water is reaching crisis proportions around the world, and in Myin Mahti, the drinking water has been deemed unsafe by the World Health Organization for its high levels of iron and calcium.

Grand Circle Foundation has embarked on a project to provide clean water to the people of Myin Mahti over the long term. Traditionally, water has been carried by pipe from a nearby spring to a communal tank at the local monastery, where villagers collect

1 in 8 people around the world

lack access to clean water.*

“The idea of meeting people and giving back—that’s a very important consideration for me.”

Kathy Kerdus, 4-time traveler

*Source: water.org

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it in buckets and drums. We have installed a pretreatment system in the communal tank. An outlet for the purified, sterilized water has also been installed at the village school for the benefit of its 350 students, with three more stainless-steel storage tanks provided for the villagers.

Village involvement is an important component of all Foundation projects, and for their part, the people of Myin Mahti provided the building and the electricity for the system.

Other self- sustaining projects we have initiated are focused on entrepreneurial activities that will help local villagers gain the income—and independence— they need. Poultry farms we’ve sponsored elsewhere in the world have successfully nourished the local children while providing their families with added income. In the Laotian village of Tin Keo, our donation of 400 chickens has helped support ten families. The village chief projects that the number of chickens will increase to 800 this year, to the benefit of even more families.

Also in Tin Keo, we have helped create a weaving center in the village by donating 30 silk-weaving looms, to generate income and preserve a local craft. Almost half the world’s population subsists on less than $2.50 a day. In Tin Keo, the average income was $1 to $2 a day.

Now, 30 village women have the potential to augment their family’s income by $4 to $5 a day by selling their handmade textiles. And there is an added benefit: Women like Ngum Latsamy report that they also are able to escape the

loneliness and boredom of staying at home alone when their children are in school, by sharing conversation and tips on technique with each other, as well as interacting with OAT travelers. “On behalf of the people of our village, we would like to thank you for the great support to create more jobs for the women in our village,” she writes. We hope you join us in delighting in the success of this project.

REMEMBERING ERINKathy Kerdus journeys from tragic loss to offering hope to Vietnamese orphans

Sometimes, a geographical journey is also a spiritual one. That’s the kind of journey Kathy Kerdus has been on ever since her daughter Erin succumbed to cancer four years ago—and her healing has taken her all the way to Vietnam.

Most recently, the 4-time OAT traveler from Sacramento, California, joined our Inside Vietnam adventure, visiting the country where Erin’s father once served in the military. There, Kathy was intrigued by the Buddhist concept of service, which she witnessed firsthand at Minh Tu Orphanage.

The orphanage was founded in 1987 by two Buddhist nuns who literally found a baby on their doorstep. The sisters decided to create a home where orphaned and abandoned children would feel safe and loved, beginning with just five children. Today, 18 dedicated nuns tend to 200 orphaned children, ranging in age from infancy to their early 20s. Minh Tu is widely considered one of the best-run orphanages in the country.

The nuns rely almost entirely on private funding for all of the children’s needs, from food, clothing, and shelter to medicine and education. Over the years, Grand Circle Foundation funds have helped to renovate and furnish bedrooms, refurbish the dining hall, and purchase computers, new washing machines, new bicycles, and milk powder. We’ve also purchased an organ for the orphanage so that the children can enjoy music lessons.

Kathy was immediately enchanted by the children and decided make a donation to the orphanage, in Erin’s memory. Erin was a pre-med student when she died, so Kathy knew that donating money she had saved for Erin’s college education was the right thing to do. “She would think it a very good use of the money,” she says.

Upon her return home, Kathy contacted Grand Circle Foundation and arranged a donation of $5,000. “I feel really good about it,” Kathy says. “I don’t know yet how the money will be spent. But you see so much need, I’m sure it will go wherever they feel it’s right to use it.”

Want to help?www.grandcirclefoundation.org

The Laos Weaving Cooperative in Tin Keo village helps women supplement their income.

A traveler shares a story with children during a visit to the Myin Mahti village in Burma.

OUR GENEROUS TRAVELERS

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The San Francisco School, Costa Rica

“I love the fact that OAT is giving back to the community.”

