“This is going to save lives.” This was the response of an NGO worker in March 2025 to the news that her organization’s project to fund the construction of water and sanitation facilities in a rural girls school in Zambia had been approved for funding by the 1% for Development Fund. In this case, diarrhea was killing students due to the lack of a clean water supply.

Her reaction encapsulates the purpose of the Fund – the reason it does what it does. It applies to the first project, agreed on in 1976, to those approved this year, and to the hundreds in between. The Fund gave 18,000 CHF to the project in Zambia. The sum isn’t huge, but the difference it makes will be.

Small scale but big impact

Since the fund was established in 1976, it has supported over 800 projects, contributing more than 9.2 million CHF. Small scale but big impact is the Fund approach. This has been the way since day one, nearly 50 years ago. The projects that come to the attention of the Fund are those often overlooked by traditional aid providers because of their size – they are often very localized, small, community projects. Every project that the Fund backs is implemented by a local NGO, which is usually part of the community attached to the activity. This means that the NGO fully understands the local context and will see the benefits first hand.

The Fund has a funding limit of CHF 20,000 per project and each application is rigorously evaluated before a decision on funding is made. The follow-up process is equally as diligent. The Fund backs, on average, 20 projects a year. 

Critically, the focus of the Fund is sustainable development, not humanitarian aid. It funds community-focused, income-generating and infrastructure projects that are usually related to education, agriculture, sanitation or healthcare.

Funding comes from members – international civil servants and other individuals in Geneva – who give 1% of their salary every month to the Fund. Hence the name. The Fund is completely run by volunteers and this means that, unlike other funds and NGOs, 100% of the money it collects is used to finance projects.

“It is exceptional that we will be 50 next year”

These are the words of Maurice Allal, who joined the Fund shortly after its establishment, and was its Vice President between 2000 and 2020. “When I joined in 1977, I thought we wouldn’t be useful by 2000, as governments would have taken up the responsibility. But there are the same problems with health, food and sanitation now as there were then,” he adds.

For all the advances the world has seen in 50 years, 9% of the global population still lives in extreme poverty and 3.5 billion people still live without safely managed sanitation.

Technology has been perhaps the most impactful agent of change within the Fund, with the adoption and growth in availability of email and the internet (particularly in rural areas). This has accelerated and facilitated administration and communication, thereby increasing the number of projects that can be funded.

Digitalization pros and cons and the value of membership

As the Fund nears its half century, it faces some sizable challenges. Technology, for all its benefits, has also brought problems, such as new fraud risks and the need for a new type of vigilance. Perhaps more importantly for the Fund, however, the digital age has made it easier for people to find and donate to causes themselves. The donation space has become a lot busier and noisier, and the fundraising process more immediate.

The other main challenge for the Fund is its membership. The Fund is its members and the funding it provides to projects is money that members give. The COVID-19 pandemic and the recent decision by UBS to close the Fund’s bank account without explanation have taken a toll on member numbers. Fewer members means fewer contributions, which means fewer projects to fund. 

Yet, the Fund is a powerful source of positive change, both in terms of what it does and what it means to be a member. The return on donating 1% of your salary can be incredibly rewarding. It has been for Maurice Allal, who revealed that “being part of the Fund made me feel that I’d done something good, that I’d made a difference. You can decide where your money goes – which is such a unique opportunity.” 

Making a difference to people’s lives 

In terms of making a difference, the Fund can point to hundreds of successful projects. It helped support the construction of a primary school in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with the addition of a thatched roof, meaning that it can be used during the rainy season. It also helped support the installation of solar-powered lighting for a maternity ward in Burkina Faso. Another project supported the purchase of modern wood-burning stoves for communities in the north of Peru, which is helping combat deforestation in the region. 

One of the Fund’s most notable successes is in Vietnam. In 1994, the Fund decided to support a bakery training center in Hanoi for underprivileged young people with a grant of 17,500 CHF. Today, this center is the renowned HOA SUA organization, which includes a chain of bakery-restaurants, featured in the prestigious Le Routard guide, and a famed hotel school that has trained over 4,000 students. It has also been acclaimed for its work in combating child labor in the country. 

The Fund, its future and the importance of new members

The Fund can look back over the last half a century of fundraising with great pride and satisfaction, but it isn’t resting on its laurels. As President Chris O’Connor says, the role of the Fund remains as critical as ever: “I personally believe that the Fund is even more relevant and useful today than it was when it was first created.”

However, the ability to keep supporting projects rests on membership and, right now, this means recruiting new members, both within and outside the United Nations community. “Without membership and the volunteering that members do, the Fund will not be able to continue assisting communities that, due to circumstances beyond their control, are finding it difficult to survive,” explains Chris.

The road ahead is uncertain, but the Fund’s goal remains clear: to continue to fund projects into its 50th year and well beyond. Will you be part of its journey? 

For more information of how to join, fill out the form on the website here: onepercentfund.net/joinus