In honor of National Nonprofit Day (August 17), we are recognizing the work of Global Fund for Children (GFC), our designated charity organization for Emplifi Summit ‘22. GFC aims to bring meaningful change to the lives of young people across the globe through a community-based investing model. Here at Emplifi, we can’t imagine a more important purpose than planting the seeds of change for children everywhere.
Earlier this summer, when our Emplifi Summit team met with President and CEO John Hecklinger and Managing Director Hayley Roffey, I was touched by learning about the many ways in which GFC is filling the world with kindness and care, one local partner at a time.
What Global Fund for Children is all about
GFC envisions a world in which all children and youth are safe, strong, and valued. But unlike other organizations that may aspire to do similar work, GFC creates long-term change by empowering people who are on the ground in local communities through many small investments. To date, GFC has invested $51 million in more than 900 organizations – from Eastern Europe to Asia to West Africa and the Americas. The charity also has had longtime roots in India. Time and again, GFC has proven that providing a partner with multi-year, flexible funding leads to measurable impact.
Given its deep roots and experience tackling many of the world’s most difficult problems, GFC is able to respond quickly to crises as they unfold. For example, it was at the forefront of supporting communities at the start of the pandemic. The charity made its first emergency contribution to a group in Peru before much of the world took action. GFC also launched a successful emergency fund to help children affected by the war in Ukraine.
In another program with boys and young men in England, GFC has brought ten organizations together to explore gender justice and understand the role of masculinities in their lives. Other key focus areas include an initiative to end violence against girls in West Africa, and ongoing efforts to prevent child trafficking in Asia and Eurasia. Each of these critically important programs is shaped by the local context in the region.
As you can imagine, the day-to-day work that local partners do is intense and emotionally exhausting. That’s why another aspect of GFC’s compassionate approach is to support leaders of its partner organizations through virtual well-being spaces.
Obviously, a significant amount of empathy is required to do this kind of charitable work, which aligns with our mission at Emplifi. Empathy is at the core of our existence, and I believe we have to model it for all of our youth, if we want to support them to create a better society.
How you can support Global Fund for Children
To support GFC’s continued work in these and other areas, Emplifi will be making a donation to the organization. If you’d like to get involved, the organization has launched a monthly donor campaign called Children’s Changemakers Circle, or you can give a one-time gift to help GFC provide grassroots support that reaches youth in communities worldwide and helps them thrive.
Be sure to register for Emplifi Summit ‘22 to watch our featured session with GFC’s President and CEO John Hecklinger and Managing Director Hayley Roffey.
