About Us
Mission & Vision
Mission & Vision
Why the Fund Exists
The Umbrella Fund addresses a persistent gap in the development landscape: the disconnect between local capacity and flexible capital. In many LMICs, local actors are closest to the challenges—and the solutions—but are often excluded from decision-making or under-resourced in implementation.
The Fund shifts this dynamic by offering catalytic, small-scale investments to initiatives that are:
Led by legally registered local organizations
Informed by data and systems analysis
Designed to address specific, high-impact gaps
Built for long-term integration and scale
How the Fund Works
The Umbrella Fund operates through a flexible, evidence-driven framework:
Assessment & Discovery: Conducting rigorous analysis to identify systemic gaps and opportunities
Strategic Investment Areas: Defining focus domains where targeted resources can create outsized impact
Intervention Design: Developing context-appropriate approaches to address specific challenges
Local Implementation: Partnering with local organizations to execute interventions
Learning & Adaptation: Continuously improving based on implementation feedback
* The Fund is not sector-bound *
While the Fund's first intervention focuses on geospatial data for health, it is designed to respond flexibly to evolving needs and opportunities across regions and sectors over time.
Impact to Date
The Umbrella Fund in Numbers
Since its launch in late 2024, the Umbrella Fund has deployed its first intervention: strengthening geospatial data ecosystems to improve health service delivery in LMICs. This work has supported implementation across Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as a growing network of institutional collaborators and local partners.
4
Investment areas
Established addressing critical ecosystem gaps
6
Local organizations
Which are leading implementation
$500k+
Catalytic grant
Funding deployed across both countries
300+
Stakeholders
Engaged across both countries
10+
High-level consultations
With government and private sector actors
Technical Priorities Addressed
Geospatial capacity institutionalization through curriculum development
Integrated data governance established at national level
Subnational geospatial infrastructure for local decision-making
Geospatial policy operationalization through practical implementation
Explore The Intervention
View Investment Areas
Our Core Principles
Catalytic
Investing where small-scale funding can trigger larger shifts in systems, institutions, or service delivery
Locally Led
Only legally registered local organizations are eligible to lead funded interventions. No exceptions.
Evidence-Driven
Investment design is grounded in data. Implementation is monitored. Learning is shared.
Systems-Oriented
Aiming to strengthen how systems perform in the long run, not just fill short-term gaps.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about Umbrella Fund.
Everything you need to know about
Umbrella Fund.
Who is eligible to apply?
Answer: Only registered local organizations with demonstrated technical and operational capacity. Individuals and unregistered entities are not eligible.
Are any funding opportunities currently available
Answer: Check the Investment Areas section for current opportunities. New calls will be announced through the Fund website and mailing list.
Does the fund only support work in health?
Answer: The current focus is geospatial data for health, but the Fund is sector-flexible and will expand to other domains based on need and opportunity.
Who is eligible to apply?
Answer: Only registered local organizations with demonstrated technical and operational capacity. Individuals and unregistered entities are not eligible.
Are any funding opportunities currently available
Answer: Check the Investment Areas section for current opportunities. New calls will be announced through the Fund website and mailing list.
Does the fund only support work in health?
Answer: The current focus is geospatial data for health, but the Fund is sector-flexible and will expand to other domains based on need and opportunity.
To resource and amplify locally led, data-driven solutions that address systemic development challenges and strengthen delivery at the last mile.
A funding ecosystem where catalytic capital enables local organizations to lead sustainable, scalable change—across sectors and systems.
To resource and amplify locally led, data-driven solutions that address systemic development challenges and strengthen delivery at the last mile.
A funding ecosystem where catalytic capital enables local organizations to lead sustainable, scalable change—across sectors and systems.
Why the Fund Exists
The Umbrella Fund addresses a persistent gap in the development landscape: the disconnect between local capacity and flexible capital. In many LMICs, local actors are closest to the challenges—and the solutions—but are often excluded from decision-making or under-resourced in implementation.
The Fund shifts this dynamic by offering catalytic, small-scale investments to initiatives that are:
Led by legally registered local organizations
Informed by data and systems analysis
Designed to address specific, high-impact gaps
Built for long-term integration and scale
How the Fund Works
The Umbrella Fund operates through a flexible, evidence-driven framework:
Assessment & Discovery: Conducting rigorous analysis to identify systemic gaps and opportunities
Strategic Investment Areas: Defining focus domains where targeted resources can create outsized impact
Intervention Design: Developing context-appropriate approaches to address specific challenges
Local Implementation: Partnering with local organizations to execute interventions
Learning & Adaptation: Continuously improving based on implementation feedback
* The Fund is not sector-bound *
While the Fund's first intervention focuses on geospatial data for health, it is designed to respond flexibly to evolving needs and opportunities across regions and sectors over time.
Impact to Date
The Umbrella Fund in Numbers
Since its launch in late 2024, the Umbrella Fund has deployed its first intervention: strengthening geospatial data ecosystems to improve health service delivery in LMICs. This work has supported implementation across Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as a growing network of institutional collaborators and local partners.
4
Investment areas
Established addressing critical ecosystem gaps
6
Local organizations
Which are leading implementation
$500k+
Catalytic grant
Funding deployed across both countries
300+
Stakeholders
Engaged across both countries
10+
High-level consultations
With government and private sector actors
Technical Priorities Addressed
Geospatial capacity institutionalization through curriculum development
Integrated data governance established at national level
Subnational geospatial infrastructure for local decision-making
Geospatial policy operationalization through practical implementation
Explore The Intervention
View Investment Areas
Impact to Date
The Umbrella Fund in Numbers
Since its launch in late 2024, the Umbrella Fund has deployed its first intervention: strengthening geospatial data ecosystems to improve health service delivery in LMICs. This work has supported implementation across Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as a growing network of institutional collaborators and local partners.
4
Investment areas
Established addressing critical ecosystem gaps
6
Local organizations
Which are leading implementation
$500k+
Catalytic grant
Funding deployed across both countries
300+
Stakeholders
Engaged across both countries
10+
High-level consultations
With government and private sector actors
Technical Priorities Addressed
Geospatial capacity institutionalization through curriculum development
Integrated data governance established at national level
Subnational geospatial infrastructure for local decision-making
Geospatial policy operationalization through practical implementation
Explore The Intervention
View Investment Areas
Our Core Principles
Catalytic
Investing where small-scale funding can trigger larger shifts in systems, institutions, or service delivery
Locally Led
Only legally registered local organizations are eligible to lead funded interventions. No exceptions.
Evidence-Driven
Investment design is grounded in data. Implementation is monitored. Learning is shared.
Systems-Oriented
Aiming to strengthen how systems perform in the long run, not just fill short-term gaps.