€31 million in new grants will help children around the world

September 16, 2012

Expanding its work significantly, the IKEA Foundation announces €31 million in funding for USA and UK-based nonprofits helping children in developing countries.

“Our ambition at the IKEA Foundation is to help improve the lives of children and youth in the developing world,” explains Per Heggenes, CEO of the IKEA Foundation. “Our commitments so far will impact more than 100 million children. This is a huge challenge, and we are confident that our new programme partners in the US and England will help us achieve this vision.”

In 2012, seven grants will go to six different organizations in the US and UK:

  • Clinton Health Access Initiative (USA), €11,685,023 to combat children’s diarrhoea in India.
  • Clinton Health Access Initiative, €8,079,208 to combat children’s diarrhoea in Kenya.
  • Mentor International (UK), €400,000 for prevention of substance abuse and the promotion of the health and well being of young people in developing countries.
  • Keystone Accountability (UK) €100,000 for the Ground Truth initiative to develop an evaluation tool to improve aid performance and better humanitarian outcomes.
  • Fight For Peace (UK) €1,545,929 for an initiative to train 128 community based organizations in cities around the world to use sport to rescue boys from urban violence.
  • The Earth Institute (USA) €1,922,633 to conduct a demonstration project that aims to improve the quality of primary education in India.
  • KickStart International (USA) €6,880,000 to launch a new programme in Zambia and southern Africa to help families out of poverty.

€7 million grant will help families in southern Africa out of poverty

One of the new grants the IKEA Foundation has committed to is €6.88 million for KickStart International to expand their work and launch a new programme in Zambia and southern Africa. Over the course of the five-year partnership, the IKEA Foundation and KickStart estimate that more than 47,000 of KickStart’s MoneyMaker pumps will be adopted by poor rural farmers and used to create highly profitable agribusinesses, enabling families to lift themselves out of poverty.

By 2017, this project will help over 280,000 people in southern Africa increase their family income and take the first major step out of poverty. It will also improve food security for over 3.8 million people in southern Africa.

Creating a better future for children

“A sustainable family income is essential for creating opportunities for children in developing countries,” explains Per Heggenes, CEO of the IKEA Foundation. “Our partnership with KickStart will help families in Southern Africa escape poverty and fashion a better future for their children.”

KickStart’s co-founder and CEO, Dr. Martin Fisher, said: “We are very grateful for the support of the IKEA Foundation. Launching our new program in Zambia will be essential to expanding our reach across southern Africa and dramatically increasing our sustainable impacts on poverty reduction and family livelihood creation among the rural poor.”

KickStart develops appropriately designed irrigation pumps, sold under the MoneyMaker brand, that have been proven to enable poor, rural farmers to grow high-value crops throughout the year, thus significantly increasing their income and helping them take a major step along a sustainable path out of poverty.

Partner

Clinton Health Access Initiative
http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org/
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Partner

Fight for Peace
http://fightforpeace.net/
Show our grants

Partner

KickStart International
http://kickstart.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
6 days ago
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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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•
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
3 weeks ago
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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
@ikea_foundation
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•
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
4 weeks ago
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3/4
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
@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
2 months ago
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