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INTRODUCTION
Seventy-five million children and youth, who are affected by conflict and war, natural disaster, and forced displacement are in desperate need of educational support. They are in danger of or already missing out on their education. Access to education is most at risk during emergencies, and it is also the exact time when it is needed the most.
Education in emergencies and protracted crises (EiE) is an investment in future generations. The economic returns for investing in education in emergencies are significant. Failure to progress on education for children and youth affected by crises will undermine efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG4, which strives for universal, equitable education for all children by 2030.
When children are in school during crisis they are better protected, healthier, and have greater access to life-saving services. Children who receive quality education go on to help create more stable and peaceful societies in the longer-term, as they are less exposed to groups resorting to violence. Lack of a timely education response in crisis often perpetuates cycles of forced displacement, protection risks for affected populations, poverty, hunger and inequality. Education can reverse this negative cycle and perpetuate a virtuous cycle where a more educated public supports greater public goods, where poverty reduction reduces migration, and where economic and social empowerment end disenfranchisement and build a peaceful society.
Foundations play an important role in funding education in emergencies and protracted crises and EIE is becoming more of a priority for large funders. In 2017, the MacArthur Foundation awarded a $100 million grant to Sesame Workshop and International Rescue Committee (IRC) to educate young children displaced by conflict and persecution in the Middle East.1 In 2018, the LEGO Foundation granted $100 million to Sesame Workshop to bring the power of learning through play to children affected by the Rohingya and Syrian refugee crises.2 Each one of these grants is about as large as the total estimated EiE funding of $98.7 million from all foundations for the last two years of 2015-2016.
EiE is also emerging as a strategic priority for more and more foundations after receiving limited attention for many years. The International Education Funders Group has hosted a group on Education in Emergencies for some years, but took significant steps towards a more purposeful collaboration in 2018. Participating foundations share the goal of successful achievement of SDG4 on education and the belief that equitable and inclusive education cannot be achieved if we leave millions of displaced learners behind.
They aim to prioritize displaced learners and work towards strengthening access and learning outcomes for refugees, Internally Displaced People (IDPs), asylum seekers, and people on the move.
Education Cannot Wait (ECW) works to align foundation funding with education priorities at the humanitarian and development nexus and coordinates EiE funding in the field. International humanitarian and development aid actors, along with public and private donors launched ECW, the global fund for education in emergencies, to address the funding gap for EiE. ECW leverages foundation funding to help foundations materialize investment opportunities in humanitarian situations.
ECW designs its investments to usher in a more collaborative approach among actors on the ground, ensuring relief and development organizations join forces to achieve collective education outcomes.
This study aims at providing a better understanding of foundations’ engagement on education in emergencies and protracted crises. It analyses past foundation funding and looks at funding priorities.
It provides insights into some larger funders’ plans for investments in the near future. It also compares foundation funding to the broader landscape of aid coming from official donors (traditional bilateral Development Assistance Committee (DAC) donors, multilateral donors, and non-traditional bilateral donors).