Plan USA

Plan was founded in 1937 by British journalist John Langdon-Davies and refugee worker Eric Muggeridge.[5] Originally named "Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain", the aim was to provide food, accommodation, and education to children whose lives had been disrupted by the Spanish Civil War. During the Second World War, under the name "Foster Parents Plan for War Children", the organization expanded to work with displaced children throughout war-torn Europe.[6] By the 1970s, Plan gradually began working with children throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Plan International USA was originally incorporated as "Foster Parents Plan, Inc." in 1939 in New York to help connect U.S. donors to a continuously growing number of sponsored children in developing countries.[7] It was one of the first Plan International federation members.[8] Plan's programs are implemented in more than 50 developing countries.[9]

In 1974, the international parent organization Foster Parents Plan shortened its name to become simply Plan International. In the 1990s the U.S. organization followed suit, with a name change to "Childreach/Plan International" and eventually this was simplified to "Plan International USA".

Plan International USA is a publicly funded American non-profit charitable organization, deriving its income from a combination of individual contributions and private and federal grants.[10] It is exempt from both United States federal and Rhode Island state income tax.[11] The total operating revenue in 2018 for the organization was approximately $76 million. 78% of the organization's funding was reported to go to programs, while 22% was reported as support for programming through fundraising and administrative expenses.[12]

In coordination with Plan International and its other chapters, Plan International USA helped fund and organize the following combined international programs and activities in 2018[28]

• 32 million children benefited from Plan's work
• 1.2 million children were sponsored
• Partnered with 51,581 organizations
• 1,100 girls took over the roles of prime ministers, mayors, CEOs, and other leaders for International Day of the Girl
• 171 disasters responses carried out

In 2010 Tessie San Martin became CEO and president.[30][31][32] Other leadership positions include Shanna Marzilli, who serves as chief marketing officer and head of human resource;[33] Constantin Abarbieritei as chief operating officer;[34][35] Dave Cannata as chief financial officer;[36] and John Glover as senior vice president of programs and policy.[37]

As of June 30, 2018, board members[38] included:

• Susan Benton
• Paul Dwyer
• Elizabeth Fessenden
• Georgiana Gibson (secretary)
• Vince Jackson
• Dorota Keverian (chair)
• Marcelo Kim
• Jack Poulson (treasurer)
• Devesh Raj
• Tamer Rashad
• Nasima Sadeque
• Allison Knapp Womack (vice-chair)

In 2019, Ann Chiarucci O'Brien and Vicki Escarra joined the board of directors.[39]

Laurie Metcalf, actress known for playing "Jackie Harris" on Roseanne, is a spokesperson for Plan International USA and a child sponsor through the organization. Other notable persons who have publicly given their support for Plan International USA include Jacqueline Kennedy, who was honorary chairwoman during Plan's Silver Jubilee, David Elliot, Beau Bridges, Dina Eastwood, Scott Bakula, and Nicholas D. Kristof, who is also a child sponsor.

The organization was featured in the 2002 film About Schmidt and Girl Rising in 2013. The organization is also featured in the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn, published in 2009.