The Global Fund for Children

Global Fund for Children
Founded1994 [1]
FounderMaya Ajmera
TypeNon-governmental organization
HeadquartersWashington, DC, United States
Region served
80 countries (2015)[2]
Key people
John Hecklinger, Co-CEO (since 2017)[3] Hayley Roffey, Co-CEO (since 2024)[4]
Websiteglobalfundforchildren.org

Global Fund for Children (GFC) is a Washington, DC–headquartered nonprofit organization that envisions a future where all children are safe, strong, and valued. GFC pursues this mission by providing flexible grants to innovative community-based organizations working with children and young people, that are often overlooked by larger traditional funders.[5]

History

Global Fund for Children was established in 1994 and made its first grants with the royalties from its children's book publishing venture. Since then, GFC's grantmaking capacity has grown dramatically. To date, GFC has awarded over $90 million in grants to more than 1,500 organizations, reaching more than 11 million children and young people worldwide.[6]

In 2003, the fund became one of the early sponsors of solar-powered floating schools in Bangladesh. The project has been recognized as one of the most innovative educational projects in the world.[7]

In 2006, GFC, American Jewish World Service, EMPower-The Emerging Markets Foundation, Firelight Foundation, Global Fund for Women and Mama Cash[8] joined forces with the Nike Foundation to establish the Grassroots Girls Initiative (GGI). GGI was the first donor consortium devoted exclusively to grassroots solutions for adolescent girls.[9]

In 2007, GFC launched its Under-8 Initiative (U8), a pledge to invest $10 million over five years in groups working with children under the age of eight in developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The initiative was sponsored by the Clinton Foundation as part of the Clinton Global Initiative.[10] Within the first year of operation it reached an estimated 47,000 children in 19 countries and awarded a total of $487,300 in grants.[11]

In 2012, the Financial Times selected Global Fund for Children as its Seasonal Appeal winner. GFC was profiled in a series of online and print articles from November 2012 through January 2013 and as a result raised $4.89 million for GFC programs.[12]

In 2018, GFC launched an anti-trafficking cohort in partnership with a Canadian conglomerate. The approach is to place early stage bets on high-potential social entrepreneurs with an ultimate goal of creating scalable and contextual solutions to prevent trafficking at the root.[13]

In 2021, GFC launched the youth-led Spark Fund, its first fund that placed key funding decisions in the hands of young people. The Spark Fund seeks to drive youth-led transformation across the world by addressing social issues from climate change, mental health, LGBTQ+ rights, to gender justice and more.[14]

In response to Russia's war on Ukraine, GFC enhanced the speed and capacity of its emergency response operations, distributing urgent funds to community-based organizations in Ukraine and neighboring countries.[15]

Other GFC strategic partnerships include Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Johnson & Johnson, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Oak Foundation, GoodWeave, Feizy Rugs, Tea Collection, Postcode Lottery, and Kellogg Foundation.[16]

Approach

Global Fund for Children supports locally led organizations across the world and young leaders to create real, lasting change by pairing flexible, trust-based funding with targeted support that strengthens their capacity.

GFC strategically invests in grassroots organizations and helps them to grow and become sustainable resources in their communities. The organization intentionally scouts out and supports small, emerging nonprofits that do not have other sources of funding—in 2013, GFC was the first US-based institutional funder for 83% of its new grantees. On average, GFC's grantee partners grow threefold in size and reach during their partnership with GFC, expanding their capacity to reach more children in need.[17]

In a 2014 survey of GFC grantee partners, 91% of respondents agreed that GFC stands apart from other funders because GFC contributes to its partners' long-term sustainability.[18]

Children's books

Global Fund for Children books aim to integrate children's perspectives and inspire young readers to explore diverse cultures and global understanding.[19] The GFC book collection includes more than 30 full-color books for children from infancy to adolescence. Proceeds from book purchases help support GFC programs.[20]

Films

Global Fund for Children has invested in two documentary films:

War Child, a 2008 documentary about former Sudanese child soldier Emmanuel Jal, won the audience choice award at the Tribeca film festival.[21]

Journey of a Red Fridge tells the story of Hari Rai, a child porter who carries a red Coca-Cola refrigerator through the Himalayan mountains. Filmed by Lunam Docs, a Serbian independent documentary production duo – Lucian and Natasa Muntean – who specialize in telling the stories of child laborers.

References

  1. ↑ "The Rotarian". January 2009.
  2. ↑ "10 Great South Asian Americans You Probably Haven't Heard of, but Should".
  3. ↑ "John Hecklinger Named President and CEO of the Global Fund for Children". 9 November 2017.
  4. ↑ "Hayley Roffey". Global Fund for Children. Retrieved 2026-05-09.
  5. ↑ "How we work". Global Fund for Children. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  6. ↑ "Creating impact with and for children and communities". Global Fund for Children. 2024-07-16. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  7. ↑ Yee, Amy (2013-06-30). "Floating Schools Bring Classrooms to Stranded Students". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  8. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-02-06. Retrieved 2009-03-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ "Communities of practice and the multiplier effect". Alliance magazine. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  10. ↑ "Norway kicks off Clinton summit with $1 bln pledge". Reuters. 2007-09-26. Archived from the original on January 21, 2019. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  11. ↑ "New effort targets young kids | Philanthropy Journal | NC State University". 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  12. ↑ "FT Seasonal Appeal raises $4.89million for The Global Fund for Children". Financial Times. February 11, 2013. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  13. ↑ "Combating Child Trafficking in India". 3 June 2019.
  14. ↑ "The Spark Fund". Global Fund for Children. 2023-12-19. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  15. ↑ "Educating and Safeguarding Ukrainian Children". Global Fund for Children. 2022-03-08. Retrieved 2026-05-06.
  16. ↑ Martin, Michelle. "How A Shared Passion For Travel Built This $43 Million Fashion Brand". Forbes. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  17. ↑ "Our Impact". 9 March 2018.
  18. ↑ "Forging Links in the Development Feedback Loop—GFC's Value-Added Services Survey | Global Fund for Children". Archived from the original on 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2015-05-07.
  19. ↑ Clarkson, Sara. "Clarkson: Hinsdale church program urges talking about race, diversity". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2019-01-20.
  20. ↑ "Global Fund for Children". 9 October 2017.
  21. ↑ "War Child wins the audience award at Tribeca Film Festival". Screen Daily. 4 May 2008. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
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