Van Leer Foundation Awarded Good Start Prize Money
The foundation distributed €2.6 million to organizations supporting early childhood development and health.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Philanthropy
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The Van Leer Foundation has announced the winners of its Good Start Challenge, awarding a total of €2.6 million to support initiatives across the Global Majority. Six organizations were selected as winners, each receiving €200,000 to scale their community-based projects.
Why it matters
The prize money is intended to serve as a critical catalyst for the winners, providing the necessary funding to transition successful pilot programs into broader, scaled initiatives. By focusing on the Global Majority, the foundation aims to empower grassroots organizations that address specific local health and childhood challenges.
The competition awarded a total of €2.6 million from a pool of 1,000 entries. Six winning teams received €200,000 each to facilitate scaling for their respective initiatives.
The players
Van Leer Foundation
This Netherlands-based organization focuses on funding and supporting programs that improve the health and development of young children globally.
StrongMinds
This organization operates programs that provide mental health support, including group talk therapy, to vulnerable populations in refugee settlements.
Foundation for Mother and Child Health Indonesia
This organization develops community health programs designed to improve maternal and child nutrition and wellness outcomes in Indonesia.
EKISIL CBO
This community-based organization implements development initiatives aimed at improving welfare and social services in Ethiopia.
The details
The winning organizations include StrongMinds, which provides six-week talk therapy sessions for refugees in northern Uganda, as well as the Foundation for Mother and Child Health Indonesia and EKISIL CBO. Other successful projects include a digital tool for teenage mothers in Colombia and a childcare hub based in Senegal.
Timeline
The Good Start Challenge launched in May 2025.
Winners were officially announced on October 6, 2026.
Market Landscape
This initiative follows a pattern set by the Van Leer Foundation's early childhood development grants by directing capital toward scalable community solutions. The focus on the Global Majority reflects a broader trend among philanthropic organizations to decentralize funding for grassroots impact.
The funding allows these organizations to expand their services, potentially increasing the availability of mental health and childcare resources in their respective regions. Readers involved in global development or local NGO work may track these models as successful examples of project scaling.
The takeaway
Large-scale philanthropic competitions often prioritize models that demonstrate high potential for local replication rather than just immediate service delivery. Supporting established community-based organizations remains a preferred strategy for foundations looking to maximize the return on social investments.
Further reading
Explore more initiatives and funding updates in the Philanthropy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Alliance magazine.
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