Jeannie Ling, 2-time traveler

Where We Give Back San Francisco School, Costa Rica $241,670 donated Purchased land for microfarm and built a special education classroom

Monteverde Conservation League, Costa Rica $100,000 donated Purchased land for conservation

Raqchi School, Peru $99,573 donated Built a greenhouse, drip irriga-tion system, and food storage room, and renovated kitchen

La Concepcion School, Argentina $99,495 donated Renovated kitchen, 4 classrooms, playground, and installed water system

Sinamune Disabled Children’s Orchestra, Ecuador $86,039 donated Renovated classrooms, purchased musical instruments, and established jewelry workshop

Santa Catarina, Guatemala $41,560 donated Renovated bathrooms, donated computers, desks, lockers, and built a fence

Escuela Rural Sol Del Pacifico, Chile $34, 505 donated Replaced floors, renovated bathrooms, and heating system

Children’s Oasis Orphanage, Mexico $34,100 donated Renovated and equipped the kitchen and purchased a school bus

Centro Educativo Basico de El Valle, Panama $8,223 donated Renovated bathroom, kitchen, and installed water fountains

Alex Rocha Youth Center, Chile $2,551 donated Renovated bathrooms

Please note: This is a sample of donations made to this region.

Americas $2,217,751

According to The Economist, the percentage of the population living in extreme poverty in Latin

America has dropped significantly since 1995. That statistic makes little difference, however, to those who are still living on the equivalent of less than $2.50 a day and may have little or no access to basic sanitation.

At Grand Circle Foundation, we want to help. And while we passionately believe that the best resource for future success is education, we also realize that learning is difficult for hungry students. So our focus in Central and South America has been not only to help improve school buildings and provide educational materials, but also to help create self-sustaining agricultural projects that can nourish the children while also generating income for the community at large. In this way, we hope to do our part to relieve the problem of poverty among our neighbors to the South.

Roughly 40% of people living in extreme poverty

in Latin America are children under

12 years old.*

*Source: Unicef.org

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The blueprint for this concept is the microfarm we helped establish at the San Francisco School in rural Costa Rica. The project was the beginning of our Invest in a Village initiative, which partners with local communities and provides our travelers with an opportunity to donate. By developing a garden, livestock pens, and more on school grounds, we helped solve the school’s problem of feeding the children while teaching them the skills they need to succeed in a society that relies heavily on agriculture. It will also help to sustain the community for generations to come.

Our latest project at the San Francisco School involved building an interactive classroom for teaching English as a Second Language (ESL). This project entailed the construction of a classroom, purchasing teaching materials, and installing audiovisual, multi-media, and computer equipment.

Elsewhere in Costa Rica, we established a microfarm at the Sonafluca School, modeled after that of the San Francisco School. To help protect the microfarm—as well as the students

and the school’s supplies—last year we funded a metal fence to surround the school property. The children’s parents also donated to the project and provided labor. In addition, we supported the installation of ceramic flooring in the school’s walkways and event rooms, and replaced the ceiling in the kindergarten classroom. As a result, the children are enjoying

a cleaner, more attractive, and safer learning environment.

Roofing was an issue at Escuela No. 27 “Jorge Hall,” a Foundation partner in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the dining hall in particular, electricity had

to be shut off in rainy weather for the children’s safety. We are pleased to have been able to assist with repairs.

Another Foundation partner in Argentina, La Concepcion School, is located in the Parana Delta region and accessible only by boat. Yet, despite the abundance of water here, providing the children with safe drinking water was a problem. By piping tap water into the bathrooms in first-floor classrooms and strengthening the water tower, Grand Circle Foundation was able to help resolve the issue.

A SOLID FOUNDATIONJeannie Ling honors her parents’ legacy with a gift to a Chilean school

You might say that giving back runs in Jeannie Ling’s family. A two-time OAT traveler from Long Beach, California, Jeannie is one of four siblings who share in allocating the funds of the Cheng Family Foundation, a nonprofit founded by their parents.

Based in Pasadena, California, the Cheng Family Foundation’s mission is “to contribute to the health and vibrancy of local communities by supporting medical and environmental research, music, and art programs.” Most of the organization’s beneficiaries are located in southern California. Little did Jeannie know when she embarked on OAT’s Chile & Argentina: Andes to Patagonia adventure that she would dedicate her share to a rural school in Chile.

Located on Chile’s Pacific coast, the Sol del Pacifico School provides a free education to 19 children, ages six to twelve, who live in the surrounding community. Grand Circle Foundation partnered with the school in 2011 and has since donated $33,443 toward much-needed building repairs, including replacing floors in the two classrooms, the teachers’ room, the dining room, and the kitchen.

