Ecosystem development

Building resilient and equitable development ecosystems that can help drive us towards the Sustainable Development Goals - both quickly and at scale.

Children and young people face a series of interlinked challenges, which can only be addressed through holistic solutions and genuine collaboration.

No organisation can create large-scale change alone, and no sector can achieve meaningful progress when operating in a silo.

We all need to work as part of a wider ecosystem, which draws on a wide range of approaches and collaborators to build long-term, resilient change for everyone involved.

Overview of our work

Taking an ecosystem approach means going beyond support to individual organisations. Instead, we intentionally consider the ecosystem of organisations, people, ideas and platforms behind every issue we work on. We invest in strategies that proactively nurture ecosystems.

Our approach

We have listened to our partners, and we know the immense challenges they face to meet their goals. We also understand that different organisations and communities have different needs to thrive.

Our approach to supporting ecosystems is grounded in practical ways through which we can support our partners to thrive and collaborate, focusing on their specific needs and priorities.

Working across the health x climate nexus

A key tenet of our ecosystem approach is connecting the dots across areas of work. The climate x health nexus is a key example, as climate change is driving an escalating public health crisis which puts at least 3.3 billion people at risk worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. That's why we're working with leading philanthropies who are uniting to tackle the climate emergency and its consequences for health – accelerating solutions where they’re needed most.

Strengthening the capacity of key grantees

We make targeted organisational development grants when organisations are at critical moments – such as leadership or governance transitions – and help modernise core systems (HR, finance, data) so they can grow sustainably. The ultimate aim is to help our partners have sustainable operations and impact in the long term.

Seeding what’s missing

Where gaps exist, we help create new organisations – incubating new entities and building shared services such as new fiscal hosting infrastructures in Europe, Asia and Africa. In 2018, CIFF helped establish and incubate the Clean Air Fund, a global philanthropic organisation working with partners to create a future where everyone breathes clean air. The Clean Air Fund has since become a fully independent organisation with funding from a range of different sources.

Learn more about the Clean Air Fund