About Us

In the fight for children’s rights, Global Fund for Children champions bold ideas that would otherwise go unheard. We are the only global nonprofit dedicated to discovering, funding, and coaching truly community-based organizations that empower children and youth.

We take smart risks that others won’t, partnering with innovative organizations that are fighting the odds in places like slums, refugee camps, and rural villages. We provide a crucial link, connecting community leaders with the professional services and support they need to succeed.

By walking alongside our partners and helping them to develop and thrive, we are building a future where all children and youth are safe, strong, and valued.

Our Five-Year Vision

Our vision for 2022 through 2026 outlines a bold path forward that centers children, youth, and their communities as drivers of systemic change.

In 2021, GFC embarked on a journey to articulate a new vision to guide our future work. We reflected on our 25-year history supporting community-based organizations working toward transformational change with and for young people. We listened to the ideas of those who are closest to our work, from our global team members to youth and community leaders across the world. We also scanned the broader field for insights and trends.

The resulting vision unites us around the same principles that have inspired our work from the start – including trusting grassroots leadership and transforming power in funding relationships – while also pushing GFC to emerge as a vibrant, global hub with children, youth, and communities leading change.

Our five-year vision incorporates three core principles of shifting power, wellbeing, and interconnection, which underpin all that we do. Our two guiding stars of community-driven systems change and children and youth as leaders and changemakers keep us focused and give our work clear direction. And our five strategic priorities of connect, influence, learn, nurture, and sustain further shape our objectives as we chart a course through growth.

Our Values

Our values shape our vision, guide our daily decision making, and signal to the world what to expect when you encounter Global Fund for Children. We hold ourselves to these values to best serve our local partners and the children and youth they support. 

Excellence | Take good to great
In our interactions as a team and with partners, donors, and other collaborators, we strive not just to meet commitments but to exceed expectations, making every GFC experience better than anticipated.

Learning | Wonder, discover, reflect, and adapt
We approach work with childlike curiosity and enthusiasm for discovery, and we share our experiences and resources generously. We innovate by learning from success and failure, trying again, and encouraging others to do the same.

Partnership | Serve partners first
Our community-based partners develop solutions. We help. We amplify their ideas and voices and make choices that maximize their freedom to pursue their goals. Global questions demand local answers, and our partners are best positioned to find them.

Passion | Embrace passion and kindness
We energize and inspire others by drawing on passion and kindness. In a world full of stress and difficulty, a culture of enthusiasm, empathy, and collaboration helps us thrive in our work.

Inclusion | Include intentionally
Innovation and brilliance exist at the margins, so we make space for diverse perspectives, and we amplify unheard voices. We recognize that intersections of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, ability, and other factors create inequalities, which we work to disrupt.

What We Do

Focus Areas