We look for sustainable models which support the full development of a child.
an opportunity to THRIVE
There are millions of critically vulnerable children living without a parent in this world.
There are extraordinary local leaders serving and supporting these children.
We support these leaders so that they can save hundreds, if not thousands, more young lives.
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an opportunity to THRIVE
There are millions of critically vulnerable children living without a parent in this world.
There are extraordinary local leaders serving and supporting these children.
We support these leaders so that they can save hundreds, if not thousands, more young lives.
How We Give
1
We find remarkable people who provide holistic, direct services to vulnerable children.
2
Together, we build a plan to sustainably grow and serve more children.
In partnership with each organization, we create clear, actionable capacity building plans to scale their programs and increase the number of children they serve.
3
We provide the resources needed to make this plan a reality.
We provide capacity building grants, financial modeling, technical expertise, and active network building.
4
We believe in sharing. We actively connect grantees, partners and advisers.
We seek every opportunity to collaborate and learn. Operating with trust, transparency and the bigger goal in mind. We review every opportunity, consider every possibility, and when things don't go as planned, we're still available to our grantees to share ideas.
Our Values
We strive for patience, transparency, compassion and collaboration in all we do. We believe that we are beholden to our grantees, for their's is the difficult and patient work.
Our Grantees
We support dedicated, local organizations serving orphaned children through sustainable, holistic, direct service models. We find one another through a network of Global Nominators.
Our Grants
Unrestricted financial grants to support defined, actionable capacity building plans -- coupled with active networking and financial and technical expertise.
who we are
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who we are
Ladislav Kossar
A former investment banker who has built a successful venture capital firm, sold several start-ups, and currently manages both a social enterprise accelerator and a small family office. He launched and continues to operate an experiential education program for teenage orphans to improve motivation and acquire skills for social integration in Slovakia. He has a reputation for one of the biggest hearts in Slovakia and speaks 8 languages, 10 when you include “ngo” and “vc”.
Teal Brown
Teal is an expert in strategic philanthropy. She focuses on systems-level change in how we allocate philanthropic capital for effective economic development. She has designed and implemented social impact strategies alongside Fortune 100 companies, global foundation, family offices and community activists in more than a dozen countries. Her personal commitment to disadvantaged children began when she was 12- years old, playing cards with Turkish refugee girls in a church basement near where she grew up in Vienna, Austria.
strategic advisors, technical advisors and champions
Passionate, dedicated, thoughtful and generous individuals have committed their time and insight in the following ways:
- Strategic Advisors help us refine and ignite our strategy
- Technical Advisors support our grantees with surrounding services to support their work
- Champions support Orphan Opportunity Fund’s operational capacity and encourage other to join us
Ruma Bose, USA
Entrepreneur, Girls Advocate
Jozef Bardik, Slovakia
McKinsey and Co, VC Investor, Philanthropist
Maya Winkelstein
Executive Director, Open Road Alliance
Marko Fiorese, Monaco
Global Dignity advocate, Philanthropist, Investor
Shantidevi Galvan Cuenca, Mexico
Regional Ambassador, Global Youth Nexus
Saskya Bruysten, Germany
Yunus Socialbusiness, CEO & Co-founder
Ron Cordes, USA
Cordes Family Foundation, Impact Investor, Asset Manager
James Snook, USA
Former CTO, Starbucks; Advocate for Safe Adoptions
Rachel Cohen Gerrol, USA
Co-Founder, Global Youth Nexus, Global Networker
Matthew Bishop
US Business Editor and New York Bureau Chief, The Economist
our advisor network
We are advised by a global group of co-creators, funders, thought leaders, non-profit executives who counsel and reroute us.
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our advisor network
We are advised by a global group of co-creators, funders, thought leaders, non-profit executives who counsel and reroute us.
our worldwide advisors consist of these amazing organizations
the global orphan crisis
The economic, social, and psychological consequences of orphan-hood are devastating. For one in two orphans, this means sex or labor slavery, suicide, hunger, extreme poverty, violence or child soldier-hood before the age of 18. This is a global crisis. We must act while the children are still children; we don't have the luxury of time.
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the global orphan crisis
The economic, social, and psychological consequences of orphan-hood are devastating. For one in two orphans, this means sex or labor slavery, suicide, hunger, extreme poverty, violence or child soldier-hood before the age of 18. This is a global crisis. We must act while the children are still children; we don't have the luxury of time.
Today, there are more children living without parents than there are people in Manhattan. They have no parent to guide, love or protect them -- and they are extremely vulnerable. Of these, one in ten will commit suicide before 18. One in four will drop out of school due to hunger, disease or stigma. And a full half of these children will enter the global sex trade, become child soldiers or enter the prison system before they are 16 years old. Some of those in the forced sex trade are the same age as a U.S. first grade child.
The challenges of serving orphaned children are significant.
Vulnerable children need holistic care. It’s not simple.
Supporting children living without parents means ensuring social and emotional support, creating safe spaces and fighting social stigma. It is difficult, tireless work.
Many programs and public systems are weak or harmful.
Many who claim to support orphaned children do just the opposite – providing unsafe, unclean, unjust environments rife with physical and emotional abuse.
Capacity building for effective programs is critical, and underfunded.
An organization is only as strong as the personnel, strategy planning and infrastructure on which it sits.
Trusted and transparent relationships with donors are critical and uncommon.
Creating long term value for deeply vulnerable children requires flexibility and agility, from both donors and nonprofits. Many donors place a heavy emphasis on ‘sure bets’, leaving NGOs little room for candor with donors, and discouraging collaborative navigation of the pitfalls & challenges of growth.
together we can do better.
Donate
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Donate
Thank you for your interest in making a gift to the Orphan Opportunity Fund, we greatly appreciate your support of the many children in need.
To make a gift by credit card, please click donate below.
To make a gift by check, please make the check payable to
“Silicon Valley Community Foundation” and put “Orphan Opportunity Fund # 5371” in the memo line.
Mail the check to:
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
2440 West El Camino Real, Suite 300
Mountain View, CA 94040
Attn: Gifts Department.
To make a gift of any other type of asset such as securities, real estate, etc. please contact Silicon Valley Community Foundation at 650.450.5444 or donate@siliconvalleycf.org.