97BN

International Education Funders Group (IEFG)

According to UNESCO (2023), the annual financing gap in education funding from 2023 to 2030 in low—and lower-middle-income countries is estimated at USD 97 billion. Philanthropy is an important force in the global education sector. It can be a disruptor to the structures and silos of the global education community, with different ideas, perspectives and networks. It can build bridges and it can support innovation. And often, it can fund where others can’t.  The International Education Funders Group (IEFG) is the largest global network of philanthropic actors funding education. We are all passionately engaged inlocal, national and international grant-making within diverse organisations, with differing priorities and individual strategies but a shared belief in the power of education and a shared drive to improve the performance of education systems worldwide.   Visit us: https://iefg.org/Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

  1. 1d ago

    IEFG BIG Series: A Major Problem with Minor Action

    Send us Fan Mail Up to one billion children experience violence every year, and schools are where many of them meet it. So why does school safety still sit outside most education funders' portfolios? In our first episode, three people who work where the evidence meets funding decisions take that question head on. With: Maureen Greenwood-Basken (Accelerate Social Change Group), Gabriela Smarrelli (Center for Global Development) and Marcela Morales Hidalgo (Pousaz Philanthropies). In Francopore (a composite, fictional country), roughly one child in three has been physically attacked or bullied at school, yet no education funder there has ever made a grant on school safety. Our guests explain what that silence costs, from lifelong effects on children to education grants that quietly lose their impact. They also share how to make the case in a room full of funders: Start with the problem each funder is already trying to solve, not with a separate agenda.Add a few school-climate or violence indicators to the learning data you already collect.Expect reporting to rise once children feel safe to speak up. That is a sign of progress, not failure.Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! And don't forget to rate and recommend this podcast to your colleagues. You can follow the IEFG on LinkedIn here. https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

    IEFG BIG Series: A Major Problem with Minor Action

  2. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    IEFG BIG Series: A Major Problem with Minor Action - Extended Bonus Episode

    Send us Fan Mail Up to a billion children experience violence every year, and schools are where many of them meet it. So why does school safety still sit outside most education funders' portfolios? In our first episode, three people who work where the evidence meets funding decisions take that question head on. With: Maureen Greenwood-Basken (Accelerate Social Change Group), Gabriela Smarrelli (Center for Global Development) and Marcela Morales Hidalgo (Pousaz Philanthropies). In Francopore (a composite, fictional country), roughly one child in three has been physically attacked or bullied at school, yet no education funder there has ever made a grant on school safety. Our guests explain what that silence costs, from lifelong effects on children to education grants that quietly lose their impact. They also share how to make the case in a room full of funders:  How to tailor the pitch to four types of funder (systems engineers, evidence brokers, rights advocates and community stewards), drawing on IEFG's Unpacking the Silence report.Why evidence is political, and why timing and reading the room can matter as much as the quality of the ask.How Peru built a national system for reporting school violence, and what followed once cases started coming in.How to show a board progress in the first five years, before learning and prevalence numbers move.Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! And don't forget to rate and recommend this podcast to your colleagues. You can follow the IEFG on LinkedIn here. https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

    IEFG BIG Series: A Major Problem with Minor Action - Extended Bonus Episode

  3. Season 3 Trailer

    Trailer - IEFG Brains in Gear Series on School Violence

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the Brains in Gear series, or as we like to call it, the BIG series, brought to you by the International Education Funders Group. Every year, this podcast takes one theme that matters to education funders and works through it in conversation. This year, the theme is school violence. By the World Health Organization's count, up to 1 billion children experience violence every year. One in three students aged 13 to 15 reports being bullied. Programs that work have cut violence incidents by 20 to 50 per cent, yet education funders rarely name school violence as part of their work. Over six episodes, we tackle the questions funders ask in private. Why does school safety get so little attention from education philanthropy? Is it possible to reach learning goals without it? Where can a funder start within their budget and mandate that they already have?  Each episode begins in Francopore, a fictional country, and asks grantmakers what they would do there. They then tell us what they have actually done and what is actually possible in the world. Whether you fund education, work in a ministry, or run programs in schools, this podcast is for you. You will leave with a step you can take this year and the words to explain it to your board. Children learn more when schools are safe. This series launches in the second week of November.  Get your brains in Gear Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! And don't forget to rate and recommend this podcast to your colleagues. You can follow the IEFG on LinkedIn here. https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