A visit to the school is on the OAT itinerary, and Jeannie was instantly charmed by the students. “I just love children, and I think education is so important,” she says. “I saw a need and thought I could help the school make improvements. I want to help the school reach its goals for the children.”

Upon her return home, she wrote a letter to Grand Circle Foundation offering a donation of $20,000 from the Cheng Family Foundation to support the Sol del Pacifico School.

Jeannie’s very generous donation will go a long way toward helping the school. “We have so much, and there is so much need,” she says. “I love the fact that OAT is giving back to the community. Any way I can help improve lives, I think it’s wonderful to do that.”

Want to help?www.grandcirclefoundation.org

Traveler Richard Kendrick enjoys a lesson with a young student at La Concepcion School near Buenos Aires, Argentina.

During a visit to the Sonafluca School in Costa Rica, traveler Romaine Conner shows students her iPad.

OUR GENEROUS TRAVELERS

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Kinderdijk, The Netherlands Where We Give Back State Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Poland $439,000 donated Transformed a convent into an educational center

Ephesus, Turkey $150,000 donated Restored and excavated the St. John area

Dobrisa Cesaric Elementary School, Croatia $109,000 donated Built a library

Kinderdijk Windmills, The Netherlands $100,500 donated Developed a visitor center, website, and provided educational materials

Friends of the Budapest Opera, Hungary $75,000 donated Provided youth outreach and scholarships for artists

St. Petersburg Music Boarding School, Russia $66,247 donated Provided an audio system, musical instruments, and recording equipment

Pompeii – World Monuments Fund Site, Italy $50,000 donated Restoration through the World Monuments Fund

Hacibektas Schools, Turkey $30,934 donated Built regional kitchen to provide free daily meals for 600 students

Salantai Day Care Center, Lithuania $11,982 donated Replaced windows

Kindergarten Elster, Germany $10,000 donated Provided relief due to historic flooding on the Elbe River

Please note: This is a sample of donations made to this region.

Europe $3,937,966

Europe’s fabulous landmarks and monuments offer an important glimpse into the history of human-

kind. Yet, many are at risk of being lost. Grand Circle Foundation is proud to be part of the ongoing effort to preserve these treasures for future generations to enjoy.

The Foundation has partnered with UNESCO to restore and preserve many of these iconic sites, including the windmills of Kinderdijk in The Netherlands, and the Greco-Roman ruins at Ephesus, Turkey. The 19 historic windmills at Kinderdijk date back to the 18th century and constitute the largest collection of Dutch windmills still in existence. Foundation funds help to support their maintenance. The Greco-Roman port of Ephesus dates to at least 1300 BC and is the best-preserved and most extensive classical Roman city in Asia. Grand Circle Foundation is a long-time supporter, funding ongoing excavation and preservation.

We have no choice but to achieve as

high a level of cultural heritage development

to ensure that this legacy is protected in particular through our technology, creativity

and foresight.*

“For Grand Circle to go to schools and Home-Hosteds is so rewarding. I think it’s wonderful.”

Jackie Abreo, 8-time traveler

*Source: European Commission ec.europa.eu

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The Stradun—the gleaming, marble-paved thoroughfare in the heart of Dubrovnik, Croatia, was devastated by the Balkan conflicts of the early 1990s. We partnered with UNESCO through our Restore Dubrovnik Fund to help preserve this landmark.

We also joined with the World Monuments Fund (WMF). Among the endangered sites to which the Foundation has donated funds are the ancient seaside villas of Stabiae, Italy, which were buried beneath the same volcanic ash as Pompeii in AD 79; the ruins of a Roman theater built into a hillside in Malaga, Spain, in the first century AD; and the Church of the Transfiguration, an 18th-century wooden church in Kizhi Pogost, Russia.

Grand Circle Foundation wanted to sponsor a project along the Elbe River after last year’s devastating floods. Grand Circle travelers were on hand when the M/S River Allegro stopped at the village of Elster, Germany, to hand over a check for $10,000 to renovate a flooded kindergarten. Capping the happy event were the children themselves, who came aboard for a ship’s tour and ice cream.

Elsewhere in Europe, the Foundation has a long-time association with the State Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau, where our funds have created an education center so that the lessons of the Holocaust will continue to be taught.

