The refugee resettlement non-profit Global Ties Alabama (GTA) reported an increase of over $100,000 in its most recent IRS filings, despite drama in 2024, when GTA removed its self-proclaimed “partnership” with the Alabama legislature and its high-profile from its website.
GTA came to light in late 2024, when attention turned to the large influx of migrants into the state. The migrants initially appeared in local communities without explanation. Lawmakers and those in the executive branch all claimed not to have been informed about the influx, where the migrants came from, and who settled them in the state.
GTA is a Huntsville-based 501(c)3 nonprofit partner of the U.S. Department of State that “promotes global peace and understanding through citizen diplomacy.” GTA was founded in 1965 as The International Services Council of Alabama, an outreach of the Huntsville Rotary Club to welcome international military trainees to Redstone Arsenal.
What made GTA stand out at the time was its boast of a “partnership” with the Alabama Legislature.
It also claimed partnerships with some of the state’s most prominent universities, including Auburn University and the University of Alabama, as well as with the cities of Huntsville, Hoover, Birmingham, Madison, Mobile and Montgomery. It also claimed to be a partner of several left-wing organizations, including the SPLC, the NAACP, the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), Alabama Appleseed and others.
At the time of 1819 News’ initial reporting, former Alabama House Speaker and Madison County Commission chairman Mac McCutcheon and Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle were listed as ex officio advisory council members of GTA.
When 1819 News contacted Stephanie Manning, the director of GTA’s refugee resettlement program, to clarify the program’s details, she stated, “We’ve been advised not to speak to the press at this time.”
After 1819 News’ reporting, GTA removed its entire partnership section from its website. Additionally, McCutcheon and Battle were removed from the site as board members. Alabama’s political leadership also distanced itself from the organization.
A spokesperson from House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter (R-Rainsville) stated his office had “no relationship whatsoever with Global Ties Alabama.” A spokesperson for then-Senate Pro-Tem Greg Reed (R-Jasper) denied any financial connection between Global Ties and Reed’s office.
1819 News initial report showed GTA’s reported revenue for FY2023 was just over $425,000. Despite self-distancing from its public partners, reported revenue in FY2024 increased to over $100,000, bringing GTA’s total to $530,754. Public records do not show any state or federal funds or grants going to GTA in recent years.
The source of GTA’s funding is a mystery. The group’s IRS Form 990 provides little detail about specific grants and other revenue. In January 2024, the city of Madison approved a $2,500 annual appropriation to GTA.
In contrast to FY23, which showed the majority of GTA’s revenue coming from grants and contributions, FY2024 shows the majority of revenue coming from program service revenue.
GTA has many programs, including a refugee resettlement program that helps locate individuals with legal refugee status in the state. A legally defined refugee is a person who is unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution. GTA’s refugee program aids with housing, employment, and more.
How these services create revenue is unclear.
GTA lists its organization’s goals, which are identical to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity.” They include:
Quality EducationGender EqualityDecent work and economic growthIndustry, innovation and infrastructureReduced inequalitiesPeace, justice and strong institutions
“Through our growth over the years, Global Ties Alabama has continually worked to provide well-planed [sic], efficacious programming that works to develop an increasingly global and interconnected society in Alabama and provide a foundation through which people-to-people ties can better the lives of our volunteers, resources, and participants and promote peaceful exchange across borders,” the GTA site reads.
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