    Trailer - IEFG Brains in Gear Series on School Violence

  4. 08/10/2025

    IEFG BIG Series: Stand by for Action - How your funding can make a difference

    Send us Fan Mail How can education philanthropy make a real difference?  Throughout this series, we have examined strategic approaches and critical entry points for education philanthropy to effectively engage in climate education. From identifying leverage points and supporting teachers on the front lines, to fostering cross-portfolio integration and building partnerships with climate-focused funders, the path forward is becoming clearer. In this final episode, we present concrete examples - individual, collaborative, and innovative - of education funders who are already demonstrating meaningful impact in advancing climate education. These cases illustrate the potential of strategic philanthropy to drive systemic change at the intersection of education and climate. Hosted by Sally Vivyan from Gower Street, you will hear from:  Veronika Blach - TUI Care Foundation: Veronika is Head of Environmental Programmes at the TUI Care Foundation, where she is part of the programmes team that looks for and co-creates projects with global partners. In this role, Veronika developed over 60 projects in over 25 countries, including several environmental education projects that follow the TUI Junior Academy Programme model.Sophie Marple - Gower Street: Sophie is the co-founder of Gower Street, which supports education and climate work in the UK and Ghana. In 2020, she also helped set up Impatience Earth, a philanthropy consultancy offering pro-bono advice to people looking to give in the climate sector and the grassroots organisation Mothers CAN (Climate Action Network). In 2022, Sophie became the Chair of The Climate Coalition.Jorge Manhique - Disability Rights Fund: Jorge Manhique is a disability inclusive development practitioner, a disability rights advocate and PhD candidate at the School of Social and Political Science, University of Lisbon.Emma Gremley - International Rescue Committee: Emma is an international education and development expert with over 20 years of experience leading policy, programming, research, and implementation. Based in Nairobi, she currently serves as Senior Director for Education, Economic Recovery and Development at the International Rescue Committee (IRC), where she leads two of the organisation’s five global focus areas across more than 30 countries. Resources Investing in Disability-Inclusive Climate Justice: A Guide for FundersRisk Financing in Education scoping paperSubscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! And don't forget to rate and recommend this podcast to your colleagues. You can follow the IEFG on LinkedIn here. https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

    IEFG BIG Series: Stand by for Action - How your funding can make a difference

  5. 08/03/2025

    IEFG BIG Series: The places you will go - Working together across portfolios

    Send us Fan Mail How often do you engage with colleagues across different portfolios? Have you ever considered how your Education and Climate portfolios could collaborate to generate shared impact? Many don’t, but this episode invites you to start that conversation. In this compelling new episode, hosted by Kevin Marinacci, CEO of the Fabretto Children’s Foundation, we bring together key voices from IEFG members Porticus and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), to explore the practical realities of cross-portfolio collaboration. What are the barriers? What’s needed to spark meaningful cooperation? And what does a successful future of integrated strategy look like? From CIFF: Eunice Ogolo, Director, Girl Capital – AfricaTerri Wills, Climate DirectorSharing insights on the opportunities and challenges of bridging climate and education priorities. From Porticus: Luis Felipe Serrao, Senior Programme Manager, EducationDaniela Prioli, Senior Programme Manager, ClimateDiscussing why collaboration between education and climate portfolios matters, and how a bold shared vision can shape the future. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! And don't forget to rate and recommend this podcast to your colleagues. You can follow the IEFG on LinkedIn here. https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

    IEFG BIG Series: The places you will go - Working together across portfolios

  6. 07/27/2025

    IEFG BIG Series: Education x Climate = Philanthropy²

    Send us Fan Mail How can education and climate funders collaborate more strategically, sharing insights, evidence, and approaches, to deepen understanding and strengthen the critical connections between climate change and education? In this episode of the BIG Series, we bring together funders from both sectors who are actively engaging at the nexus of climate and education, they will share with you concrete examples of successful collaboration. The discussion will explore how aligned funding strategies and shared learning can catalyze more effective, long-term collaboration, ultimately advancing solutions that respond to both climate and education challenges in an integrated way. Sarah Beardmore, Strategic Partnerships and Capabilities Team Lead, Global Partnership For Education (GPE). Sarah is dedicated to improving children's education and well-being through her role at the Global Partnership for Education, where she leads the Strategic Partnerships and Capabilities team. With over 20 years of international experience, she collaborates on strategies to address challenges like climate change and school nutrition. Sarah is at the forefront of GPE's Climate Smart Education Systems work, driving technical assistance and climate finance initiatives to support the most climate-vulnerable regions.  Katrin Harvey, Secretary General, the Foundations Platform F20. Katrin is the Secretary General of the Foundations Platform F20. She previously served as Chief Operations Officer at the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, working with global leaders and youth to advance the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement. With over 15 years of experience, she has led sustainability and climate action projects across Europe, Africa, and Asia in collaboration with international partners.  Bapon Fakhruddin, PhD, Water Sector Lead, Green Climate Fund. Dr. Fakhruddin is a leading expert on climate resilience. He has over 23 years of experience advising governments and organizations around the world on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation. As a hydrometeorologist, his specialty is in climate risk assessment, early warning systems, community resilience, and water security. He is currently leading the Water Sector at the Green Climate Fund. He oversees climate investments in vulnerable countries around the world to support water security and early warning project origination.  Elizabeth Maina, Regional Programmes Advisor, Climate Resilience, The Agha Khan Foundation. As the Regional Climate Resilience Advisor at Aga Khan Foundation East Africa, Elizabeth leads the development of robust climate resilience portfolios across Kenya, Tanzania, and  Uganda. She leverages biodiversity and ecosystem services to enhance community resilience to climate change. Rupert Corbishley, Education Advisor, Africa, The Aga Khan Foundation.  Rupert, a teacher by profession, started with AKF in 2012 working in Tanzania and provides technical and strategic leadership and support for the Education Improvement Programme and ECD teams across East Africa.  Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! And don't forget to rate and recommend this podcast to your colleagues. You can follow the IEFG on LinkedIn here. https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