A long-time Foundation partner in nearby Russia is the St. Petersburg Music Boarding School. The school’s choir often performs in city events

and festivals, so it’s important that the 100 girls in the choir look as polished as they sound. We were happy to support the purchase of uniforms.

In addition to helping preserve historic architec-ture, we also have carried our mission

of educating the next generation of global citizens throughout Europe.

The Salantai Day Care Center provides a home for physically and mentally challenged Lithuanians. Grand Circle Foundation funded a hygiene room at the center, so that residents can learn to achieve personal and household cleanliness and also gain skills that can help them integrate into society.

NOT THE GODFATHER’S HOMETOWNJackie Abreo becomes the “Godmother” by donating to a Sicilian school

If someone were to mention the name Corleone, chances are good that your first thought would be of the fictitious Mafia family featured in the Godfather novel and film series. And that’s a problem for the children of Corleone, Sicily.

The village of Corleone is where travelers experience local Sicilian life on Grand Circle’s Discover Sicily: Heart of the Mediterranean vacation. Here, they visit the C.F. Aprile Primary School, where Foundation funds totaling $25,874 have helped to provide a lab with computers and English-learning software, television and video equipment, various supplies, and furniture for the classrooms and cafeteria. Last year, our most recent donation purchased two additional computers, to help the children learn to perform Internet searches, and a volleyball court, to provide much-needed exercise.

Among the travelers to visit the school recently was Jackie Abreo, an 8-time traveler from Boca Raton, Florida. “My heart just opened to those children, because they’re labeled as Mafia from the day they’re born,” she says. She gave $5,000 to the school—the largest donation it has ever received—and followed that up with an additional $5,000. “I know Italy is struggling, and education is so important for the kids,” she says. “I don’t want them to be deprived of anything.”

Back at home, Jackie is an avid volunteer, and she also is involved with the local school board. She encourages others to serve their communities. “It doesn’t have to be monetary,” she says. “You can help people with a smile or by opening a door or writing a letter to a child.”

Jackie admits that, if she lived closer to Corleone, she would volunteer at the school, and she hopes to return one day, to spend more time with the children and learn about their dreams and ambitions. She applauds Grand Circle for giving travelers the opportunity to mingle with the local people in their homes and schools—and for giving back through Grand Circle Foundation.

Want to help?www.grandcirclefoundation.org

Grand Circle Foundation donates a check to the Elster Kindergarten on board the M/S River Allegro to help repair flood damage.

Travelers enjoy helping out at the Salantai Day Care Center for the physically and mentally challenged in Lithuania.

OUR GENEROUS TRAVELERS

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Worldwide Community Service

We ask each of our regional offices worldwide—including Grand Circle Travel headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, where 97% of all Boston associates participated in community service—to take part in a service event every year, and every year we are overwhelmed by the creativity and generosity of our associates. It just goes to show that the most effective change comes from people who live within the area—and we’re proud to support all of their efforts.

Grand Circle Foundation launched CollegeWorks, a collaboration initiative of the Foundation, Bottom Line, and community partners in some of Boston’s inner city neighborhoods to more than double the number of local students who will receive a four-year college degree by 2018. Despite a blizzard complicating this year’s winter blood drive event, over 50 blood donations were able to be made—ultimately helping up to 150 patients in need. In addition, the Foundation fundraises through walking, running, and biking—participating in the AIDS Walk & Run, Pan-Mass Challenge, and Boston Marathon.

During an annual community service event at Wang Nam Keao village, in Nakorn Ratchasima province located 550 miles northeast of Bangkok, Thailand, a group of regional Grand Circle associates spent the day giving back amongst local villagers, teachers, and students. The group—made up of 36 associates, 6 vendors, and 10 Trip Leaders, planted 600 trees and constructed two dikes in order to aid in the community’s sustain-able environment. The successful day was capped off with song and dance performances in which the students participated alongside associates.

In partnership with Notre-Dame des Sans-Abris, a local nonprofit, the staff of our Lyon, France office decided to host an event inspired by a traditional soup kitchen, which they dubbed the “Soup’R Bol.” They planned to sell soup from a local chef, in a friendly competition to raise money for the poverty-fighting charity.

Within five hours, 650 servings of soup had been sold, and 8,600 euro raised ($11,266), in addition to the 80 sleeping bags purchased for those who rely on the shelter.

