What Ban Ki-moon Foundation does

The Ban Ki-moon Foundation is a New York-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 82-5193948) launched in November 2022 at Columbia Business School. It is the U.S. anchor of the three-entity Ban Ki-moon Centre Network, alongside the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens in Vienna (2018) and the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future in Seoul (2019). The foundation's stated mission is to foster leadership for implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement by influencing current decision-makers and mobilizing the next generation of leaders, with five issue areas: Gender Equity, Climate and Sustainability, Public Health Equity, Global Citizenship Education, and Peace, Security and Justice.

The foundation's product surface is program-led rather than technology-led. Its flagship initiative is the SDG Accelerator Fund, launched in 2023, which awards $5,000 catalytic grants to emerging young leaders globally — the inaugural 2024 cohort of 10 grantees operated across seven Sub-Saharan African countries. Additional programs include the Cross-Sector Leadership Committee (CSLC), Academic and NGO Partnerships, Internships and Fellowships, an Advisory Committee, Donor Opportunities and a newsletter subscription. The foundation has no proprietary technology products; its operational stack consists of standard non-profit SaaS integrations: Donorbox and QGive for online donation processing, Mailchimp for email list management, and Yumpu for annual report hosting, with LinkedIn and Instagram as primary social channels.

Revenue is donor-dependent. All contributions are tax-deductible under U.S. federal law and the foundation carries the Candid/GuideStar transparency seal. Outreach is distributed across individual donors, corporate partners and institutional collaborators (including the OECD NetFWD, Stronger Foundations for Nutrition and Indigenous Climate Action). Operating geographies span the Americas, Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, LATAM and parts of South Asia, with 17 employees on staff and a board chaired by the former UN Secretary-General.

Name

Ban Ki-moon Foundation

Legal name

Ban Ki-moon Foundation

Website

https://bankimoonfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ban Ki-moon Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit launched in 2022 in New York that advances the UN Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Agreement through advocacy, leadership development and the SDG Accelerator Fund, which grants to emerging young leaders globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Foundation / Social Impact Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

Keywords

• Sustainable Development Goals
• Climate Action Advocacy
• Leadership Development Programs
• Grant-making Foundation
• Global Citizenship Education

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit tax-exempt organization (EIN: 82-5193948), the Ban Ki-moon Foundation generates revenue through donations from individuals, corporations, and institutional donors. All donations are fully tax-deductible under United States Federal Law.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ban Ki-moon Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that advances the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement through advocacy, leadership development, grant-making via the SDG Accelerator Fund, and cross-sector convenings. It runs issue-area programs on gender equity, climate and sustainability, global citizenship education, public health equity, and peace, security, and justice, while partnering with NGOs, academia, the private sector, and governments to develop leaders among women, youth, and indigenous communities.

Product overview

Ban Ki-moon Foundation is a non-profit organization (501(c)(3), EIN 82-5193948) launched in 2022 in New York City, focused on mobilizing stakeholders across sectors to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and Paris Climate Agreement. The Foundation operates several interconnected programs: the SDG Accelerator Fund (grants program providing early-stage investment to emerging young leaders), the Cross-Sector Leadership Committee (professional network of industry leaders), Academic and NGO Partnerships, Internships and Fellowships, and Advisory Committee. The Foundation addresses five core issues: Gender Equity, Climate and Sustainability, Global Citizenship Education, Public Health Equity, and Peace, Security, and Justice. Funding comes through donor opportunities, newsletter subscriptions, and institutional partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SDG Accelerator Fund Grant-making program that supports emerging leaders developing projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement, including women, youth, and indigenous community leaders. Applicants apply to receive funding, mentorship, and program support for SDG-aligned initiatives.
• Fellowships and Internships Structured internship and fellowship opportunities for students and early-career professionals to gain experience supporting the foundation's SDG- and climate-related programs, communications, and operations.
• Foundation Newsletter Subscription Free email newsletter subscription providing subscribers with updates on foundation programs, events, convenings, and advocacy activities related to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached over 1,000 community members annually through SDG Accelerator Fund grantees
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and notable.

• Indigenous Climate Action (ICA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ban Ki-moon Foundation partners with Indigenous Climate Action through its AMPLIFY strategy, helping to elevate Indigenous youth priorities in shaping climate policy and practice. ICA is an Indigenous-led, rights-based organization working to advance climate justice by centering Indigenous knowledge systems, sovereignty, and self-determination. The partnership focuses on amplifying Indigenous solutions in climate action and supporting Indigenous participation in global frameworks like the Paris Agreement and SDGs.
• Stronger Foundations for NutritioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ban Ki-moon Foundation partnered with Stronger Foundations for Nutrition at the Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris, where 10 private funders collectively announced over $2 billion in new multi-year commitments to nutrition. The partnership aims to break down silos between funders working on malnutrition, gender equity, and climate justice, pursuing integrated action on these interconnected issues.
• OECD NetFWDmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ban Ki-moon Foundation, Stronger Foundations for Nutrition, and OECD NetFWD co-hosted events at the BKMF Office and engaged in conversations to break down silos between funders working on malnutrition, gender equity, and climate justice.
• Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global CitizenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Ban Ki-moon Centre Network, established in Vienna in partnership with Heinz Fischer, the 11th President of the Republic of Austria. The Centre advances efforts in Europe and globally on global citizenship initiatives.
• Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better FuturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Ban Ki-moon network, this office was established in Seoul, Korea in 2019 to serve the East Asia region in advancing sustainable development and climate action efforts.
• Columbia Business SchoolnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Ban Ki-moon Foundation was launched at Columbia Business School on November 3, 2022, indicating an ongoing relationship with the academic institution for convenings and events.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Gates Foundation: The world's largest private foundation, focused on global health, poverty, and education. Comparable in mission scope (SDG-aligned) but operates at vastly larger scale and with endowed funding model.
• Open Society Foundations: George Soros's global grantmaking network funding human rights, governance, and accountability. Comparable as an activist grantmaker tackling gender, climate, and justice themes.
• Rockefeller Foundation: Historic foundation advancing climate, health, and equitable economies globally. Comparable in multi-issue global grantmaking and advocacy strategy, with substantially larger assets.
• Bloomberg Philanthropies: Michael Bloomberg's global philanthropy spanning climate, public health, and cities. Comparable in NYC-based global climate-and-policy advocacy orientation, though operating at far greater scale.
• Ford Foundation: Major U.S. foundation funding social justice, inequality, and global development. Comparable as an endowed grantmaking institution tackling overlapping themes (gender, climate, governance).

Emerging players

• Malala Fund: Founded by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, this fund invests in girls' education and advocacy globally. Comparable as a name-anchored, youth-and-gender focused grantmaker and advocacy nonprofit.

Direct peers

• UN Foundation: Affiliated with the United Nations, the UN Foundation is a global grantmaking and advocacy nonprofit advancing SDGs and other UN priorities. Closely comparable in mission (SDGs), structure (NY-based, convening-focused), and programmatic mix.
• Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens: Vienna-based sister entity in the Ban Ki-moon Centre Network, focused on youth leadership and the SDGs. Highly comparable as part of the same named network with overlapping mission and programs.
• Clinton Foundation: Founded by former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Foundation operates a global grantmaking, advocacy, and convening platform with similar reliance on a high-profile political namesake. Directly comparable as a legacy-anchored, multi-issue nonprofit foundation.
• Obama Foundation: Established by former U.S. President Barack Obama to advance leadership development and civic engagement. Highly comparable in leveraging a former-statesman brand to mobilize emerging leaders and cross-sector networks.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ban-ki-moon-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/bankimoonfoundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ban Ki-moon Foundation