February, Thursday 13, 2025

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87641302038

This session will explore learnings and challenges from the creation and launch of the innovative new Global Statelessness Fund.

Visioned by movement leaders and co-created/co-led by frontline activists with lived experience, civil society allies and donors, the GSF seeks to avoid many of the problems in traditional philanthropy. From the outset, its design has centred the needs and realities of stateless activists and groups led by people impacted by statelessness and discriminatory nationality laws – those who experience the greatest barriers to funding. As a result, the GSF model will strengthen individual and collective action through a unique combination of participatory, flexible and transformative grant-making.

However, difficult trade-offs and challenges remain as some complementary goals and priorities are in tension with each other. For instance, how do we balance moving quickly, honouring our commitment to maximize the flow of funding to frontline groups and being light-touch with application and reporting processes; while also succeeding in putting decision-making in the hands of people impacted by statelessness, providing meaningful accompaniment support and sufficiently documenting impact during the 3-year pilot stage to facilitate raising funds for an expansion of the Fund?

In this session, participants will engage with GSF founders and discuss the evolving modalities and real-time challenges of building this innovative fund—a project likened to constructing the plane while flying it! The session will also touch on the particular challenges of securing funding for an intersectional issue that falls between the cracks of donor priorities.

The Global Statelessness Fund is an initiative co-created by stateless people, civil society organizations, and donors. We believe that people impacted by statelessness and the initiatives they lead are best placed to pursue effective change. Through unrestricted multi-year grants, we support impacted person-led groups and stateless activists to achieve: greater autonomy to pursue locally-driven solutions; enhanced responsiveness to new needs and opportunities; improved resilience; greater stability of staff body and programs; and greater ability to participate in regional and global initiatives.