Welcome Alex

It is with great pleasure that I get to introduce you all to Alex Gray, our new Director, International Recovery Funds!

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) conducted a global search for our new to manage all aspects of our international disaster recovery funds, including associated grantmaking and grants management. We searched high and low for a person who would allocate our grant funds in a manner that meets the needs for equitable, medium- and long-term disaster recovery. We dreamed of finding a person who could add to our team’s knowledge and lived experience of working in complex humanitarian emergencies (CHEs).

In Alex, we found a mission-driven team player with an entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of humor alongside the skills and characteristics we were dreaming of.

Alex has worked with several international nongovernmental organizations, including Relief International, Save the Children, Plan International and most recently, Sesame Workshop. His work footprint is entirely global with on-the-ground experience in Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, U.K. and the U.S. His work has focused extensively on humanitarian action in CHEs at the local, country, regional and national levels.

Alex holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and a graduate degree in poverty reduction. He is an active volunteer leader, currently serving on the board of The Out Foundation in New York. Alex continues his scholarly pursuits as an adjunct professor in Humanitarian Leadership at Deakin University in Melbourne, Australia.

While Alex’ credentials are impeccable, what impressed the CDP team most was his ability to connect with us on both a professional and human level. Even over a video conference line – me at my home in Nashville, and Alex at his in Los Angeles – we were able to share stories about our work and lives, speak seriously about how systems can be used for storytelling in our work, connect on how the pandemic has touched the humanitarian system, and laugh at the little joys that fill our days.

I hope you will all join me in welcoming Alex to the CDP crew! We’ll be introducing Alex to grantee partners that are part of his portfolio very soon. And know please, that we are always a simple email away.