At Global Fund for Children, we believe that our community-based partners and the children and young people they serve are the heroes in their own story. They see what needs to be different in their communities, and they take the stand to make the necessary changes. Our role is to walk alongside them and to make sure that it is their voice that carries.

Our commitment to this belief is what set us on a communication journey in October 2025, to ensure our actions reflect our values by formalizing not only the language we use, but also how we show up in the rooms where we gather.

What is Asset Framing and why does it matter?

‘Asset-framing’ is defining individuals by their aspirations and strengths rather than the challenges they face. At GFC, this translates into deliberate decisions to tell stories that honor the dignity and humanity of the individuals and organizations we work alongside.

GFC compiled this journey into an Inclusive Language and Asset Framing Guide, launched in March 2026. The guide consolidates what many on our team were already practicing and gives it a shared language. At its heart are five core principles:

• Center people, not problems: Lead with who someone is, not what they face
• Honor story ownership: Stories belong to the people who lived them
• Position GFC as a partner and catalyst: We are not the hero of anyone else’s story
• Use language that shifts power: Words carry weight; choose them carefully
• Uphold safeguarding and responsibility: Dignity and protection are non-negotiable

In practice, these principles show up in every story we tell, every caption we write, and every time we choose whose words lead.

From the page to the room

We are upholding these principles not only by amplifying youth and partner voices in our written communications but also when we invite them to take the stage at in-person gathering, such as a conference, a fundraising dinner, or a donor convening.

In Los Angeles, New York, Washington DC, and London, GFC partners have shared their stories directly at recent fundraising events. Their unique approaches making a memorable impact on our audiences.

At a fundraiser in London, a young nonbinary artist named Moss gave a performance of their latest and greatest hits. Moss is signed to Warren Records, a nonprofit record label that creates space for young people to tell their own stories through their music.

At another event in New York, guest speakers from Foundation Ninas de Luz, used their resident puppets to bring their play-based learning methodology approach to life.

Each of these moments, rooted in trust and space for partners, created something an article or blog never could: genuine connection between people who might otherwise never have been in the same room.

Making it work: Five steps to a partner-centered event

Successfully centering partner voices at your events takes intention, preparation, and care. It introduces real considerations around safeguarding, capacity, and resources. And it has a profound impact on your guests, your donors, and your partners. Here is what we have learned:

1. Start with conversation and co-design. Reach out early and lead with curiosity. What story do they want to tell? What format feels right for them? Some partners may want to speak, while others may prefer to perform or lead a hands-on activity. Meet them where their strengths and comfort lie.
2. Address safeguarding from the start. Think carefully about the speaker, content, and audience. Ensure all participants understand how their story will be used, who will be in the room, how the event will flow, and what consent looks like in your context. This is especially critical when young people are involved. Your safeguarding framework should be part of the planning conversation, not an afterthought.
3. Devote the time and resources to do it right. Meaningful inclusion requires meaningful investment. Budget intentionally to cover what partners need to participate fully – travel, accommodations, visa support, materials, or accessibility needs. Consider whether honoraria or another form of recognition is appropriate to acknowledge their time, expertise, and the trust they are placing in you.
4. Prepare and support, then step back. Offer any support your partner needs to feel confident: a rehearsal, a technical run-through, help with travel or materials. Let them know of resources and support that are available to them during the event, such as a quiet room or designated event lead. When the moment comes, step back. Trust them with the room.
5. Create space for genuine connection. The most powerful part of partner-centered events is often what happens before and after the formal program – the conversations sparked, the questions asked, the connections made.

This is what shifting power looks like in practice

When Foundation Ninas de Luz brought their program to life through puppetry, when partners sang and spoke in rooms full of donors and colleagues – we got to see GFC’s core values of community-led and youth-centered change in action.

Our Inclusive Language and Asset Framing Guide – and the broader fundraising communication journey it reflects – is a living commitment that will evolve as we learn from experience and listen more deeply to the communities we serve. Every member of our global team is finding ways to bring these principles into their own work, building on them in ways that are meaningful to the people they work with and their communities.