The International Finance Facility for Education (IFFEd), together with 4P, OECD netFWD and Finance in Common (FiCS), co-hosted a dialogue on Philanthropy and the Financing of Education in Asia during the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand.
Philanthropy should be a strategic development partner yet, it often operates next to the billions in public and multilateral finance, rarely inside the decisions that move them. The systems were not designed to leverage each other and the two sectors rarely speak the same language, let alone pool resources around the same outcomes. We need to build that connective tissue.
Philanthropic balance sheets could help unlock much larger volumes of affordable financing. Rather than creating parallel programmes, philanthropic partners could support nationally led priorities through large multilateral development programmes, strengthening the systems that millions of children and young people depend on.
IFFEd’s evidence and philanthropy advisor, Donika Dimovska said:
“Foundations hold an estimated $1.5 trillion in endowment assets. Deployed as guarantees, without touching the grants budget, that could unlock many times more in development financing for education. Directed toward evidence-based programs & effective implementation, the potential for impact is enormous.”
The annual meetings have always been where development finance gets shaped. This year, for the first time, there was a dedicated seat for philanthropy. The inaugural Philanthropy Forum brought together philanthropy and development partners to explore how collective action can accelerate impact.
Both the World Bank Group’s inaugural Philanthropy Forum and its new Philanthropy Hub reflect growing interest in building stronger connections between philanthropy and public development finance. These efforts are complementary to IFFEd’s approach. The World Bank can help connect philanthropic expertise and resources with country priorities and investment opportunities, while IFFEd offers a financing mechanism through which philanthropic capital can help unlock additional development bank lending.
13th October 2026
