Gurgen Balasanyan

As Associate Director of Operations, Gurgen leads grants management and coordinates the work of the Operations team overall, serving as a strategic thought partner to the COO in establishing, managing, and streamlining operational policies and procedures.

He brings to the role over a decade of experience in global philanthropy: from operations and finance management to program management and organizational strategy development.

Gurgen is the co-founder and a member of the Board of Directors at Youth Initiative Centre, Armenia – one of the largest youth organizations in the country, and the most active non-profit stakeholder in youth policy development. He contributed to the development of the strategic plan of the organization in its early years, and to shaping its path towards institutional enhancement.

Prior to joining Co-Impact, Gurgen was leading the operations at Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) where he helped the team streamline the financial and operational policies and procedures and achieve highest compliance ratings across multiple platforms. He also managed youth centers at Caritas Armenia specializing in reintegration and empowerment of youth under precarious circumstances.

Gurgen holds Master’s Degrees in Criminal Justice and Education from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and Gyumri State Pedagogic Institute respectively. He served as a trainer and facilitator for programs supported by the European Commission on youth empowerment, cross-cultural dialogue and non-formal education. Originally from Armenia, he is currently exploring the life in New York with long walks and alternative commute options.