Building a better future
Charting a path towards a more inclusive,
resilient, and connected world.
The +1
Global Fund
The +1 Global Fund is a collaborative platform for discovering, strengthening, connecting, and amplifying locally-led change in the Global South.
Leveraging a "network of networks" model, the Fund partners with globally recognized organizations to source high-impact changemakers working with vulnerable and last-mile communities, who historically have been overlooked and under-funded. The Fund also brings together philanthropists, foundations, and partners who collectively believe that the engine for change lies in the efforts of locally-led, earlier-stage organizations.
The +1 Global Fund is organized by sector—such as WASH, food security, and health—each of which is supported by multiple funders who pool funds and form a community of practice that seeks to:
- Shift power to those closest to the problems and best positioned and most qualified to lead change
- Build a more diverse “applicant pool” of organizations that are traditionally overlooked and underfunded
- Encourage sharing, learning, and collaboration within new, emergent networks
- Elevate our sights beyond individuals and organizations to sector-based reform
- Foster resilience among a network of organizations working in vulnerable and last-mile communities
Speed
Network
Support
How It Works
The +1 Global Fund is organized into Cycles, each consisting of five consecutive 12-week Rounds. In each Cycle we focus on one sector (e.g. WASH) in a specific part of the world (e.g. Sub-Saharan Africa). +1 Awardees selected for support in each Round receive:
- Catalytic Funding: A flexible grant that can be used however needed
- Organizational Development: Multiple opportunities to strengthen the capacities of each Awardee organization and its leaders
- Connection: Entry into the +1 Network, which facilitates 1-on-1 connections, learning exchanges and workshops, collaborative projects, and more
- Promotion: Announcements and outreach to the general public as well as potential funders and partners
Currently, we are working on three separate Cycles, focused on WASH, food security, and health.
You can learn more about our approach and rationale for creating the +1 Global Fund in this deeper overview.
Network Partners
Recommend several Nominators—well-connected individuals who are rooted in the issue and region of focus
+1 Awardees
Selected organizations receive flexible funding, organizational development support, opportunities to connect with peers and potential partners, promotion, and more
Network Partners
Recommend several Nominators—well-connected individuals who are rooted in the issue and region of focus
+1 Awardees
Selected organizations receive flexible funding, organizational development support, opportunities to connect with peers and potential partners, promotion, and more
Network Partners
Network Partners—well-established and -recognized institutions that have extensive networks of proximate leaders—play a critical role in the +1 Global Fund. Network Partners are asked to identify Nominators—leaders within specific issues and/or regions who recommend locally-led initiatives for potential +1 Global Fund support. Ideal Network Partners have:
- Close connections to the specific issue and/or region of interest
- Large and broad networks from which they can surface Nominators
- Demonstrated inclusivity and equity, with an emphasis on supporting vulnerable people
- Capacity and interest in partnering with the +1 Global Fund
If you are are interested in learning more or becoming a Network Partner, please let us know.
Funding Partners
Each Cycle of the +1 Global Fund is a pooled fund consisting of like-minded donors who seek new and innovative ways to support locally-led, earlier-stage initiatives. Together we are striving to reimagine how social change is supported, and to redefine the role funders play in its progress. In time, we hope these efforts will influence the philanthropic space to:
- Move away from fomenting competition and rivalry among potential grantees, and towards supporting a landscape of high-potential initiatives
- Remove the hurdles and gates that block those traditionally left out—who are also often the most marginalized—from accessing support
- Streamline and ease funding through trust-based and participatory processes
- Collaborate more frequently and with greater intention
- Allocate resources and attention towards ecosystems and networks in pursuit of long-term social change
If you are a funder interested in learning more or becoming a Funding Partner, please let us know.
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