OUR
MISSION
The UN Foundation was created
in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist
Ted Turner's historic $1 billion gift
to support UN causes and activities.
The UN Foundation builds and implements
public-private partnerships to address
the world's most pressing problems,
and broadens support for the UN through
advocacy and public outreach. The UN
Foundation is
a public charity.
OUR ACTIVITIES The UN Foundation strengthens and supports
the UN and its causes through a blend of advocacy,
grantmaking, and partnerships. Wherever possible,
we align these core organizational assets
behind the large-scale problems we address. Advocacy. From the outset,
we have worked to strengthen the relationship
between the UN and the U.S. government—with
a focus on getting Congress to clear up billions
of dollars in arrears owed by the U.S. to
the UN, and on continuing to pay our dues
on time and in full. This effort—led
by the UN Foundation’s sister organization,
the Better World Fund—built the base
for broader public outreach campaigns about
the importance of international cooperation
and a strong U.S.–UN relationship.
Grantmaking. Since our inception
in 1998, the UN Foundation and Better World
Fund have awarded grants amounting to over
$900 million—including nearly $400 million
in funds from dozens of partners and thousands
of grassroots donors—in support of UN
projects and activities in 115 countries.
Partnerships. The UN Foundation
makes it easy to engage in the work of the
UN. As a platform for partnering with the
UN, we help corporations, foundations, governments,
and individuals make a difference in the important
work the UN does across a broad range of issues.
Our role in these partnerships varies—from
catalyst to convener, advocate to grantmaker,
fiduciary to fundraising ally—but in
each case, we are able to achieve an outcome
that is greater than what any single actor
would have accomplished working alone. These
efforts are conducted in close coordination
with the United Nations Fund for International
Partnerships (UNFIP), our strategic counterpoint
within the UN system.