    IEFG BIG Series: Education x Climate = Philanthropy²

  7. 07/20/2025

    IEFG BIG Series: Supporting the front line - Teachers vs the climate crisis

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the third episode of the IEFG Brains in Gear series. Inspired by the IEFG Together convening in Singapore last April under the theme "The Future of Teachers and the Teaching Profession," this episode explores education philanthropy's role in supporting teachers amid the climate crisis. Our four discussants highlight the growing expectation for teachers to prepare children for climate challenges. Without adequate training and support, this responsibility significantly contributes to stress and anxiety. Education philanthropy has a critical role in addressing this gap. Felicia Hanitio, Deputy Director of Education Initiatives, Djarum Foundation, leads efforts to nurture 21st-century skills from cradle to career. With a background spanning technology, philanthropy, and education, she advises the OASIS Schoolyards initiative on behalf of anchor funder Milklife. Michelle Cruickshank, Lead of Child Development Innovation, Grand Challenges Canada, oversees Play Learn Thrive, a new fund for education in emergencies, and Saving Brains, one of the world's largest early childhood development innovation platforms. Michelle's work focuses on advancing integrated, science-backed and locally-led approaches, translating research into action and driving impact at scale. Lennart Kuntze, Global Head of Climate Education and Leadership, Teach For All, works with 14,000 teachers and over 90,000 alumni in the Teach For All network to advance climate education globally. Previously, he worked in climate change and environmental sustainability for over 10 years at the UN Environment Programme, International Renewable Energy Agency, and Harvard University. Djian Sadadou, Head of International Relations & Communities, Office for Climate Education, has worked internationally at the intersection of climate and education for 8 years. At the UNESCO-based OCE in Paris, he bridges the gap between climate science and pedagogy while connecting local and global action levers. Here are some resources for your reference: Milklife OASIS Schoolyards ProjectTeach For All Earth Day 2025 Campaign “Building Teacher Readiness for Climate Education”Teachers for the Planet ProgrammeTeach For All Climate Educator Story Series for Earth Day 2024 (with Rockefeller Foundation) Teach For All Climate Education Resource HubLearn more about Teach For All’s Climate Education and Leadership work here.Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! And don't forget to rate and recommend this podcast to your colleagues. You can follow the IEFG on LinkedIn here. https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

    IEFG BIG Series: Supporting the front line - Teachers vs the climate crisis

  8. 07/13/2025

    IEFG BIG Series: Climate-proofing Education Philanthropy

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the IEFG Brains in Gear Series. In this inaugural episode exploring education philanthropy and the climate crisis, we ask ourselves what we can do regarding the "climate-proofing of education philanthropy."  In this episode, we bring together four experts who are pioneering innovative approaches to climate-conscious education philanthropy across Africa and beyond: Fia van Rensburg, Knowledge Manager at the Independent Philanthropy Association South Africa (IPASA), shares her groundbreaking work on addressing "climate anxiety" in the funding community and leading the development of Africa's first climate commitment for funders. Kate O'Brien, Executive Director of the Costa Foundation, explains how they've integrated climate considerations into their 18-year mission of supporting education in coffee-growing communities, sharing practical examples from Guatemala to Uganda. Simon Wanda, Programme Specialist at UNESCO, discusses how the Greening Education Partnership provides a welcoming entry point for education funders at any stage of their climate journey, with over 1,700 organizations already participating. David Nkrumah-Boateng, Country Programme Lead for PEAS Ghana, offers insights from the ground level on co-designing climate-smart schools and the importance of locally-led, contextual solutions in climate-vulnerable communities. Together, these four explore how philanthropic organisations can identify practical entry points for climate action without abandoning their core education mission. From addressing "climate anxiety" in the funding community to implementing solar-powered schools and climate-smart agriculture programs, this conversation offers actionable strategies for funders ready to take their first steps. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode! And don't forget to rate and recommend this podcast to your colleagues. You can follow the IEFG on LinkedIn here. https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

    IEFG BIG Series: Climate-proofing Education Philanthropy
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About

According to UNESCO (2023), the annual financing gap in education funding from 2023 to 2030 in low—and lower-middle-income countries is estimated at USD 97 billion. Philanthropy is an important force in the global education sector. It can be a disruptor to the structures and silos of the global education community, with different ideas, perspectives and networks. It can build bridges and it can support innovation. And often, it can fund where others can’t.  The International Education Funders Group (IEFG) is the largest global network of philanthropic actors funding education. We are all passionately engaged inlocal, national and international grant-making within diverse organisations, with differing priorities and individual strategies but a shared belief in the power of education and a shared drive to improve the performance of education systems worldwide.   Visit us: https://iefg.org/Follow us: https://www.linkedin.com/company/international-education-funders-group-iefg

Information

  • Creator
    International Education Funders Group (IEFG)
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 97BN
  • Show Website
    97BN