In early 2013, associates in our Tokyo office helped begin to repair the economy of Iwaki, a former agricultural center. After Japan’s 2011 tsunami, a nuclear power plant 27 miles away began leaking radiation; many people now shy away from buying Iwaki’s produce, and local farmers struggle to make a living.

A five-year project has begun to convert Iwaki into a center for the cultivation of a species of cotton that is native only to Japan; on January 28, a team from Grand Circle set out to help with weeding and harvesting the fields.

The event ended with a poignant visit to the city’s coastal region. “We were shocked by what we saw,” regional general manager Elaine Yau says, citing trash several stories high piled up on the athletic fields of an abandoned school as an example. “It was not only a community service event, but also an educational opportunity to better understand the current situation of a tsunami-stricken area.”

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Associates give back close to home

667 regional associates donated 3,232 hours in 31 community service events

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Honors and Awards

This is a small sample of some of the prestigious recognition we have received over the years. Our associates and travelers share in these special honors, as none would be possible without their generosity and support. Thank you.

Global Vision Award 2013 & 2010 Travel + Leisure magazine recognized OAT and Grand Circle Foundation in the “Philanthropic Travel” category.

Top 50 Corporate Charitable Contributor 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009 & 2006 Grand Circle was recognized at Boston Business Journal ’s Corporate Citizen Summit as one of the top givers in Massachusetts.

Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2006 Presented to Grand Circle for leadership in social responsibility.

The Committee to Encourage Corporate Philanthropy 2005 CECP, funded by the late Paul Newman and Ken Derr of Chevron, recognized Grand Circle’s innovative World Classroom initiative and philanthropic engagement of the Lewises.

Nepal Tourism Board 2013 For leadership in travel and philanthropy

A Tradition of Excellence

Turkey’s Hacibektas District National Education Directorate 2013 For support of education

Costa Rican Tourist Board 2013 For support of education and the environment

Thailand’s Primary Education Committee of Phrae Province 2013 For support of schools

Laos’s Baan Kia Luang, Luangprabang district 2013 For philanthropic contributions

Prime Minister, Thailand 2013 For support of schools

Tour Operator Humanitarian Award 2006 The Tanzania Tourist Board recognized OAT’s commitment to giving back.

How to stay informedWe are always working on something new at Grand Circle Foundation. We encourage you to stay in touch with us so we can keep you informed about our latest projects.

Visit us online to read about our work all over the world. You can read past Annual Reports as well as recent news, keep up to date on all the countries where we give back, and be inspired by stories from generous travelers, gutsy leaders, and all our World Classroom, Day in the Life, and Invest in a Village projects.

You can also ensure that you never miss an update by subscribing to our e-newsletter. To sign up, visit our website and click the “subscribe” button at the upper-right corner of your screen. We look forward to sharing our good works with you.

www.grandcirclefoundation.org

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A World of Thanks 10,527 travelers donated to support our work around the world in 2013. We are so grateful for the generosity of spirit that moves people to join our efforts, and want to thank each and every person who contributed this year—and every year.

You are truly helping to change people’s lives.

