United Nations Foundation

Connecting people, ideas and resources with the United Nations.

Our Mission and History

Media entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner founded the UN Foundation in 1998 because he believed the United Nations is indispensable to tackling humanity’s greatest challenges and driving global progress. The same belief guides us today.

We act as a strategic partner to help the UN mobilize the ideas, people, and resources it needs to deliver, and grow a diverse and durable constituency for collective action. We focus on issues at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals, build initiatives across sectors to solve problems at scale, and engage influencers and citizens who seek action. Partnership, and the power of smart and strategic collaboration, is in our DNA. We believe everyone has a part to play, everyone’s voice should be heard, and everyone has a stake.

Issues

We invest in strategic thinking and fresh ideas for tackling the global challenges that shape our world. We prioritize issues with transformative potential for the Sustainable Development Goals and climate action, and track emerging issues at the frontier of the UN’s agenda so that the world can be better prepared for tomorrow’s needs.

We connect global policymakers with evidence of what works, and we seek to stimulate new thinking about innovation and reform that can help modernize the UN’s ability to deliver its core mission.

CLIMATE, ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENT

We work to support the Paris Agreement because meeting the climate challenge will benefit our economies, stabilize our societies, and secure our children’s futures.

GIRLS AND WOMEN

We work for equality for girls and women because every empowered girl or woman has the potential to transform her family, community, and society.

GLOBAL HEALTH

Healthy families are the foundation for thriving communities. We work to help the UN prevent disease and deliver better health for all.

DATA AND TECHNOLOGY

We bring together partners to leverage data and technology for sustainable development and promote cooperation in the digital age.

PEACE, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

In a world of rising tensions and persistent crises, we support the UN’s peace, human rights, and humanitarian efforts that are needed more than ever.

UN REFORM AND INNOVATION

We explain and showcase the UN’s efforts to become better able to deliver progress for all.

EMERGING ISSUES

We analyze and advise the UN and its partners on emerging issues to better prepare for the future in a constantly changing world.