Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) - Climate Bonds

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Enriched family-office · Found: 2026-03-11 08:10

Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF). SUBSCRIBE. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR MAILING LIST. Climate Bonds Initiative is a registered charity in England and Wales ( ...

Source: https://www.climatebonds.net/our-solutions/our-partners/funders/childrens-investment-fund-foundation-ciff

Funding Details

Funder: Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF)
Funding Goal: To improve the lives of children in developing countries through transformational change, with a major focus on climate change mitigation (energy transition, decarbonization, air quality) alongside child health, sexual and reproductive health, girl capital, and child protection.
Funding Amount: CIFF manages over $1.7 billion in current multi-year grant commitments. The climate change portfolio alone is approximately $808 million. Individual grant sizes vary but CIFF focuses on large-scale transformational investments. Total endowment is $6 billion.
How to Apply: CIFF does not accept unsolicited proposals. The foundation identifies opportunities through direct engagement — talking to and meeting individuals and organizations working within their priority areas. When invited, applicants go through a two-stage process: (1) a two-page Concept Note presented to the Executive Team, and (2) a comprehensive Investment Memo for Board of Trustees review, typically 15-20 weeks after concept note approval. CIFF works alongside potential partners to co-develop the investment memo.
Target Region: Global — with focus on Africa, India, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America
Contact: Offices in London (HQ), Addis Ababa, Beijing, Nairobi, and New Delhi. Website: https://ciff.org
Last Checked: 2026-03-11 22:21

Application Checklist

Eligibility

Must be invited by CIFF — unsolicited proposals are not accepted
Work must fall within one of CIFF's five priority areas: Climate Change, Child Health & Development, SRHR, Girl Capital, or Child Protection

Project Scope

Proposals must demonstrate transformational impact with a clear pathway to measurable systemic change

Required Documents

Submit a two-page Concept Note as the first stage of the application process
Develop a comprehensive Investment Memo for Board of Trustees review (second stage)

Constraints

Must include robust monitoring and evaluation frameworks with strong KPIs
Demonstrate cost-effectiveness with focus on social return on investment

Summary

The Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) is one of the world's largest philanthropic organizations focused on children's welfare, with a $6 billion endowment and over $1.7 billion in active multi-year grant commitments. Founded by Sir Chris Hohn, the foundation operates from offices in London, Addis Ababa, Beijing, Nairobi, and New Delhi. CIFF's largest funding area is climate change ($808 million), covering energy systems decarbonization, industrial emissions reduction, air quality improvement, sustainable cooling, agriculture and land use, and climate diplomacy. Other priority areas include child health and development ($426 million), sexual and reproductive health and rights ($349 million), girl capital ($98 million), and child protection ($18 million). Critically, CIFF does not accept unsolicited proposals. The foundation proactively identifies partners and opportunities through direct engagement within its priority areas. When an organization is invited to apply, a two-stage process follows: a concept note for the executive team, then a comprehensive investment memo for the board of trustees. CIFF seeks partners demonstrating transformational impact, evidence-based approaches, cost-effectiveness, and strong measurement frameworks. The original URL is a partner profile on the Climate Bonds Initiative website, identifying CIFF as one of their funders. CIFF's geographic focus spans Africa, India, China, Europe, and Latin America, with an emphasis on developing countries.

Historical Context

CIFF was founded by Sir Chris Hohn. The foundation has disbursed over $2.1 billion in grants historically, with $344 million disbursed in 2020 alone. The Delhi office was established in 2007, Nairobi in 2009, Beijing in 2019, and Addis Ababa in 2019. CIFF has invested over $30 million since 2009 specifically in HFC phase-down for cooling equipment. The foundation is a funder of the Climate Bonds Initiative.

Sources

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