architects of peace At fort worden in the FALL of 2027
Architects of Peace — peacebuilders, scholars and youth convene at Fort Worden
A Fall 2027 convening at Fort Worden Historical State Park produced by United Earth Networks in collaboration with the Architects of Peace Foundation, Jensen Communications, and the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University. The program pairs the Foundation's portraits and testimony of the world's peacemakers with the Carter School's research and training, and turns both into a public exhibition, a practitioner convening, and a youth peacebuilding institute on the Olympic Peninsula.
Project snapshot
At-a-glance facts for funder calls. Bracketed items still need confirmation from the partner team before this brief goes to funders.
- Project lead
- Marc Katsky, Strategic Director, UEN · [email] · [phone]
- UEN program
- Architects of Peace at Fort Worden
- Location
- Fort Worden Historical State Park, Port Townsend, WA
- Dates
- Fall 2027 — [exact dates TBD, owner: UEN production]
- Status
- Partner collaboration formed; collaboration workspace live; program design and budget in development
- Total project budget
- $[000,000]
- Committed to date
- $[000,000] — plus in-kind from [partners]
- Current gap
- $[000,000]
- Fiscal sponsor / EIN
- Buckminster Fuller Institute, fiscal sponsor for United Earth Networks, SPC · EIN [00-0000000]
- Collaborating partners
- Architects of Peace Foundation · Jensen Communications · Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University · United Earth Networks
- Academic partner voice
- Alpaslan Özerdem, Dean, Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
- Brief updated
- September 23, 2026
The opportunity
Language ready to lift into a letter of inquiry or proposal narrative.
Need
Climate disruption, social injustice, and the breakdown of international cooperation demand bold action and visionary collaboration, yet peacebuilding scholarship and the lived testimony of practicing peacemakers rarely reach the public — or young people — in the same room. Conflict resolution training remains concentrated in a handful of institutions, and communities in the Pacific Northwest have few accessible entry points into the field.
Our approach
Architects of Peace brings four capacities together at one site: the Architects of Peace Foundation's portraits and interviews illuminating the work and humanity of peacemakers worldwide; the Carter School's theory, research, and practitioner training — the top-ranked program in conflict analysis and resolution among public institutions; Jensen Communications' national media reach; and UEN's four decades of producing convenings that move audiences from witness to action. The Fall 2027 program is structured as a public exhibition, a practitioner and scholar convening, and a youth peacebuilding institute, with all sessions captured for distribution.
Who it serves
[Number] convening delegates including scholars, practitioners, and faith and community leaders; [number] youth participants from Jefferson County and regional schools; Carter School students and faculty; Indigenous and tribal partners in the Salish Sea region; and a public audience of [number] exhibition and program visitors, plus an online audience through the recorded program.
Why now
The Carter School's invitation is explicit: Dean Alpaslan Özerdem invites partners to join the school's community "with the overall goal of preventing violent conflicts and building just and peaceful societies globally." The partnership between the Foundation, Jensen Communications, the Carter School, and UEN is already formed and the collaboration workspace is active. Funding commitments in [Q4 2026 / Q1 2027] are what secure the venue, the exhibition production, and the youth scholarships in time for Fall 2027.
Funding opportunities
Every revenue path for this project, with amount, funder benefit, and the owner of the next step. Replace bracketed amounts once the production budget is locked.
Sponsorship tiers
| Tier | Amount | Recognition & benefits | Slots | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Presenting partner | $[100,000]+ | Presenting credit on Architects of Peace and all program media, platform remarks at the opening, private reception with peacemakers and Carter School leadership, [10] delegate passes | 1 | Open |
| Exhibition sponsor | $[50,000] | Named support of the Architects of Peace portrait exhibition at Fort Worden, credit on exhibition panels and catalog, private viewing for guests | [1] | Open |
| Youth institute sponsor | $[35,000] | Underwrites [25] youth scholarships including travel and lodging; named recognition in the institute program and in student-produced media | [2] | Open |
| Convening / plenary sponsor | $[25,000] | Credit on one plenary or practitioner track, signage, program listing, [4] delegate passes | [4] | Open |
| Media & distribution sponsor | $[15,000] | Named support of the recording and distribution of the full program, credit on every released session and clip | [2] | In conversation |
| Community partner | $[5,000] | Website and program listing, newsletter recognition, [2] passes — designed for local businesses, congregations, and Rotary or peace-focused civic groups | Unlimited | Open |
| In-kind | Valued at $[amount] | Lodging and venue at Fort Worden, exhibition fabrication and framing, A/V and production equipment, hospitality, translation, volunteer coordination | — | Ongoing |
Grant targets & pipeline
| Funder type / target | Program fit | Request | Deadline | Stage | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National peace & conflict resolution funders | Practitioner convening and dissemination of conflict-resolution research to public audiences | $[75,000] | [MM/DD/YYYY] | Prospect research | GMA |
| Humanities & arts councils (state and national) | Public exhibition, portrait and oral-history programming, humanities discussion series | $[40,000] | [Cycle TBD] | Eligibility check | GMA |
| Youth development & education funders | Youth peacebuilding institute, scholarships, school partnerships in Jefferson County | $[35,000] | [Rolling] | Concept note drafting | GMA + UEN |
| Faith-based and peace-mission foundations | Interfaith peacemaking, nonviolence education, global reconciliation | $[25,000] | [LOI-based] | Cultivation | UEN |
| Corporate giving and regional community foundations | Local economic and civic benefit, employee engagement, media visibility | $[10,000–25,000] | [Anytime] | Intro requested | UEN |
| George Mason University / Carter School channels | Co-application or sub-award routes available through the academic partner | $[TBD] | [TBD] | Confirm with Carter School | UEN + Carter School |
Crowdfunding
Goal: $[25,000] · Window: [International Day of Peace, September 2027]
"Send a Young Peacebuilder" campaign funding youth scholarships. Tiers at $[25] (program catalog), $[100] (name in the exhibition donor listing), $[500] (sponsor one youth participant). Matching challenge sought from [donor] up to $[10,000].
