Our Work in Locally Led Development
At ChildFund, we don’t outsource impact — we co-create it. That's why we partner with independent local organizations rooted in the communities they serve.
We believe that the most powerful change doesn't come from the outside but rises from within. Across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, we partner with nearly 150 independent local organizations to create positive change for and with children. Over the past decade, we’ve invested more than $700 million in these partnerships.
These organizations are not subsidiaries or subcontractors but local changemakers with their own missions, boards and dreams. Together, blending global expertise with local insight, we’re achieving our shared dream of ensuring that children grow up healthy, educated, skilled and safe.
Changing the Way Change Happens
The Power of Local Partnership
Investing in Local Capacity and Impact
Of our total $708 million investment in the last decade, we’ve put $100 million toward strengthening local organizations and $608 million into fueling community-driven programs spanning health, education, child protection and skills development, all tailored to the unique needs and aspirations of each community.
But our greatest investment is in trust. We share tools, knowledge and support so our partners can design and lead their own programs, raise their own funds and measure their own impact.
We don’t just support communities — we walk beside them. We amplify the voices of those who know their challenges best and trust them to lead the way toward a brighter future for their children.
When the partnership is built on trust and local leadership, it is the communities that are the real winners.
Impact in Action: Scaling What Works
Our partners range from organizations that have grown from grassroots initiatives into nationally recognized leaders to multi-partner initiatives that have scaled beyond their borders.
From Local to Global Impact: In many countries, indigenous wisdom strengthens local development efforts. In Central America’s Northern Triangle, local programs offer youth real alternatives to migration — rooted in opportunity and hope.
Swift, Compassionate Response: When COVID-19 struck, our partners were already there. They moved fast — identifying families in need, delivering food and cash aid, distributing hygiene supplies, and protecting children.
Innovation That Travels: The LEGO Foundation’s Come Play With Me project began in Guatemala and now thrives in Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Ethiopia and Uganda — adapted by local partners and supported by governments, universities and media.
Changing Systems, Changing Lives: In Guatemala and Brazil, new laws now prioritize early childhood thanks to local advocacy. In Zambia, we’re tackling youth unemployment and health care gaps. In Sri Lanka, we’re strengthening services for children with disabilities.
We don’t aim to stay forever. Our mission is to work ourselves out of a job — to contribute toward positive change so strong, so resilient, that communities no longer need us. Because when change is locally owned, it doesn’t just last — it multiplies.
Together, we’re not just changing lives. We’re changing the way change happens.