It is my pleasure to share the first monthly email from the Grand Circle Foundation. Moving forward, this update will be sent on a regular basis to keep all associates informed about the important work GCF is doing across our regions. We should all be proud of the work the Foundation does in the communities we travel to. It is important that we celebrate how each of us plays a small part in making the world a better place.

The purpose of this communication is to highlight Foundation projects, recognize community service by region, share updates on our goals, celebrate our wins, and call out associates who exemplify the passion and mission of the Foundation.  I hope you will take an active role by sharing content—photos from Trip Experience Leaders, photos from associate travel, and even traveler submissions. You can also help us identify meaningful projects that positively impact the communities we support.

The purpose of the Grand Circle Foundation is to identify needs in the path of itineraries we offer and give back to the communities we visit. We do this in several ways, including supporting education, cultural heritage preservation, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) initiatives, and relief efforts. One of the things that makes our Foundation especially meaningful is that 100% of traveler donations go directly to funding projects, with all overhead costs paid by GCC.

For this first update, I would like to highlight our year-end results for 2025. The Foundation set a goal of receiving $1.1 million in donations and funding $1.1 million in projects. I am happy to report that we met our donation goal of $1.1 million and exceeded expectations by completing $1.4 million in projects worldwide. We also ended the year at 85% overall excellence (-5), with the top 30 products achieving 87% (-3).  There were 2 new sites added in 2025 on MAU (Easter Island) and GAA.  In addition, there were several actions taken to improve quality from calling stops to sites not working and working with the regions on action plans to improve the experience.

Looking ahead to 2026, our goals are to reach 90% overall excellence and create at least eight new Foundation sites, five of which will be within the top 30 products. I want to emphasize that worldwide support is essential to achieving these goals. Only by working together will we be successful, and I am confident that the strong relationships between the Foundation and our regional leaders will help us get there.

Recently, I visited Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Tanzania, including all 14 schools we support in those countries. These visits are important to me so I can better understand the projects we have completed and the impact of our ongoing support. I saw this firsthand in the joy on the children’s faces when they welcomed me, and the teachers’ enthusiasm and appreciation for our support. I was also humbled to learn what it takes for children to be educated in these regions.  I came away grateful for the warm welcome and inspired by all that the Foundation has achieved.

In two of the schools I visited in Tanzania, we partnered with Wine to Water to dig two boreholes, providing access to clean water. This has enabled proper sanitation, water for gardens, and cooking at the schools. Our goal is to provide the remaining three schools in Tanzania with access to clean water this year.

I look forward to sharing with you the progress the Foundation makes on a regular basis and calling out the success along the way.

Many regards,

Dan

Please see below some pictures from my visits, along with a video from Chidobe school in Zimbabwe about the impact GCF has had on the school.

 

In addition to the work GCF does with our partners, our regions also step up each year to do community service in their regions.  Below are some highlights from 2 regions doing great work!

Cape Town Service Project – Good Hope Play Center

Thailand Service project at Pu Ong Ka Primary School