IFRC Launches Endowment Platform to Provide Long-Term Funding for National Societies

GENEVA — The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) officially launched the IFRC Endowment Platform at an event in Geneva, introducing a financial mechanism to help National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies secure sustainable and recurring long-term funding.

The platform is designed to allow National Societies to establish endowment funds tailored to their specific operational priorities and financing needs. Unlike traditional short-term project grants, the endowment model invests contributions into financial markets, with the generated returns intended to support core capacities such as infrastructure, governance, systems, and organizational development.

The framework is operated in collaboration with two Swiss partners. Fondation Philanthropia, an independent Swiss charitable foundation, hosts the funds, legally holds and safeguards the assets, and maintains final fiduciary responsibility. Lombard Odier, a Swiss private bank, manages investments and delivers banking services, while the IFRC oversees strategic coordination.

Designed to be available across the IFRC's 191 member societies, the platform has initiated its first fund with the Ukrainian Red Cross Society. Catalysed by a commitment from the British Red Cross along with other partner societies, the Ukrainian Red Cross Endowment Fund became operational in September 2026. Disbursements from this fund to the Ukrainian Red Cross are scheduled to begin in 2028.

According to the IFRC, the platform aims to reduce the costs and complexities of creating standalone endowments, providing a scalable structure to diversify humanitarian funding amid growing global aid demands.

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