London: The Financial Times’ 2012-2013 Seasonal Appeal has raised $4.89 million (£3.12 million) for The Global Fund for Children (GFC), a pioneering investment fund that partners with grassroots organisations to help some of the world’s most vulnerable children.
The appeal ran from November 2012 to the beginning of February, with coverage of the charity’s work in Ghana, Mumbai, Port au Prince, Dakar, Rio de Janeiro and UK featured in the FT throughout December.
Just over $2.4 million of the money raised came from reader donations, staff proceeds and a series of fund-raising events, including two photography auctions in London and New York and an auction of lunches with FT columnists. GFC also received $2.3m of corporate matching pledges. They included: $1 million from Mount Kellett Capital, $500,000 from The Sarah & Ross Perot Jr Foundation, $500,000 from Hillwood, $100,000 from Indus Capital Partners, $100,000 from Earthport, and $100,000 from Crown Family Philanthropies.
Lionel Barber, editor of the FT, commented: “This is an outstanding achievement. I would like to thank all those who have given so generously and assisted the FT’s fund-raising effort.”
GFC chief executive Kristin Lindsey, said: “We are extremely grateful for the generosity of the Financial Times readers, staff and our corporate match funders. What we’ve accomplished together during the Seasonal Appeal will significantly impact the lives of millions of vulnerable children. Instead of living in fear of traffickers or being forced to work all day, more of the world’s hardest-to-reach children will be cared for by GFC and its partners. This appeal was an incredible platform to showcase the power of grassroots organizations to deliver innovative and effective change where it is most urgently needed.”
Mark McGoldrick, founder and managing partner of Mount Kellett Capital Management LP, and GFC Board chair added: “We were pleased to see the Financial Times and its global network of supporters come together to rally around this tremendous campaign. The $4.89 million raised will strengthen and grow hundreds of emerging grassroots organizations around the world that harness ingenuity and take bold measures to improve the lives of children in their communities.”
GFC works with 500 organisations in 78 countries helping eight million children.
Since the first seasonal appeal was launched in 2006, FT readers have given more than $19.6million (£12.5million) to good causes.
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UK
Esther Kissiedu, Financial Times
Communications Executive
T: +44 (0)207 873 3876
E: esther.kissiedu@ft.com
US
Ryann Gastwirth, Financial Times
Corporate Communications Manager
T: +1 917 551 5094
E: ryann.gastwirth@ft.com
About the FT
The Financial Times, one of the world’s leading business news organisations, is recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. Providing essential news, comment, data and analysis for the global business community, the FT has a combined paid print and digital circulation of more than 600,000 (Deloitte assured, Q3 2012) and a combined print and online average daily readership of 2.1 million people worldwide (PwC assured, May 2012). FT.com has more than 5 million registered users and over 312,000 paying digital subscribers. The newspaper has a global print circulation of 275,375 (ABCs, January 2012).