Giving at IIE

IIE Humanitarian Award for International Cooperation, Stavros Niarchos Foundation

IIE Humanitarian Award for International Cooperation

The IIE Humanitarian Award for International Cooperation recognizes organizations which promote global understanding and demonstrate a commitment to causes that advance the vision that launched IIE: a peaceful, equitable world enriched by the international exchange of ideas and greater understanding between people and cultures.


IIE is proud to honor the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) for its commitment to advancing higher education and culture. The SNF is one of the world’s leading private, international philanthropic organizations, making grants in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. Since 1996, the Foundation has committed more than $2.6 billion, through more than 4,000 grants to nonprofit organizations in 124 nations around the world.  In recent years, the SNF has aimed to help tackle unprecedented challenges through its grant-making, such as, among other issues, the global refugee and the Greek socio-economic crises.

The SNF funds organizations and projects worldwide that aim to achieve a broad, lasting and positive impact for society at large and exhibit strong leadership and sound management. The Foundation also supports projects that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as an effective means for serving public welfare.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation’s mission and vision align strongly with IIE’s, as evidenced in particular by the Greek Diaspora Fellowship Program (GDFP).  These fellowships demonstrate SNF’s commitment to expanding Greece’s human capital and investing in the country’s economic recovery.

Accepted by Andreas Dracopoulos, Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF)

Andreas Dracopoulos
Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation

Andreas Dracopoulos is Co-President of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). The Foundation was established in 1996 at the passing of his great uncle, the late Stavros Niarchos, and since inception has made more than 4,000 grants to nonprofit organizations around the world. Mr. Dracopoulos was born and raised in Athens, Greece, and graduated from Athens College. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives in New York City.

Mr. Dracopoulos is a Trustee of The Rockefeller University in New York, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore, and the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington. In addition, he serves on the Advisory Board of the Berman Institute of Bioethics at JHU and is an Honorary Trustee of the New York Public Library (NYPL), where he served as a Trustee from 2003 to 2010. From 2009 to 2018 he served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, and from 2012 to 2018 he served on the Board of the Dalton School in New York.

In 2018, H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic awarded Mr. Dracopoulos the rank of the Grand Cross of the Order of Honor. In 2016, the Republic of France awarded Mr. Dracopoulos the rank of the Officer of the Legion of Honor. In 2012, the Hellenic Republic awarded him the rank of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Phoenix.

In 2017, Mr. Dracopoulos received humanitarian awards from the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) and the Fire Department of the City of New York Foundation (FDNY Foundation). The Child Mind Institute honored him in 2015 for his longstanding commitment and support of children’s mental health issues. In the same year, Mr. Dracopoulos was honored during the 100th Anniversary celebration of The National Herald for his contributions towards promoting and supporting Greek education, and he received the Person of the Year award from the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce. In 2012, the NYPL honored him for his personal contributions to the Library’s educational programs.

Andreas Dracopoulos has provided longstanding personal support to many projects, mainly in the areas of Education, Arts & Culture, and Medicine. Among these activities, he provided the founding grant to establish the Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS and endowed the directorship at the Berman Institute of Bioethics at JHU. He continues to support through his personal grant making the important work of several nonprofit organizations.