Global Links
Sharing Surplus. Saving Lives.
Mission
Global Links is a Pittsburgh-based non-profit dedicated to improving health in communities with need. For 30+ years, Global Links has been collaborating with partners to improve health for vulnerable populations by sharing surplus rescued from the US healthcare system to support health programs globally and locally.
Notes from the nonprofit
Global Links' work and culture are rooted in our Guiding Principles: Dignity and Respect for All People, Respect for the Environment and Continuous Learning and Improvement. We recognize everyone is our neighbor and we are dedicated to helping all people live with dignity, independence, mobility, and in good health.
Ruling year
1994
Executive Director
Angela Garcia
Main address
700 Trumbull Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15205 USA
EIN
52-1629060
NTEE code
International Relief (Q33)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.
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Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Global Links provides medical materials, equipment, and furnishings to public health facilities and healthcare workers in areas that a lack vital resources. We support our local safety net organizations through distributions of medical and home care materials and collaborative support.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Medical Surplus Recovery Program
Provides 29+ US hospitals and the community with a socially and environmentally responsible alternative to discarding surplus medical supplies and equipment, rescuing an average of 250 tons of high-quality surplus medical materials every year.
International Medical Aid Program
Supports health improvement projects in communities lacking resources in Latin America and the Caribbean. We collaborate with the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization, Ministries of Health, local health leaders, and others to develop projects to improve public health outcomes in vulnerable populations. Our projects focus on three key areas: maternal/infant health, strengthening public health systems, and disaster recovery.
Domestic Medical Aid Program
Supports safety net organizations serving vulnerable populations in Western PA and neighboring areas to improve the health, dignity, mobility, and independence of at-risk populations. We work with agencies serving seniors, families, people with disabilities, homeless or other sheltered populations, immigrants/refugees, and other vulnerable individuals to provide them with medical supplies and equipment, mobility aids, personal care items, personal hygiene supplies, and other key items. BREATHE HOPE SIGNATURE PROJECT: Recovers gently used nebulizer breathing machines from people across the US and shares them with our partners in communities with need at home and abroad.
Community Engagement and Volunteer Program
Provides a supportive and educational environment where hands-on or virtual service has a profound impact on the lives of those in need. Volunteers of all ages and abilities sort, assess, and prepare the medical materials used in our programs, turning our region's surplus into life-saving and life-improving donations. Volunteers can make a difference by assembling Personal Care Kits in an off-site/contactless project to provide soap, toothpaste, shampoo and other hygiene essentials which are not covered by SNAP/EBT benefits. We also regularly provide programming and presentations for the local civic and academic community
Where we work
Awards
Green Choice Award for best environmental nonprofit in the Northeast 2009
GreatNonprofits
Best Places to work in Western Pennsylvania 2009
Pittsburgh Business Times
Agency Partner of the Year 2005
Pittsburgh Cares
Exemplary Partnership Recognition 2005
Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization
President's Medal 1995
LaRoche College
Top-rated Green Nonprofit 2010
Great Nonprofits
Award for Exemplary Leadership 2010
Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership, University of Pittsburgh
Champion for Change 2010
Practice Greenhealth
Champion for Change 2011
Practice Greenhealth
Top-rated Green nonprofit 2011
Great Nonprofits
Champion for Change 2012
Practice Greenhealth
Champion for Change 2013
Practice Greenhealth
Direct Relief Award for Covid Response 2020
Green Building Alliance
Women of Achievement for ED 2020
Cribs for Kids
Fox Rothschild Outstanding CEOs and Top Executives Award for ED 2021
Pittsburgh Business Times
Benjamin Rush Community Organization Award 2019
Allegheny County Medical Society
Lodestar Award for leadership in solar among nonprofits 2019
PA Solar Center
Pittsburgh Excellence in Ethics Award 2023
Pittsburgh Rotary Clubs
Illuminate Leader of the Year Award for ED 2023
World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh
Leader of the Year for ED 2022
Pittsburgh Human Resource Association
Affiliations & memberships
Sustainable Pittsburgh 2010
Greater Pittsburgh Non-profit Partnership 2008
Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations 2006
Green Building Alliance 2022
External reviews
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Total weight of materials recycled
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Medical Surplus Recovery Program
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
412,000# (or more than 200 tons) of surplus rescued from disposal.
Number of containers of aid shipped
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
International Medical Aid Program
Type of Metric
Context - describing the issue we work on
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
Global Links was able to ship 21 containers of medical aid internationally in a year with severe transportation challenges.
Number of hygiene kits distributed
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Domestic Medical Aid Program
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We distributed more than 3,000 Personal Care Kits, containing a full-sized shampoo, soap, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss and lotion, via partnerships with local service organizations.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Global Links' goals are to build long-term, multi-faceted, and collaborative public health projects that meet the specific needs of partners, reach diverse populations and that adapt to changing public health goals.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Global Links' strategies for success are developed through collaborative partnerships, solid project frameworks, quality materials, accurate inventory, engaged volunteers and an empowered staff.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Global Links' staff and facility are the key factors to the organization's capacity to meet its mission. Under the leadership of a co-founder and a long-time deputy director, the staff has grown to include individuals with demonstrated expertise in program development, inventory management, fundraising and operations. The acquisition of a larger facility in 2013 enables the organization to collect and warehouse the quantity of materials needed to support the programs and projects.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Global Links has accomplished much since its founding in 1989. In 2000, the global community came together to develop a plan to solve some of the world's most pressing problems - The United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Global Links has worked with partners to address several of the goals with an emphasis on improving maternal health and reducing child mortality.
In 2015, world leaders came together once again to commit to the goals and build upon them with a new set of Sustainable Development Goals for the next 15 years. Global Links is committed to working toward SDG 3: "Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages."
Through our international and domestic medical aid project, Global Links will use the SDGs and Public Health Goals to guide our work in order to support each country's efforts toward universal health. We may not meet all of the goals, but as we have seen, any progress toward a goal has a profound impact on people's lives.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Global Links
Board of directorsas of 08/23/2023
Charles Vargo
Washington Physician Hospital Organization
Jeffery Ford
Grossman Yanak & Ford
Mahmood Usman
Beacon Health Options
Kathleen Musante
University of Pittsburgh, University Center for International Studies
Catherine DeLoughry
Freelance Marketing and Communications
Christine Koebley
The Children's Museum
Angela Stengel
American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine
Peggy Carrera
FedEx Ground
Latika Davis-Jones
Gateway Health
Michael Herald
Guardian Healthcare
Timothy Nedley
UPMC
Kathleen Musante
University of Pittsburgh
Rosemary Hanrahan
Beyond Words Wellness Resources, LLC
Deborah Hughes
Merrill Lynch
Tracy Loope
PwC-Healthcare Transformation
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 08/23/2023GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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