Investing for success: a new way to help refugees improve their livelihoods

September 27, 2021

We are supporting the first ever development impact bond for refugees, an innovative finance model that sets out to improve refugees’ livelihoods in Jordan and Lebanon.

Imagine trying to start again in another country after fleeing from a conflict. You’ve lost everything—your home, your job or business, your savings. Even if you’re legally allowed to work, you’re competing with local residents and other refugees for limited opportunities. If you’re a woman or a young person, perhaps this is the first time you’ve ever had to work. What do you do?

For many refugees, the only option is to rely on humanitarian aid. But this isn’t a long-term solution. Refugees need dignified work that enables them to support their families.

Lack of funding

Lebanon and Jordan host more than two million refugees between them, most of whom come from Syria. This puts huge pressure on their economies and creates social tensions. There’s also a lack of long-term funding for programmes to help refugees improve their livelihoods.

That’s whythe IKEA Foundation is supporting the scale-up of a programme by the Near East Foundation in Lebanon and Jordan. The programme will help refugees and people from host communities gain the skills they need to set up small enterprises and create safe and stable livelihoods.

Development impact bond

The programme is financed through a development impact bond. This is a financial model where social investors provide capital to roll out a development programme. Outcome funders pay back the investors if—and only if—the programme achieves measurable social outcomes. These are independently evaluated.

Per Heggenes, IKEA Foundation CEO, says: “We’re supporting the development impact bond as an outcome funder because it is an innovative way to help refugees become self-reliant in the long-term. We believe that by paying for success, we can attract more funding towards refugee livelihoods and encourage programmes that have the biggest impact.”

Learn more on the DIB website: www.refugeeimpactbond.org

Partner

Near East Foundation
https://www.neareast.org/

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What can change when agriculture and energy are planned together? 🌱🌍 Food systems depend on more than crops and climate — they’re shaped by people, supporting services, and the systems around them. Written last year, this article brings together insights from work and partnerships across Eastern Africa, co-written by Judith Jacobs from #SNV, and our co-workers, Ahmed Sameh and Nico Janssen. Today, nearly 20% of the world’s energy use goes into food systems, yet many farmers still lack the power, infrastructure, and services they need to adapt and thrive. These five reasons explain why bringing regenerative agriculture and renewable energy together can help make food production — and rural livelihoods — more resilient. 🔗 Read the full article, link in bio. The Power for Food Partnership works across Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Rwanda to bring these connections into practice — linking renewable energy, regenerative agriculture, and cross-sector collaboration to support farmers and build more resilient, sustainable food systems. #IKEAfoundation #PowerForFoodPartnership #RegenerativeAgriculture #RenewableEnergy
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@ikea_foundation
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•
Follow
Did you know that methane emissions affect both the health of people and our planet? And here’s the fact we can’t forget: methane is 86x more potent than CO₂.But it’s also faster to remove from the atmosphere than CO₂ — meaning that reducing methane can deliver impact sooner. The good news? Solutions already exist, and with support from the IKEA Foundation, the #GlobalMethaneHub is helping scale effective ways to reduce emissions worldwide. 🔗 Spend a day with Henrique to learn more, link in bio. #IKEAfoundation #ClimateChange #ClimateAction
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@ikea_foundation
@ikea_foundation
•
Follow
In a world full of noise and misinformation, credible voices matter more than ever. That’s why nearly 800 @IKEA co-workers applied to join the 2025 IKEA Foundation Ambassador Programme — a journey that connects them with the people and partners the foundation supports as they tackle real-world challenges every day. Ambassadors listen, ask questions, and learn from those closest to the issues — building understanding they bring back to their teams and communities, where awareness grows and perspectives begin to shift. In 2025, the programme: 🌎 reached five hubs across four continents 🇰🇪 launched the first-ever Super Hub in Nairobi 🌟 welcomed 169 new ambassadors 🌱 grew a global learning community of 550+ people in 30+ countries These numbers reflect a growing curiosity — a desire to understand how change really happens and to hear directly from those working closest to the world’s toughest challenges. None of this learning happens without the insight and generosity of our partners. Their leadership continues to inspire and inform us. With our strategy now in motion, we’re doubling down on #ClimateAwareness at a moment when it matters most — and supporting partners creating solutions for people and planet. For 2026, that energy is even stronger: nearly 1,000 IKEA co-workers applied, and we’re excited to welcome 161 new ambassadors, with 38 more joining our Alumni Hub. We’re proud of what last year set in motion, and looking forward to what comes next. #IKEAfoundation #IKEAFoundationAmbassador
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@ikea_foundation
@ikea_foundation
•
Follow
This year reminded us that progress on climate action isn’t a straight line and that the way we move forward matters. 🌍 As climate extremes intensified and uncertainty grew, we saw the importance of working together — with trust, openness and shared purpose. For the IKEA Foundation, being on the way in 2025 has meant moving forward together: 🤝 With our partners, who are doing the work — working alongside communities, testing new approaches, learning what works and pushing for change where it’s needed most. Their leadership, commitment and courage are what turn ambition into action. 👥 With our team, learning, adapting and shaping a new strategic direction — focused on enabling impact, strengthening partnerships and keeping people at the heart of climate action. 🌱 With our ambassadors and changemakers, who share trusted knowledge, challenge misinformation and help people make sense of complexity with clarity and hope. As we look ahead — deepening partnerships and scaling impact — we carry our founder’s reminder with us: happiness, and real change, are found in the journey. #IKEAfoundation
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