Flexible funds are UNICEF’s most important, most effective and most valuable tool to help children worldwide, because they’re able to be deployed when and where they’re needed most. But now, UNICEF’s ratio of flexible funding as a percentage of revenue has fallen to its lowest point ever: 14% This shortfall threatens not only progress for children, but UNICEF’s ability to deliver on its mission. Flexible funds do the most good for children. Flexible funds allow UNICEF’s specialized staff to be on the ground before a crisis and equipped to respond immediately when one occurs. And when the emergency is over, flexible funds allow UNICEF to stay, helping communities rebuild and address long-term traumas. The sad truth is that some crises for children get a lot more attention than others. In fact, 90 percent of private sector humanitarian donations in 2022 went to fund just three emergencies — while UNICEF had to respond to more than 400. Right now, flexible funds are critical to helping millions of children survive out-of-the-spotlight food and drought crises, as well as outbreaks of diseases like cholera or measles that rarely make it into the headlines. Working “for every child” UNICEF is unique among humanitarian and development organizations in its mandate, as laid out by the U.N. in 1989 via the Convention on the Rights of the Child. UNICEF’s mission is to serve the needs of all children, starting with the most vulnerable. It doesn’t get to choose its scope, or focus only on the children it thinks it can make the most impact on. UNICEF insists that the survival, protection and development of children are universal development imperatives that are integral to human progress. – UNICEF’s Mission Statement IN A SINGLE YEAR Children right now are threatened by overlapping crises like climate change, extreme poverty and mass migration. Flexible funding is required to deliver the innovative solutions required to address them. Recent Research & Development funded by flexible funds has included everything from software to reunite children with their parents faster in emergencies to a high-performance tent that can resist high winds. Your support of the Every Child Fund allows UNICEF to continue progressing toward a world where all children can reach their full potential. Your gift of flexible funding makes it possible. With flexible funds, UNICEF strategically pre-positioned supplies, such as food, water, tarpaulins and of the increasingly common extreme weather events the country faces. Within 24 hours of Cyclone Eloise making landfall in January 2021, health and emergency experts by the Every Child Fund arrived to and to set up emergency services for children and families. As UNICEF stayed long term to help communities recover, programs to based new cyclone-resistant building standards on them. CASE IN POINT: MOZAMBIQUE The first to respond, the last to leave in emergencies Reaching unseen and neglected children UNICEF maintains a focus on giving every child, at every age, an equitable chance in life. Flexible funds enable better outcomes for children by providing long-lasting impact and a holistic continuum of support, not just one-time aid in a moment of need. Innovating and pioneering Helping children throughout their youth THE EVERY CHILD FUND 14% $ SIX WAYS UNICEF PUTS FLEXIBLE FUNDS TO GOOD USE 1 2 4 5 6 “ “ Where flexible funds go Flexible funds enable UNICEF to maintain its presence in 190 countries and territories. They form the backbone of UNICEF’s country office budgets, which each receive a yearly $850,000 minimum with additional funds made available based on need. This flexible funding helps UNICEF country offices make informed, real-time decisions about how to best address the needs of the children in their care. 90% of UNICEF's flexible funds go to programs. Approx. UNICEF’s unique supply in Copenhagen use this funding to help deliver the world in 72 hours. Flexible funding contributed to improved primary schooling for 167,000 children in the Democratic Republic After a series of hard-hitting , the country office experts to address a growing mental health crisis. used to reach 760,000 children under age 1 with essential In Afghanistan, funds were used in 2021 to help UNICEF needed humanitarian relief, when other organizations left make communities more resilient to climate change, as they were in Mozambique Proprietary design based on more than 1,000 field requirements Withstands both hot and cold climates Straight walls fit more people Improved air quality and ventilation Durable, repackable, reusable Solar and electric kits for uninterrupted power UNICEF’S HIGH-PERFORMANCE TENT CASE IN POINT: UNICEF’s multipurpose tents are used in emergencies as health and nutrition centers, distribution points, temporary schools and child-friendly spaces. Working closely with governments, UNICEF’s approach focuses on building strong, sustainable systems that create enduring impact. It’s the difference between shipping vaccines and implementing a successful immunization program, or between trucking in water and helping a community build and adopt a safe water delivery system. Flexible funds allow UNICEF to test possible solutions at a local level, and then scale up successes nationally and globally. Working the UNICEF way 3 Capacity Building Staff, Training, Tools, Infrastructure, Access, Data, Supply Chains Relationship Building Government Partnerships, Communication Networks, Stakeholder Coordination, Local Influencers Community Development Schools, Health Centers, Safe Water, Mental Health, Climate Resilience, Sustainability Emergency Preparedness Pre-planning, Community Engagement, Frontline Presence, National Response Participation, Resource Mobilization Child-centric outcomes and benefits for young people, their families and their communities. Make a gift to UNICEF USA's Every Child Fund today. A quick glance at what UNICEF accomplishes with the help of flexible funding: Care for Pregnant Mothers Neonatal Care Early Childhood Development Nutrition Education Mental Health Services Provides humanitarian assistance to 535 million people in crisis Vaccinates almost half the world’s children under 5 against deadly diseases. Supports education for 156 million children Provides safe water and sanitation to 69 million people Supporting UNICEF means supporting the humanitarian organization that has helped save or meaningfully improve more young lives than any other in history. DONATE NOW