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Saluting Our Top DonorsMary Blocker • Pamela Dougherty • Teodomiro & Luciann Borja • Marilyn Luebbing • Robert Kruger • William & Mary Hornbostel • Bruce Bolton • Michael & Susan Delles • Duane & Harriet Anderson • Robert Thurston • Rosemary Stirdivant • Beverly Willis • Patty Horn • Fred & Sandra Edelson • Julia Martin • Ray & Monica Leung • Karen Pitts • Elaine Ingulli • Norman & Anita Bergsten • Bert & Karen Peluso • Mary Auburn • Gerald Moody • Mary Dundon • Frank & Mary Libassi • Dwain & Sherry Howard • Paul & Peggie Frank • Gerald & Beverly Timmons • Linda Desbarres • Ann Mcgaw • Mahesh & Smita Patel • Bill Forester & Ilselore Alvar • Kathleen Mcguire • Michael & Yvonne Rochester • James & Gwen Montano • Gene Poland • James & Carole Quinby • Bill Merkelson • Noela Evans • Alice Huang • Lane Hays • Ann Coyne • Marylee Schmidt • Joseph & Marie Canny • Paul & Jo Chuberka • Joel Fay & Ann Buscho • Mark & Sandra Auburn • Thomas & Mary Demund • James Lakey & Margaret Cady • Harold & Rita Werth • Reiner & Ruth Mueller • Sara Andersen • Thomas & Marilyn Lloyd • Carl De Brito • Susan Souhan • Edith Avery • Steven Clayton • Ronald & Kay Pinckard Hansen • Tracey Blanchard • Harold & Joyce Hartman • Lisa Ryan • Lawrence & Susan Sheets • Lester & Claudia Huntsinger • Lloyd & Joyce Hannula • Dennis & Karen Schreffler • Don & Patricia Sodo • Stephen & Elizabeth Ford • Stephen & Linda Clineburg • Donald & Anne Ayer • Joe & Kay Clark • Jim & Florence Hughes • Ladonna Bowe • Dianne Schneider • Dennis Siebert & Cheryl Beversdorf • Susan Aguiar • Praveen & Navili Rohatgi • Dan & Ann Parks • George & Carole Talbert Hill • James Boreham • Mae Grigsby • Bill & Cecily Sesler • Richard & Katherine Nicoll • Julian & Barbara Yudelson • Bob Bechtel • Diana Mcleod • Roy & Pamela Benson • Larry & Olivia Gibb • Robert Bowser • Catherine Moes • James Kramer • John Hokanson • Marylou Barnes • Lois McAnnally • Kenneth & Janice Dowlin • Dan & Janice Waring • Herb & Jacqueline Shipp • Alyson Westfall • Dorothy Mattiza • Howard & Karen Chapman • Harold & Carol Koenig • Laura Czekala • Beverly Jackson • William & Cady Clark • Dennis & Janet Robinson • James Carpenter • Barton & Kalani Johnson • Robert & Louise Jeanne • Jeffrey & Joann Kovan • Marion Brewer • Timothy & Jeanie Sullivan • Marie Buckley • Oscar & Pamela Molin • William & Susan Crippin • Marilyn Rios • Nancy McWhorter • George & Susan Colby • Patricia Salmon • Sheridan Harvey • Pat Zaharopoulos • Guenter & Kathleen Frommelt • Michael & Chris Conway • Claudia Salquist

• Richard George & Melissa Mccurley • Daniel Doyle & Linda Stein • Sandra Mather • Maryanne Lostaunau • Karen Poprave • Margaret Graff • Charles & Anne Maclean • Dorajean Horstman • Claes Winqvist • Lawrence & Nancy Peters • Thomas & Georgiana Herzberg • Ben & Susan Law • Linda Rusche • Gerald Lewis • Duane Thompson • Joel & Karla Cambron • Robert Moore • Kimm Bonecutter • Marilyn Mitchell • Cecelia Andrews • Eileen Hiney • Michelle Hubbard • Bruce Richardson & Robert Cogswell • Donna Veline • Thomas & Linda Pallas • Robert & Nancy Neisinger • John & Barbara Bragonier • Charles & Kathleen Hammerstad • Richard & Sharon Linden • Randall & Yolanda Marsh • Jane Tang • Frederick & Isabell Morris • Gordon & Lois Valentine • John & Jane Sharp • Thomas & Nadine Dillard • Ann Caywood • James & Carole Ward • Julie Boyd • Ralph & Rebecca Snell • William & Joy Mathews • Allison Lawter • Katherine Green • Robert & Mary Anderson • Lee & Katherine Marinaccio • James & Toni Cudney • James Straw • Eileen Chittick • Beverly Spring • Lillian Chin • Gillian Sorensen • Sybil Praski • Pat Ferrara • Jack & Lois Beamer • Sandra Loevner • Dorinda Carr • Paula Sullivan • James & Cheryl Bruckner • Raj & Rupa Dharia • Phyllis Rider • Jo Swires • Marjorie Lyons • Jackie Andrew • Jasbir & Harcharan Gambhir • David Cappa & Karen Menconi • Zoanne Hyland

Saluting our Print Vendors

We extend a special thanks to DS Graphics for their financial support in printing this Annual Report. In turn, our savings of nearly $13,800.00 will provide much-needed support for our projects.

All donations made to Grand Circle Foundation are tax deductible (Federal Tax Number is 04-3175434). The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Private Non-operating Foundation.

This 2013 Annual Report is printed on recycled paper, using biodegradable ink.

