ABOUT US
The WHO Foundation (WHOF), launched in May 2020 and headquartered in Geneva, was created as an independent Swiss foundation affiliated with but independent of WHO. Its mission is to mobilize greater private capital and partnership to advance the mission of the World Health Organization (WHO), enabling catalytic impact on the people whose lives rely on WHO’s work and facilitating innovation to maximize the impact of the resources we invest.
WHO plays a singular role in leading the global health ecosystem, acting as a first-responder to health crises — including the current conflict in Ukraine and on behalf of the 15+ million people in urgent need of aid in Horn of Africa; producing technical guidelines and tools to prevent and treat disease; and acting as a country-level convener with an unparalleled level of trust. The crises of the 21st century, including COVID-19, have made clear both the inequity of access to effective and affordable healthcare and the indispensable role of WHO. Yet WHO lacks sufficient resources to fulfill its mandate. And, beyond funding, its vision cannot be achieved by the public sector alone.
WHOF was therefore created as an independent Swiss foundation affiliated with but independent of WHO to marshal new resources from philanthropists, foundations, businesses, and individuals to support its mission: promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable, while protecting the neutrality and independence of WHO as the world’s leading health authority. WHOF is a nexus for unique opportunities in global health, facilitating game-changing opportunities between the private sector and WHO. We focus on mobilizing grant income, shared value partnerships, and investment to power WHO’s work.
The WHOF Global Catalyst Program was developed to engage diverse sets of participants who will collaborate with the Impact Investment team in developing initiatives aligned with the Foundation’s impact investing strategy. It also offers Global Catalysts the opportunity to gain first-hand insights into impact investing mechanisms and innovative funding approaches that mobilize diverse forms of capital for global health outcomes.
KEY WHOF CONTACT
The Global Impact Investment Catalysts (“Catalysts’’) will report directly to The Chief Impact Investment Officer of the WHO Foundation and will collaborate closely with the Impact Investment team.
