Open Challenge Prize Announced at the Systems Innovation Workshop for Catalytic Funding Initiatives in Zambia

The SDG Philanthropy Platform and the UN in Zambia hosted an interactive, collaborative workshop to identify pathways for innovations which can lead to transformative solutions for children in Zambia. This workshop brought together over 30 participants from the government, social enterprises, businesses, innovators, faith based organizations and NGO's with the aim of brainstorming and generating ideas for innovation opportunities, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals related to children.

Facilitated by Banny Banerjee, Director of Stanford University Change Labs, workshop participants explored the theme of systems- analysis, an approach that enables deeper collaboration and integrating innovations for high-impact solutions. Participants identified leverage points, where more organizations and people can use their investment decisions in order to shift the needle on the well-being of children in Zambia. Key opportunities for innovation that were identified were child protection, particularly of the girl child, early child marriages, and employment and income generation opportunities as well as education and health care services, with a strong emphasis on focusing on the community level.

“The well-being of children can only be achieved through collaboration and partnerships that range across sectors” said Banny Banerjee, Director of Stanford University Change Labs.

An advisory body to the Challenge Prize will be set up with representatives from the government, civil society, philanthropy and the private sector. They will use insights from the workshop as an input to launch a $130,000 challenge prize for three or four organizations who come up with ideas for solutions per agreed criteria.

Mr. Maybin Nsupila, National Coordinator, SDG PP Zambia emphasized that partnerships are essential to achieve the SDGs and commended philanthropy’s leadership in collaborating on the goals. The new SDG Philanthropy Platform SDG Ecosystem site www.sdgphilanthropy.org recently launched, helps philanthropists and social investors engage in the country to help achieve SDGs.

The SDG Philanthropy Platform enables strong partnerships between philanthropic organizations, the United Nations and other development partners, governments, civil society, businesses, and social enterprises in achieving the SDGs. The Platform is a collaboration between philanthropy and the greater international development community, led by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors and Foundation Center, and supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Ford Foundation, The MasterCard Foundation, Brach Family Charitable Foundation, and UN Foundation. The Platform has been launched in Kenya, Zambia, Ghana, Colombia, Indonesia, India and the United States.

More information is available on SDGfunders.org, a data and knowledge portal on philanthropic giving related to the SDGs.