The Spark Fund

The Spark Fund invests in youth-led and youth-focused groups tackling injustice and inequality, driving transformational change, and building a more inclusive post-pandemic world by harnessing the power of digital technologies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has deepened inequalities across the globe and created an opening for change. We believe that transformation is the key to post-crisis growth and sustainability. The world needs new solutions to address existing problems, and young people should be drivers and decision-makers in this change.

The Spark Fund is an innovative, participatory fund that provides youth-led and youth-focused groups with financial support and capacity development, enabling them to experiment, collaborate, and learn using digital technologies.

Global Fund for Children and the Avast Foundation established the Spark Fund based on their shared commitment to empowering the next generation to promote human rights in the digital age.

This initiative champions youth-led social change worldwide by:

• Putting key decisions in the hands of young people through a participatory grantmaking process. Youth panelists will make funding decisions using an innovative technology platform, and a global steering group that includes young people from GFC’s Youth Leadership Council and Avast Foundation’s Youth Leadership Board will provide strategic oversight.
• Investing in youth-led efforts to disrupt social inequities and tackle injustice. Flexible funds and capacity development will enable youth-led and youth-focused groups to take risks and innovate.
• Strengthening networks for advocacy, movement building, and learning by uniting youth-led and youth-focused groups, increasing their capacity to influence long-term systemic change.

Additional partners Shared Nation and Catch22 are providing research support and technology development during the initial phases of the Spark Fund.

We are currently seeking additional funders. If you would like to support this initiative, please contact Christine Burkhart.

We are currently looking for youth panelists for our Spark Fund panels in South Asia and Southern Africa!

If you are:

• aged 18 – 30
• live in Bangladesh, India, or Pakistan for the South Asia panel OR
• live in Lesotho, Namibia, or Zimbabwe for the Southern Africa panel AND
• have an interest in how young people are tackling inequality, injustice, and decision-making

we would love to hear from you. You can find more information on our South Asia panel here and you can apply here. You can find more information on our Southern Africa panel here and you can apply here.

Our Americas regional panel will open for applications in late January 2022. Applications from youth-led and youth-focused groups and organizations in Europe and Eurasia are now closed.

Read the Spark Fund FAQs.

Header photo: Participants engage in an Ashanti Perú workshop. © Estrella Vivanco-Stevenson / Ashanti Perú