Alongside the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79) in New York, USA, the Unlock the Future coalition has announced the Funders Collective, a new funding initiative aimed at supporting children and young people who are driving grassroots initiatives to tackle global challenges and accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Funders Collective unites some of the world’s largest child- and youth-focused organizations, including the Kofi Annan Foundation, to create a more effective funding ecosystem for young people.
Only 6% of global development aid goes to investments in young people and children.
Despite nearly half the world’s population being under 30, only 6% of global development aid goes to investments in young people and children. This gap is most acutely felt in regions like Asia and Africa.
The Funders Collective is designed to overhaul the current funding system to better serve young leaders, especially those from grassroots movements in the Global South, ensuring their ideas are heard and implemented.
Shift in Funding Approach
Unlike traditional funding models, the Funders Collective will provide flexible, multi-year funding and comprehensive support that empowers young leaders, especially those from marginalised communities, to create systemic impact.
The Kofi Annan Foundation is excited to embark on the incubation phase of the Collective with the aim of making it operational in the coming years.
The Funders Collective will put the most marginalized and hardest-to-reach young people front and center. By delivering flexible, long-term funding, we will ensure no one is left behind in the fight for a just and sustainable future.
“We’re excited to be part of reimagining how funding supports youth action,” says Corinne Momal-Vanian, Executive Director of the Kofi Annan Foundation. “The Funders Collective is a transformative step toward empowering young leaders, especially those from marginalized communities, with the resources they need to create lasting change.”
An initiative from the Unlock the Future coalition
The Funders Collective brings together the world’s largest child- and youth-focused organisations under the Unlock the Future coalition —AIESEC, The Big Six Youth Organisations – including World YMCA, Kofi Annan Foundation, Mercy Corps, Search for Common Ground, and others —who share a common goal: to create a more supportive and effective funding ecosystem for young people. By pooling resources, networks, and knowledge, these organisations will support young leaders in breaking down the barriers that have long limited their access to funding.
