Marie, a 2 years old girl, is happy to receive a mosquito net, in Grand-Bassam, in the South of Côte d’Ivoire.

UNICEF USA Bridge Fund

Since its inception in 2011, the Bridge Fund has fast-tracked funds and enabled over $670 million in impact — accelerating the delivery of emergency support in a range of humanitarian settings, from Afghanistan to Ukraine and investing in solutions that strengthen health supply systems.

What is the Bridge Fund?

The UNICEF USA Bridge Fund is an innovative impact investment tool that addresses the timing gaps that emerge between the commitment of funds to UNICEF and the actual receipt of the pledged cash by UNICEF. This has the power to accelerate access to critical programs and supplies for children in addition to bolstering the resiliency of global health systems and supply chains. It means warm coats can reach vulnerable populations ahead of winter, mosquito nets can be distributed before mosquito season hits, and vaccine supplies and malnutrition treatments are accelerated or pre-positioned in anticipation of health emergencies.

“Our Bridge Fund donation has been put to work over and over again for children all over the world when time matters most. This innovative model provides a unique opportunity to deliver impact in perpetuity.” – Susan Cummings-Findel and Stefan Findel, the first Bridge Fund donors

How does the Bridge Fund work?

The Bridge Fund leverages net worth grants as collateral to secure capital in the form of 5-year or 7-year loans. These loans form a pool of revolving funds that are disbursed to UNICEF throughout the year to enable swift action for children around the world. Bridge Funding allows UNICEF to start the procurement process earlier to secure better pricing, start programmatic activity sooner, and help ensure a continuous supply of lifesaving commodities from reliable manufacturers. Once 3rd party funds are received, the Bridge Fund is replenished, ensuring the availability of capital for the next emergency or program in need.

"We believe that the SDGs are a blueprint for a more sustainable future. The Bridge Fund adds meaningful impact, from Zero Hunger to Gender Equality, by accelerating long-term outcomes for children and societies.”- New Summit Investments

Impact

Bridge Fund capital has been leveraged across all major UNICEF program areas, helping UNICEF continue without delays and deliver long-term, systemic change sooner.

See how the Bridge Fund has supported priority programs to ensure children are healthy, educated, protected and respected.

Priority Programs
Bridge Fund Example
Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals
Healthy
Vaccines and mental health, nutrition, WASH, health systems
Helped procure 200 million oral polio vaccine doses 6 months sooner, ensuring stockpiles were in place so countries could respond to outbreaks immediately
SDG 3:
Good Health & Well-Being
Educated
Access to quality learning and skills development
Educational materials accelerated to children whose schools were destroyed or damaged by an earthquake in Haiti enabling 100K children to resume their education and childhood 2 months earlier
SDG 4:
Quality Education
Protected
Youth participation and advocacy for policy change
Accelerated funding 7 months faster for a program aiming to end child marriage in 12 targeted countries including Bangladesh, Ghana, Nepal and others, at a critical time when girls were at heightened risk from COVID-19 closures
SDG 5:
Gender Equality
Fast Company We Made The List

Bridge Fund Response Winner in the Rapid Response Category of Fast Company’s 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards

The Bridge Fund’s response to the Horn of Africa malnutrition crisis has been selected as an honorable mention in the “Enduring Impact: 15+ Years in Business” category and was chosen as the winner of the “Rapid Response” category. 

Learn More

In order to access Bridge Fund Quarterly and Annual reports, including financials and narrative reports on activity, please see Reports and Finances.

In order to learn more about the Bridge Fund, donate, or become a lender please contact us.

Cristina Shapiro, IF4C President, at cshapiro@unicefusa.org
Erin Egan, IF4C Managing Director, Operations, at eegan@unicefusa.org