$20,000+ DonorsMark & Naomi Hughes • Jeannie Ling

$10,000+ DonorsLeslie Chapman

$5,000+ DonorsJames & Jean Allen • Kenneth & Barbara Hand • Kathy Ann Kerdus • Mr & Mrs William Y. Atkinson IV • Kristina & Peter Tester

$2500+ DonorsRobert & Deborah Givens • Edgar & Doris Kerry • Paul & Diane Malinski

$1500+ Donors Terrence & Nancy Dignan • Silver Lake Grade School • Kenneth Edwards • Bryan & Mary Jane Huth • Edward & Verna Nygard • Rebecca Trauth • Mary Jo Jordan • Patricia Murphy • Astrid Cole • Jim & Midge Wyse • Hugh Thurnauer • Ronald Ford & Sylvia Avenius-Ford • Judy Lawten • Robert & Julia Girsch • Gloria Wertz & Jon Clark • Jay & Kristin Portz • James & Kyle Galbraith • Noreen Angus & Ed Mowatt • Fred Williams • Camilla Neri & Forrest Hill • Helene Levitz • Alison Davis • John & Ann Womeldorf

$1000+ Donors Robin Greene • Michael & Carol Metzler • Kenneth Magnuson • Arnold Campbell • Southminster Presbyterian Church • Craig & Kendra Garrett • Michael & Barbara Pflaum • Solon & Anita Stone • Daniel & Marie-Josephe Newlon • Allyn Mulligan • William & Norma Hollowell • Paul & Barbara Beane • Richard & Susan Bauer • John & Natalie Ahearn • Jerry & Nancy Beauchane • Christine Casavant • Charlotte Greene • Dennis & Linda Allen • Barbara

House • Robert & Yvonne Fischer • Richard Voelker • Donald & Peggy Wobbrock • Diane Schleider • Michael & Beth Ann Woods • Robert & Mary Powell • Michael Koenigsknecht & Nancy Armatas • Donald Campbell • Michael Moline • William & Penelope Ann Keadey • Karen Stay • Christopher & Patricia Weil • Russell & Patricia Silverstein • Laura James • Keith & Merle Koplan • Keith & Lois Gallaway • Gresham & Ruth Roskamp • Lisbeth Chedzoy • Mary Marek • Yuan Huey Cheng • Valerie Kossak • Lawrence & Ann Boyle • Jeffrey & Denise Baylis • Frank & Karen Verprauskus • Michele Sordal • Paul & Carol Goldberg • Frank & De Ann Feeman • Howard & Barbara Boose • Barbara Reeb • Michael Isham • Crystal Olson • Celia Parks • James L Wilson • Alan & Connie Peters • Rexford & Patricia Adelberger • Paul & Gail Caslavka • Carolyn Weinstein • Boyd & Paula Boehlje • Bryce Kinsey • Anne Aronovitch • Laurie Shapley • Marie Talian • Cathy Healy • Steven & Lois Wolf • Rita Hernandez

$500+ Donors Marion Christian Church • James & Ann Barbour • Winfried Wilcke • David Price • Stephanie Polowe-Aldersley • Connie Logg • William & Deborah Waugh • Lou & Kathy Jaffe • John & Barbara Blaze • Robert & Annalou Schaberg • Martin Smolin • William & Nancy Johnson • Wilmot & Marilynn Lilly • Richard & Maryann Guggemos • John & Sandra Bayley • Nell Gray • Ronald & Phyllis Hall • Gary & Maria Van Hoye • John DelCampo & Teresa Whiting • Arlene Dey • Joe & Doris Wolters • Lewis Garrish • Candace Groudine & Gloria Shepherd • Leslie Kayler • Jon & Beverly Stousland • James & Rita Duncan • George & Patricia Lopresti • Paul & Dorothy Moura • Douglas & Karen Comeau • Sharon Moorhead • John & Kathleen Lowdermilk • Nancy Murtaugh • Terry & Zoe Sternberg • Robert & Lois Fenwick • John Foley & Cynthia Case • Patrick & Marylin Breen • Claire Beekman • Larry &

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

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www.grandcirclefoundation.org347 Congress Street · Boston, MA 02210

SM

www.grandcirclefoundation.org347 Congress Street · Boston, MA 02210

347 Congress Street • Boston, MA 02210Phone: (800) 859 0852 • email: foundation@oattravel.com

web: www.grandcirclefoundation.org