Funding Announcement | Kofi Annan Foundation Receives Grant from the Open Society Foundations
The Kofi Annan Foundation is delighted to announce the continuation of our partnership with the Open Society Foundations. The Foundation’s U.S. $1.5 million commitment will support the work of the Kofi Annan Foundation in 2022 and 2023.
Kofi Annan Foundation Executive Director, Corinne Momal-Vanian, said, “We have worked in partnership with the Open Society Foundations (OSF) for over a decade. Our partnership is built on the shared belief that solutions to national, regional, and global challenges demand the free exchange of ideas and thinking – and that everyone should have a voice in shaping the policies that affect them. We have worked with the OSF – and will continue to – to build vibrant and inclusive societies, grounded in respect for human rights and the rule of law, whose governments are legitimate, representative and accountable to their people.”
Building long-term relationships of trust with the entities we support, and understanding their health, effectiveness, strengths, and the challenges they face, is an integral part of the Open Society Foundations’ organization-centered approach to grant-making.
– Open Society Foundations
In this period of mistrust and turmoil, we are particularly pleased that the Open Society Foundations has decided to renew its confidence in the Kofi Annan Foundation’s global work, which includes restoring trust in democracy as the system best able to deliver legitimate and effective governments accountable to their citizens, rebuilding trust in communities emerging from conflicts or torn by violent extremism; strengthening trust among generations, elevating the voices of young people, and promoting confidence in the ability of the multilateral system to deliver solutions to our pressing global challenges.
The Open Society Foundations grant will help the Kofi Annan Foundation continue its work:
- Promoting electoral integrity and democracy globally and in specific countries;
- Providing recommendations in publications such as our Kofi Annan Commission on Elections and Democracy in the Digital Age report about how we can mitigate the risks of digital innovation to our elections while harnessing the opportunities to strengthen democracy worldwide;
- Collaborating with young people around the world through our Extremely Together Initiative to promote peace, combat disinformation and hate speech, and prevent violence;
- Using the Kofi Annan Changemakers initiative to develop and support young leaders, and;
- Leveraging Kofi Annan’s legacy to promote international cooperation.
About Open Society Foundations
The Open Society Foundations funds advocacy and research for groups and individuals that work on issues such as promoting democracy, transparency, and freedom of speech. The Open Society Foundations are the world’s largest private human rights funder, working to build vibrant and inclusive democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens.
Learn more on the Open Society Foundations website >
About the Kofi Annan Foundation
The Kofi Annan Foundation is an independent not-for-profit organization established in Switzerland in 2007 by the late former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Our Board comprises prominent personalities from the public and private sectors, and we have a small team based in Geneva, Switzerland. The Kofi Annan Foundation works to help build peaceful, democratic and resilient societies.
