Sarah Beckerman is an experienced practitioner with over 15 years of expertise at the
intersection of democracy, development, and conflict resolution. She has worked across the U.S.
and more than a dozen countries, partnering with mission-driven leaders to strengthen
democratic institutions, expand civic education, and foster social cohesion. Her work has focused
on promoting inclusive political participation, supporting electoral integrity, and equipping
communities with the tools to engage meaningfully in governance.
Most recently, Sarah served as the Vice President of Programs at the One America Movement,
where she oversaw the organization’s strategic vision and program implementation to address
polarization and build stronger, more unified communities. In this role, she developed initiatives
that bridged divides, strengthened civic engagement, and empowered faith and community
leaders to counter disinformation and foster democratic resilience.
Prior to that, Sarah worked at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) on the Middle East and
North Africa team, including two years in Iraq managing programs that expanded structured civic
engagement and policy advocacy while increasing women’s participation in national reconciliation
efforts. She also contributed to election integrity initiatives, public accountability programs, and
grassroots-driven political reforms. Throughout her tenure at NDI, she supported efforts to
strengthen democratic governance, advance civic education, and build coalitions between civil
society and policymakers. She has also collaborated with activists in Ukraine to navigate political
transitions and worked with youth in Lebanon to enhance civic education and promote political
participation in an increasingly challenging environment.
Before NDI, Sarah served as Deputy Director of Leadership Development at the Truman National
Security Project, a nonprofit dedicated to equipping emerging leaders with the skills to shape a
progressive national security agenda, including engagement in democratic governance and
electoral processes.
Sarah holds an MA in International Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution from American
University’s School of International Service and an MA in History and Political Science from the
University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
