Funding to UNICEF

UNICEF's programs are supported by voluntary contributions from governments, intergovernmental organizations, foundations, the private sector, and individuals. This diverse array of funding sources enables us to fulfill our mission of ensuring every child's rights, particularly for the most vulnerable.

With SDGs for children being core to our work, our strategic plan focuses on enhancing the coherence of partnerships and the delivery and evaluation of outcomes. We engage closely with our partners to develop efficient funding arrangements, maximizing the impact of every dollar spent in support of children worldwide.

Contributions to UNICEF come in various forms, such as direct or indirect funding, human resources (volunteers, consultants, and seconded personnel), partnerships, equipment, and other in-kind donations. Our funding is classified into the following categories:

1. Core Resources for Results
2. Other Resources (regular)
3. Other Resources (emergency)

Pooled Funding – which covers Thematic Funding, joint programmes and trust funds – is an integral part of Other Resources. Multi-year funding of all types allows UNICEF to improve the design and implementation of our programmes, increase the visibility of our advocacy efforts, and lower operational costs to deliver higher social returns on investment. Multi-year funding, and flexible funding  of all types allows UNICEF to improve the design and implementation of our programmes, increase the visibility of our advocacy efforts, and lower operational costs to deliver higher social returns on investment. Flexible funding which covers Core resources (non-earmarked) and Thematic Funding (softly earmarked) is at the heart of UNICEF’s mandate and long-term results for children. When strategically combined with earmarked funding, flexible funding enables UNICEF – and our partners - to achieve impact for children on a large scale in both humanitarian and development contexts.