Who We Are

The International Education Funders Group (IEFG) is the largest global network of philanthropic actors funding education. Our many different member organisations are passionately engaged in local, national and international grant-making, with differing priorities and individual strategies but a shared belief in the power of education and a shared drive to urgently improve the performance of education systems worldwide.

The emergence of the IEFG follows several foundations’ efforts since 2008 to informally convene foundations and donor-advised funds engaged in education grantmaking in the developing world. The group has grown organically from 14 members in 2010 to around 90 grantmakers today.

The members of the IEFG believe that philanthropy must do more and better to achieve the fourth Sustainable Development Goal. They thoughtfully employ philanthropy to foster change. They prioritise local voices, equitable access, and innovation, working collaboratively to transform education and empower communities for a sustainable, inclusive future that respects diverse perspectives and contexts.

Being a member-inspired group, our Secretariat is purposely small and light-touch, and we adhere to the principle of form following function. The Secretariat is guided by a Steering Committee of 8 – 11 IEFG members, balanced to reflect the diversity of geographies, scale, and funding types within the wider membership.

The IEFG Steering Committee asks that each member financially contributes to the network. In keeping with previous years, members choose the amount given, with a recommended amount based upon the annual grantmaking budget of the organisation.

As of 1 July 2020, IEFG is hosted by Global Dialogue, registered as a charity (1122052) and a limited company (05775827) in England and Wales.