Gawad Kalinga (GK) is a Philippine-based nation-building movement whose main strategy is to mobilize and engage all sectors of society to work together in ending poverty. It offers a concrete solution to the overwhelming problem of poverty through a community development template that has values-formation at its core and employs an integrated and holistic approach to empowerment with special focus on restoring the dignity and productivity of the poor. GK is also in the forefront of peace-building work in conflict areas in Mindanao and reconstruction work in post-disaster communities. Gawad Kalinga recently gained international recognition after being awarded the 2012 Skoll Awards for Social Entrepreneurship in Oxford by The Skoll Foundation, the world’s largest foundation for social entrepreneurship. GK’s founding father, Tony Meloto, was awarded the Social Entrepreneur Award at the 2012 World Entrepreneurship Forum in France.

In the United States, GK is officially represented by GK 1 World Foundation (dba Gawad Kalinga USA/GK USA) , registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2009 based in San Diego, CA.

Gawad Kalinga (GK) in Miami began with a handful of people who just wanted to do something to help. In 2007 a core of individuals came together informally to strategize creative ways to tell the GK story.  With a heart full of hope, booths were set up at events, walks were initiated, marathons were ran, basketball teams created, birthday banquets were shared, golf tournaments started, GK builds were conducted, missionaries sent, all with a simple aim to spread the good news of Hope about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

Our families grew and so did our teams because GK started becoming a way of life.  They were experiencing the joy of giving and serving people who could never repay them.  The nobility of service began to take deep roots in their hearts.  This family grew into the extended GK Family we have today.  Mission trips emerged to build GK teams at all the universities all over Florida and the surrounding states, culminating in the first GK Campus Conference in 2010 with attendance from all over the East Coast.  GK builds were initiated with the youth wanting to experience this miracle of transformation and as the momentum grew and people sharing their gifts, homes were built, and colorful GK villages resulted.  To date GK Miami is building their third GK village for the poorest of the poor.  

GK Miami also raised two missionaries who gave of their time to dedicate a year of their lives to service.  We honor them and their commitments and now we extend you the same invitation to share your gifts of time, talent and treasure and begin a journey with us that leads to a life of hope and abundance for all.  Join us and get ready for the ride of your life!  

“Walang Iwanan!”  (“No One Left Behind!”)