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Children in a school lesson aboard a Boat School classroom in India, a project supported by GFC © Abir Abdullah/ Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha
An international children’s charitable fund that thrives on its individual connection with donors and grantees has extended its reach to the UK.
With the support of the US-based Global Fund for Children (GFC), The Global Fund for Children UK Trust was established as a separately constituted and registered charity in the UK.
Founded by Maya Ajmera, after she chanced upon the Train Platform School in India (a project to support disadvantaged children and help them into mainstream education), GFC’s global mission is to advance the dignity of children and youth around the world. The Fund makes small grants to innovative community-based organisations working at a grassroots level with vulnerable children and youth. This is complemented by a successful media program that, through books, documentary photography, and film, highlights the issues affecting children.
Since 1997, when the first grants were made using royalties from its children’s book publishing venture, GFC’s grant-making capacity has grown and today GFC has awarded over £5m in grants, ranging from £500 to £10 000, to 304 community-based groups in 65 countries, affecting the lives of 1m children.
Inspired by the work of GFC, the UK Trust was established by four British-based supporters: Mark McGoldrick, who sits on both the UK and US boards, and who is the major benefactor of the UK Trust’s set-up costs; as well as James Sheridan, John Hepburn and Dirk Ormoneit, who have recently been joined by two new trustees, Dina De Angelo and Michael Daffey.
“The UK Trust aims to extend this unique philanthropy model into the UK and Europe, and to extend the reach of the grant-making to more vulnerable children,” said Heather Brandon, Director of the UK Trust.
“The trustees see themselves as facilitators and pursue an individual one-to-one approach in seeking donor participation. They seek to replicate the personal approach that has been so successful for the grantees, and the funding can be tailor-made to the donor’s areas of interest.”
Children arrive for their lessons at a mobile Boat School classroom in India, a project supported by GFC © Abir Abdullah/ Shidhulai Swanirvar Sangstha
As the grants made are relatively small (with the average grant around £3,000) potential donors are encouraged to spread their investment across several projects that they can also visit.
“Ultimately, our focus is to tackle children’s vulnerability and keep their hopes and dreams alive, as well as impact on the quality of work done by the grantees and their local community groups, and how this will create long-term benefit.”
This focus entails GFC making the grassroots-level grants which are broad-based and educational, and last for 4–5 years. They also provide supplementary ‘health and well being grants’ based on the Maslow hierarchy of needs: “These are based on the premise that learning does not take place until those needs such as hunger and safety have been met,” says Brandon.
“We are seeking to engage with philanthropists who are interested in GFC’s unique model; and with them joining us on this journey we aim to increase the small-grant programme, and reach even more vulnerable children.”
For more information contact GFC UK Trust on +44 1793 858 235 and to learn more about the work of GFC international visit the website.
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