Global Fund for Children
/OVERVIEW: The Global Fund for Children supports global education, gender equity, youth empowerment and the prevention of violence and exploitation of children.
IP TAKE: This funder supports grassroots organizations that work with vulnerable populations around the world. Recent areas of interest include the rights of immigrants and refugees and the prevention of child trafficking. Relevant organizations may submit organizational profiles for review. A great funder in its giving space if you can crack this nut. Reach out to its program officers as recommended if you meet its funding criteria.
PROFILE: Based in Washington, D.C., the Global Fund for Children (GFC) was established in 1993 by Maya Ajmera, the publisher of Science News and the president of the Society for Science and the Public, with additional support from the international seed funder Echoing Green. With named focus areas of Education, Gender Equity, Youth Empowerment and Freedom from Violence and Exploitation, the fund seeks to support innovative organizations in early stages of development that are run by community stakeholders. This funder prioritizes specific regions of interest in the Americas, Africa and the Middle East, Europe and Eurasia, South Asia and East and Southeast Asia.
Grants for Global Development
Global development grants mainly stem from the fund’s education focus area, which supports initiatives ranging from early childhood education to higher education and vocational training for young adults. Funding prioritizes high risk populations including young women and girls in developing countries, immigrants, refugees and the disabled. One past grantee is the Thai Child Development Center, which helps local school systems develop special education programming so that disabled children have access to education, therapy and health services. Another development grantee is Redes Juveniles de la Manorcho, which trains youth in rural areas of Honduras to advocate for funding for education and youth programs. In Kenya, Oasis Mathare used funding to run technology and economic empowerment programs for children, teens and young mothers.
Grants for Women and Girls
The Global Fund for Children has demonstrated a strong commitment to the rights and education of some of the world’s most oppressed populations. In India, the fund has invested in Her Choice Trust, an organization that works raise awareness about sex trafficking in areas where young girls are especially vulnerable and runs a national helpline for and legal assistance network for victimized girls. A grantee in Nicaragua, Asociación Movimiento de Mujeres por Nuestros Derechos Humanos, works to prevent gender-based violence and promote women’s health and reproductive rights. Other grantees focused on women and girls include Guatemala’s Women’s Justice Initiative, the National Federation of Female Communities of Kyrgyzstan, the Sierra Leone Girls Empowerment Network, Thailand’s Center for Girls and South Africa’s Nayanaya Trust. Gender equity funding has also acknowledged the importance of LGBTQ rights and the limitations that traditional gender norms place on boys’ development. In the U.K, the fund has given to London’s Mosaic LGBT Youth Center, Future Men, Lads Need Dads and Breaking the Silence, an organization that works with boys and men who were victims of sexual abuse.
Grants for Immigrants and Refugees
The Global Fund for Children supports organizations that empower, educate and advocate for youth immigrants and refugees. A significant portion of grantmaking in this focus area takes place in the Americas. One grantee, Al Otro Lado, provides legal services to deportees, migrants and immigrants in the Tijuana area of Mexico. And in the Tapachula area of Mexico, the Human Rights Center Fray Matias de Cordova defends migrant families, asylum seekers and refugees. In the U.S., the fund has given to several organizations that work with immigrants and refugees including the Immigrant Youth Coalition of Los Angeles, Houston’s LaUnidad11 and the Tahirih Justice Center, which helps women and girls to escape gender-based violence.
Grants for Violence Prevention
The Global Fund for Children names violence prevention as one of its main areas of funding interest and is “dedicated to ending violence and exploitation for children and to helping young survivors rebuild their lives.” Target populations include children who are victims of trafficking and sexual abuse, child laborers and immigrants and refugees. Grantmaking has focused on increasing awareness in vulnerable communities, legal advocacy and access to social services. In China, the fund has supported Teen’s Key, which provides outreach and counseling to sex industry workers. A grantee in Sierra Leone, Women Against Violence and Exploitation in Society, supports women and girls who speak out against gender-based violence, and in South Africa, Jelly Beanz, Inc. provides counseling and rehabilitation for child victims of abuse and neglect.
Important Grant Details:
The Global Fund for Children makes about $2 million in grants annually, supporting grassroots organizations in 35 countries around the world. The fund’s average grant size is about $15,000. In 2020, the fund organized over $300,000 in emergency funding for its grantee partners responding to children affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. For information about past grantmaking, see the fund’s past annual reports and tax filings.
The Global Fund for Children does not accept applications for funding, but invites organizations that meet its funding criteria to submit organizational profiles for review. General inquiries may be directed to the fund’s staff via email or telephone at 202-331-9003.
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