United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation (UN Foundation) operates as an independent charitable organization dedicated to supporting the goals of the United Nations. It was established in 1998 following a landmark $1 billion pledge from philanthropist and media entrepreneur Ted Turner. Turner, the founder of CNN, was motivated by a firm belief that the UN is essential for tackling global challenges and was inspired to act at a time when the UN was underfunded. His objective was to create a new vehicle for private-public partnerships that could channel resources and ideas to address humanity's most significant problems. The foundation was structured to receive private donations, something the UN itself could not do directly at the time, and works in close coordination with the UN through the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships (UNFIP), a trust fund established to interface with the Foundation.

Led by President and CEO Elizabeth Cousens, a former diplomat and U.S. Ambassador with extensive experience in global policymaking and UN negotiations, the Foundation has evolved from its initial role as a grantmaker into a strategic partner for the UN. Cousens' background includes serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the UN Economic and Social Council, where she was a lead negotiator for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a framework that now anchors much of the Foundation's work. The organization's operational model is centered on building public-private partnerships, incubating initiatives, and running advocacy campaigns to broaden support for the UN. It connects governments, businesses, NGOs, and individual donors to mobilize resources and facilitate collaboration on a grand scale. Since its inception, the Foundation has mobilized over $2 billion to support UN causes.

The UN Foundation's portfolio addresses a wide spectrum of interconnected global issues, with a focus on areas central to the SDGs. Key priorities include global health, gender equality, climate and environment, and peace and humanitarian response. In practice, this translates to targeted campaigns and initiatives such as the Measles & Rubella Initiative, the Clean Cooking Alliance, the Shot@Life campaign for childhood vaccinations, and the Nothing But Nets campaign to combat malaria. The Foundation also champions gender equality through its Girl Up campaign, which empowers adolescent girls, and advocates for women's health and rights. A significant milestone was its role in co-founding the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization (WHO), which raised over $200 million in its initial weeks to support the global pandemic response. By acting as a strategic partner, the Foundation provides policy support, builds awareness, and connects experts and decision-makers to advance the UN's agenda worldwide.

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