In order to provide meaningful education and entrepreneurial opportunities in the countries where G-Star RAW products are made, the Foundation relies on the know-how of experienced partner organisations, many of them local, in the field of development cooperation. Together, we continually work to maximise the impact our projects have.

The Foundation supports all of its projects through partner organisations, which have a proven track-record in education and entrepreneurship and countries where GSRD is focusing its efforts. We strive for long-term relationships in order to strengthen the projects we support and the partner organisations that run them. In addition to supporting individual projects, we assist local partners with capacity-building activities.

Since its inception, the GSRD Foundation has developed long-term partnerships with a range of local and international organisations, including Friendship Foundation Bangladesh, Rainbow Foundation India, Save the Children, and The Asia Foundation. Openness and transparency are fundamental to this cooperation.

Wherever possible, the GSRD Foundation promotes collaboration between our partners and other local stakeholders such as governmental bodies, civil-society groups, and businesses.

The GSRD Foundation supports education, training and vocational-training, and coaching projects in those countries where G-Star products are made and where our support can have the greatest impact. We are currently supporting projects in Bangladesh, China, India and Vietnam.

Our decision to support projects focused on entrepreneurship and education is based on the belief that these can help people leverage opportunities to become more self-sufficient, either as proactive employees or through self-employment. Under either scenario, a stable income leads to greater economic independence and social development.

Following this approach, we select partners and projects alike, and monitor and evaluate the progress that is made.

A key element in all the projects we support is that they are driven by local demand, and command broad community support. We put great emphasis on the sustainability of our interventions to ensure that the projects can continue once we phase out our support.

Over the years, we have accorded more and more importance to both monitoring and evaluation. Our partners regularly measure the progress their projects are making, either through their own mechanisms or with the help of external parties. They report transparently on this progress, on the resulting outcomes, and on the overall impact a project creates. In addition to carrying out our own evaluations and conducting site visits, we take a rigorous and systematic approach to reviewing these reports.

The outcomes of the partner evaluations provide valuable lessons that are used to increase our impact.

Since its inception, the GSRD Foundation has supported a wide range of partners and projects. As we gained experience, we also sharpened our focus. Today, we have a strong portfolio that we can build on. In the months and years ahead, we will further strengthen that portfolio, among other things by connecting our partners with like-minded organisations and networks that share our goals and our commitment.

We will put considerable emphasis on measuring outcomes and on the overall impact of the projects we support. And based on the lessons we have learned so far, we will continue to fine-tune our approach so we can contribute ever more effectively to our twin objectives: economic independence and social development.