Daniel Puls is Chief of Advancement at IRD: International Relief & Development. He is responsible for all private philanthropy activities and operations, including public-private partnerships, major gifts, and donor relations. Dan has more than 25 years of development, communications, and non-profit management experience to contribute to IRD’s fundraising efforts globally.Dan previously served as the Director of Development at the Freedom House and Chief Development Officer and Senior Advisor to the Director of the International Centre for Democratic Transition. Dan also served as Executive Director of the Carpathian Foundation USA, Senior Advisor for the Central Eurasia Leadership Academy, and Senior Director at the East-West Institute.Dan currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Council for a Community of Democracies and as Senior Advisor on the Board of Directors of the International Centre for Democratic Transition.

 Identify, cultivate and recruit board members and senior advisors. Review and approve grant requests to foundations and public sector donors. Co-chair the CCD Development Committee. Manage the ICDT Oral History Program; produced major interviews with President George H.W. Bush, John Whitehead and others.

Daniel Patrick Puls has devoted many years to fostering social justice and maximizing the impact of philanthropy on the global stage. He serves as Chief Development Officer and Senior Advisor to the Director of the ICDT. Dan has developed programs led and/or funded by a diverse group of international partners including: Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, John C. Hurford Foundation, Alcoa Foundation, Woodruff Foundation, the Sasakowa Peace Foundation, Ford Foundation, Starr Foundation, George and Jane Russell Foundation, the Young Presidents Organization, Society of International Business Fellows, Global Network Foundation, Fred C. Robey Foundation, The Greater Atlanta Community Foundation, Johnson & Johnson Foundation and other foundations, corporations and individuals. In addition, he has played a principal role in the development of major proposals submitted to the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), the Swedish Government and the National Endowment for Democracy. He has also fostered partnerships with pubic, private and nongovernmental organizations and individuals in Russia, throughout Central Europe, the United States, Middle East and throughout the EU.Daniel served as Senior Director at the EastWest Institute (EWI), an independent, not-for-profit, European-American institution. At EWI, he helped launch many initiatives, programs and projects including CELA, Global Security Program, Kendall-Russell Centre for Corporate Competitiveness (Moscow, Russia), Middle East Bridges Program, Gaza Private Sector Initiative and others. He orchestrated the EWI Awards Dinner with honorees including: David Rockefeller, Finance Minister Alexei Leonidovich Kudrin of the Russian Federation, Sergio Vieira de Mello of the United Nations (memorial honoree), Dr. Javier Solana of the European Union, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien of Canada, and others. In addition, he has orchestrated high-level conferences, roundtables and working dinners.

 Recruited high-level individuals from around the world to serve on ICDT’s International Board of Directors. Participated and helped organize the “20 Years of Perestroika and the 75th Birthday of Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev,” a major international event that took place in Croatia. Produced major interviews with former President George H. W. Bush, John C. Whitehead and others as part of the ICDT’s Oral History Program. Drafted proposals and raised funds for programs including: Minorities in Transition, Woman to Woman: Training for Lebanese Women’s Rights Activists, the Sustainable Democracy Project and others.

Freedom House supports democratic change, monitors freedom, and advocates for democracy and human rights. Since its founding in 1941 by prominent Americans concerned with the mounting threats to peace and democracy, Freedom House has been a vigorous proponent of democratic values and a steadfast opponent of dictatorships of the far left and the far right. Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie served as Freedom House’s first honorary co-chairpersons. Freedom House has promoted the growth of freedom by encouraging U.S. policymakers, international institutions, and the governments of established democracies to adopt policies that advance human rights and democracy around the world. At the same time, Freedom House provides support to individuals working in the world's young democracies to overcome debilitating legacies of tyranny, dictatorship and political repression; as well as to activists working in repressive societies to bring about greater freedom and openness.

 Identified and Secured $500,000 for endowment from individual donors, plus additional unrestricted and programmatic funding. Organized the Carpathian Foundation’s 10th Anniversary Awards dinner in Budapest, Hungary Organized the Corporate Social Responsibility Compact, a major trans-regional training conference to share best practice on fundraising, foundation relations. Drafted major proposals submitted to the European Union including the Carpathian Compact which provided principal funding for the initiative. Organized “study trips” with donors and potential donors to the Carpathian Region that resulted in significant gifts, as well as fostering direct public/private collaborations between individual donors and public and private sector representatives of the rural towns and villages.

 Raised over $4 million annually in unrestricted funds. Met fundraising goals and balanced three consecutive annual budgets. Identified donor and secured a 3-year, $500,000 grant to establish a Rapid Response Fund. Solicited and acknowledged support from new donor relationships totaling more than $3.50 million. Converted the major international awards dinner from a revenue negative endeavor to a profit making venture while enhancing the event planning, production quality and volunteer participation. Managed a portfolio of major and individual donors providing gifs of $25,000 to $1,000,000. Orchestrated the Annual Awards Dinner which netted over $500,000 in annual proceeds with honorees including: David Rockefeller, Russian Federation Finance Minister Alexei Leonidovich Kudrin, Sérgio Vieira de Mello (4/2004, memorial honoree), John C. Whitehead, Dr. Javier Solana of the European Union and Prime Minister Jean Chrétien of Canada Planned major events including a memorial event at the Waldorf Astoria for the late Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh, Board of Directors meetings in Moscow, Russia; Istanbul, Turkey; Washington, DC; and numerous high-level working dinners. Wrote initial concept papers and proposals; secured funding from foundation and individual sources that led to the establishment of the Central Eurasia Leadership Alliance (CELA); and managed the long-term collaboration between EWI and the Society of International Business Fellows (SIBF) that resulted in over $8 million in gifts. Hired and supervised a staff of five professional plus two support staff; and led all fundraising activities at all international offices.

 Collaborated with Chief of Service and Faculty of the Children’s Hospital to determine the feasibility of a $20 million capital campaign. Advised the Chief of Service, Department of Medicine in the planning to establish a Center for Excellence for International Medicine. Worked with a group of physicians to advise the Governor of the State of Minnesota on issues of disparities in access to health care services. Coordinated with the City of Minneapolis Department of Health and the State of Minnesota Department of Health to plan, acquire funding and promote a Continuing Medical Education event: Caring for Immigrants.

 Increased the average gift and total number of donors in each primary gift classification. Acquired new endowment gifts through the Named/Family Fund program. Researched and prepared grant requests. Cultivated and solicited gifts to meet the Edward E. Ford Foundation matching challenge grant. Served as Chair of the Lake Michigan Association of Independent Schools Development Consortium; and planned a regional development conference hosted by Imogene Johnson. Managed stewardship and cultivation of the School’s major donors with gifts in excess of $1 million

 Increased total number of donors to the 21-sport Division 1 athletic program from less than 50 to over 500 in first year. Acquired and managed sponsorships. Administered compliance with NCAA’s Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Athletics. Acquired major gifts for scholarship funds, restricted capital expenditures and other special needs and projects.

 Collaborated with members of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director and others to plan and implement a development and fundraising strategy. Acquired and managed sponsorships. Administered compliance with NCAA’s Division 1 Men’s and Women’s Athletics. Acquired major gifts for scholarship funds, restricted capital expenditures and other special needs and projects.