Major & recurring gifts
Named funds for the youth institute and for the exhibition's regional tour; multi-year pledges spanning production year and legacy programming; monthly sustainers at $[25]/mo. Stewardship: private peacemaker reception, quarterly updates, and a post-event impact report.
Earned revenue
Delegate registration at $[amount], youth institute tuition with scholarship offsets, Fort Worden lodging packages, exhibition catalog sales, and media licensing — projected at $[amount], roughly [%] of the total budget.
Budget & use of funds
Placeholder allocation for a Fall 2027 production budget of $[000,000]. Replace amounts and bar widths once the partner team locks the production plan.
In-kind contributions from UEN, the Architects of Peace Foundation, Jensen Communications, and Fort Worden partners are additional to the cash budget and should be valued in the detailed budget workbook.
Committed
$[000,000] from [funder]. In-kind: [venue, exhibition prints, media production]. Letters to be filed in the document library.
Pending
$[000,000] across [n] requests, decisions expected by [month].
Gap to close
$[000,000] — the number GMA is fundraising against. Priority line items if funded partially: [exhibition production and youth scholarships].
Impact metrics
What we will count and how. Replace targets with the partner team's agreed numbers before submission.
Measurement method
Registration and attendance data, pre/post surveys of youth participants on conflict-resolution skills and civic confidence, exhibition visitor counts, media analytics on released sessions, and a Carter School–reviewed evaluation framework where the academic partner takes that role. Data owner: [name].
Reporting cadence
Pre-event partner updates, a post-event impact report within [60] days including participant outcomes and media reach, and funder-specific narrative and financial reports on each funder's schedule. Legacy reporting on any exhibition tour or curriculum adoption at [12] months.
Document library
Link each item to the live file in the UEN shared drive or the Architects of Peace collaboration workspace. Items marked "to assemble" are the gap before external submissions.
Fundraising package
Due diligence & evidence
- BFI fiscal sponsorship letter & 501(c)(3)
- Financial statements / Form 990
- Partner agreements & letters of support (Carter School, Architects of Peace Foundation, Jensen Communications)
- Exhibition plan, image rights & loan terms
- Youth institute curriculum & evaluation plan
- Media kit, portraits & b-roll
- Fort Worden venue agreement & permits
- Architects of Peace collaboration workspace
Contacts & next steps
Named owners for every ask, plus what has to happen before this brief goes to funders.
Project lead
Marc Katsky · Strategic Director, United Earth Networks
Fort Worden, Port Townsend, WA
[email] · [phone]
Partner contacts
Architects of Peace Foundation — [name, email]
Jensen Communications — [name, email]
Carter School, George Mason University — [name, email]
Grant Management Associates
[Consultant name]
[email] · [phone]
Scope: prospect research, LOIs, proposal writing, reporting calendar
- Lock the Fall 2027 dates and the Fort Worden venue hold, then replace every bracketed date.
- Agree the production budget and total ask across the four partners; fill the budget bars and the gap figure.
- Confirm exhibition image rights and loan terms with the Architects of Peace Foundation — funders will ask.
- Confirm the Carter School's role in writing: co-applicant, academic partner, or evaluator. This determines which grant channels are open.
- Add the BFI fiscal sponsorship letter and EIN, and named partner contacts, so GMA can submit without waiting on us.
- Note: the UEN site currently lists Architects of Peace as Fall 2026 on the login portal page and Fall 2027 on the projects page — correct one of them so funders see a single date.
A collaboration with United Earth Networks, the Architects of Peace Foundation, Jensen Communications, and the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Reconciliation at George Mason University
