It’s a Trojan War plus an Odyssey plus still another decade. It’s two years less than Alexander the Great’s lifespan—but exactly how old his horse lived to be.
How do you measure 30 years? In 2026, SNF celebrates 30 years of grantmaking with humanity at the core, a length of time that feels simultaneously like a momentous span and a brief but exuberant flash.
When measured by the network of relationships we’ve been lucky to form, it feels like a full and long tenure. We’ve had the privilege of working with more than 3,000 amazing grantee-partners, nonprofits big and small in more than 135 countries around the world, on projects designed to hopefully make a lasting mark on individuals, on communities, and on society at large.
Like tree rings, this growing network records changes to our world, crises that have knocked us back as well as advancements that have broadened access to life’s essentials. To get closer to these partners, to the people they serve, and to society at large, we too have been continually growing and changing, learning and adapting, and in the light of this dynamism, our 30-year journey has seemed a quick one.
At 30, SNF is harnessing the benefits of both perspectives: The optimism tempered with practicality that comes with having seen and weathered many changes throughout 30 long years. And the youthful energy of an organization only 30 years old—and in a sense always made new—to dream, dare, and do in the belief that meaningful progress is possible.
In the year ahead, we’ll see the three SNF hospitals under construction across Greece, a project at the core of our ongoing Global Health Initiative (GHI), near their goal of delivering highest-quality care to the public at large. We’ll mark the 250th birthday of the United States with support for exhibitions that invite people to learn more about and celebrate its history. We’ll ride the excitement of the World Cup alongside grantee-partners around the globe that use soccer—and other sports—as a framework for helping kids grow and thrive. And we’ll continue, as we do every year, to keep our eyes and ears open for how we can connect forces for good to help them achieve more together.
One of the great challenges of this era will be figuring out how we, collectively, can use AI as an instrument of “good” without letting ourselves be used by it. IQ alone can’t save us here, and EQ, emotional intelligence, is becoming commensurately more indispensable by the day.
We hope you’ll join us as we explore topics like this and celebrate our 30th anniversary at SNF Nostos 2026 from June 21 to 28 at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center in Athens—and beyond. This is a milestone, and a celebration, that belongs to all of us. And the journey continues!
Best wishes for a happy, healthy 2026.
Happy New Year—and stay human!
Andreas Dracopoulos and all of us at SNF