DIV Fund

If we are going to meet tomorrow’s needs with today’s resources, the world needs new tools, better delivery models, and less expensive ways of driving impact. The DIV Fund works with urgency to foster, test, and scale innovative ideas that improve the health and wellbeing of people living in poverty around the world.

The DIV Fund is an evidence-driven, open innovation fund for global development. We offer three tiers of grants, calibrating funding to evidence and results: 

• Stage 1 - Small bets to pilot new ideas
• Stage 2 - Rigorous testing to demonstrate impact per dollar spent
• Stage 3 - Strategic support to bring the most cost-effective solutions​ to scale

We also assist other funders, including governments, aid agencies, and private philanthropic organizations, to develop or refine their own innovation funds. 

By combining rigorous evaluation, strategic risk-taking, and a relentless focus on value for money, the DIV Fund serves as a discovery engine for global development – building a pipeline of evidence-driven innovation so government, philanthropy, and the private sector can bring impact to scale. 

"In the long-run, innovation is the key driver of economic growth and much of human wellbeing. Yet some types of innovation, for example in delivery of public services, do not generate profits in line with their social benefits. This makes investments in social innovation one of the most cost-effective ways to improve lives." 

• Michael Kremer, Nobel Laureate and DIV Fund Co-Founder

“DIV’s staged, evidence-driven funding model gave Dimagi exactly the kind of early, flexible funding we needed to productize CommCare. Their support allowed us to rapidly engage with dozens of partners, learn what worked (and what didn’t), and build the foundation of the platform that now supports hundreds of thousands of frontline workers globally.” 

• Jonathan Jackson, CEO of Dimagi (DIV Fund grantee)