This is how it works.

1

We find.

We identify innovative organizations – typically in the early stages of their development – that are run by local leaders working with children and youth around the world.

2

We fund.

We fund our partners’ life-changing programs for children and youth, as well as their organizational development. We keep our grants flexible to maximize our impact and to meet needs that other funders are not willing to support.

3

Together we strengthen.

We advise, mentor, and guide our partners. We build mutual trust, accountability, and enduring relationships. Our targeted capacity development helps our partners grow stronger and more responsive to challenges on the ground.

4

We build networks.

We connect our partners to each other and to national and regional networks. We bring together brilliant minds to share knowledge, generate learning, fuel advocacy, and build movements of social change.

5

When our partners graduate, we stand proud.

Our partners emerge more sustainable and connected to the resources, people, and information they need to reach their goals. After graduation from the financial partnership, our partners remain vital peers and mentors in our growing global network.

This is why it matters.

Innovative leaders around the world need support for their programs.

This is Lola’s story.

Lola Nasriddinova was part of a group of dedicated parents in Tajikistan who created IRODA, an organization to help their children who were affected by autism spectrum disorder (ASD). At that time, ASD was not recognized by the government as a credible condition worthy of support, diagnosis, or treatment. Lola and her team were determined to change that.

They had received a small grant that provided enough funds to hire therapists to work with a handful of children in a small cottage. But they needed more funding to train the therapists, to have more space for the therapy, and to further develop the organization’s structure.

We find.

GFC Regional Program Director Joe Bednarek learned about IRODA from a colleague who told him about a new parent-run organization in Tajikistan—the only one in the country working on ASD.

Joe traveled to Tajikistan to meet with this potential partner. Lola and her team welcomed Joe to their modest facility and shared their challenges with him.

We fund.

Joe was impressed by the group’s mission, and by the dedicated volunteers who were fully committed to growing the organization. He recommended IRODA to GFC’s internal vetting committee.

The vetting committee reviewed IRODA’s profile and the organization’s grant proposal, which detailed its vision for the future. They were impressed with the group’s commitment, its plan to gradually build capacity, and its focus on diagnosis and training.

The committee said yes. The Board approved. A small grant was awarded to help pay for therapists, training, and a larger facility.

Together we strengthen.

GFC provided opportunity grants to send IRODA staff members to be trained in Russia. We wrote recommendations to other funders. We advised IRODA on internal challenges, shared ideas for additional funding, and mentored the group on other areas of growth to help more children thrive.

We build networks.

We invited IRODA staff to attend our first Knowledge Exchange in the Central Asia region, introducing them to their peers in the field. The organization became a leader in the Central Asian Autism Network.

Our investment helped IRODA build its network and gain confidence and respect in its field.

And when our partners graduate, we stand proud.

IRODA is now a trusted voice for training, advocacy, policy, and support for ASD in Central Asia. The organization has increased the number of children it works with sevenfold since we started working together. When partners like IRODA reach a critical point in their development, they graduate from our program. On that day, we stand proud of all they have accomplished, and feel honored to have been part of their journey.

“IRODA is grateful for GFC’s support in the pioneering stage of our organization’s development and benefited greatly from the learning opportunities GFC has given us over the years through workshops and training.  GFC’s support has helped to change the lives of children and young people with autism.”
– Lola Nasriddinova, IRODA

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR IMPACT

Global Fund for Children (GFC) UK Trust, created in 2006, is a UK registered charity (UK charity number 1119544). We work to generate vital income, create new fundraising opportunities, and raise awareness of the invaluable work of GFC’s grassroots grantees. Our aim is to extend the reach of GFC in the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond.

Contact
Work.Life, 4 Crown Place
London EC2A 4BT

[email protected]