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Plan International Canada is the Canadian arm of the relief organization Plan International, [1] a not-for-profit global movement that promotes social justice for youth and their families in more than 65 developing countries.
Plan International and Plan International Canada have no stated political or religious affiliation.
John Langdon-Davies, a British journalist, was inspired to found Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain to help children whose lives were disrupted by the Spanish Civil War.
During World War II, the organization became known as "Foster Parents Plan for War Children" and worked in England, helping displaced children from all over Europe. After the war, Plan extended aid to children in France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece, and briefly in Poland, Czechoslovakia, and China.
As Europe recovered from the war, Plan gradually moved out of these countries and opened new programs in less developed countries. It was renamed to "Foster Parents Plan Inc."
Foster Parents Plan of Canada was incorporated in 1968. Plan expanded its work to countries in South America and Asia. In 1962, U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was honorary chairwoman during Plan's Silver Jubilee.
In 1974, the global name became Plan International.
In the 1980s, Belgium, Germany, Japan, and the UK joined Canada, the US, Australia, and the Netherlands as donor countries. Plan was recognized by the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. In the 1990s, Plan offices opened in France, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and South Korea.
In the 2000s, the name Plan International was changed to "Plan" and a unified global identity was created to help make the organization more easily recognized around the world. In 2006, Foster Parents Plan in Canada also changed its name to Plan and the logo was updated to reflect this name change.
In 2011, with support from the Canadian government, Plan called on the UN to adopt October 11 as International Day of the Girl Child. [2] In 2012, Plan International's Because I am a Girl initiative (focused on girls' rights) launched on the first International Day of the Girl in 2012. [2]
In 2015, Plan rebranded again as Plan International.
Plan International Canada attempts to break the cycle of poverty by helping children and adults living in developing countries use their ideas, talents, and energies to shape their future. Before choosing a work site, Plan International Canada analyses the following:
With help from trained volunteers and donations from benefactors, Plan Canada assists community participants in a number of areas, including: building schools, educating teachers, digging wells, opening health clinics, providing vocational training, using technology to improve crop yields, giving people access to small business loans, and providing disaster-related humanitarian assistance.
On average, Plan International Canada works with communities for 10–12 years before phasing out operations in that area. Supported by donors, Plan International Canada assists children and families in becoming active participants in their communities’ development. Worldwide, approximately nine million individuals have become involved in Plan and Plan Canada's child-centered initiatives.
Plan International Canada’s long-term goal is to empower children, their families and the members of their communities to improve living conditions, establish grassroots organizations, and work with local and national governments. Plan Canada focuses the main thrust of its energies on the children in poorer developing countries’ communities, namely those of Asia, the Caribbean, Africa, Central and South America.
Private and corporate donors have a number of options available to them when giving to Plan International Canada. Many choose to sponsor children by making contributions; in exchange for their contributions, benefactors are given the opportunity to exchange letters and photographs with their sponsored child(ren). Other donors choose to fund projects, assist during and after crises and/or bequest monies to Plan Canada.
Plan International Canada donations are pooled centrally. Funds are then allocated based on in-country developed strategic plans, with a focus on supporting children-related operations and ventures. Typically, 20% of funds raised go to support Plan Canada's operations, public education and fundraising as per Plan's 80:20 rule of allocation.
Plan International Canada adheres to the standards of the Imagine Canada Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code and supports the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ Donor Bill of Rights.
Plan International is a member agency of the Humanitarian Coalition. Together with the other partner organizations, the coalition raises money for humanitarian situations around the world. [3]
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Plan International and Plan International Canada have been a part of numerous international projects and initiatives, including:
The United Nations Foundation is a charitable organization headquartered in Washington, DC, that supports the United Nations and its activities. It was established in 1998 with a $1 billion gift to the United Nations by philanthropist Ted Turner, who believed the UN was crucial for addressing the world's problems. Originally primarily a grantmaker, the UN Foundation has evolved into a strategic partner to the UN, mobilizing support to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and help the UN address issues such as climate change, global health, gender equality, human rights, data and technology, peace, and humanitarian responses. The UN Foundation's main work occurs through building public-private partnerships, communities, initiatives, campaigns, and alliances to broaden support for the UN and solve global problems. The UN Foundation has helped build awareness and advocate for action on, among others, antimicrobial resistance, regional action on climate change, local implementation of the SDGs, as well as global campaigns such as Nothing But Nets against malaria, the Measles & Rubella Initiative, the Clean Cooking Alliance, Girl Up, Shot@Life, and the Digital Impact Alliance, among others. In March 2020, the UN Foundation was also a key founder of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO), helping to raise over $200 million USD within the first six weeks to support the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SOS Children's Villages is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit international development organization headquartered in Innsbruck, Austria. The organization provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children in need and protects their interests and rights around the world. Today, SOS Children's Villages is active in 135 countries and territories worldwide.
ActionAid is an international non-governmental organization whose stated primary aim is to work against poverty and injustice worldwide.
Plan International USA (Plan) is an international development and humanitarian nonprofit that partners with girls and their communities to fight for girls’ rights and end gender inequality. It is part of Plan International, a global nonprofit federation that works to tackle the root causes of poverty by working with communities, organizations, and governments.
Plan International is a development and humanitarian organisation which works in over 75 countries across Africa, the Americas, and Asia to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. Its focus is on child protection, education, child participation, economic security, emergencies, health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and water and sanitation. As of 2021, Plan International reached 26.2 million girls and 24.1 million boys through its programming.
Haiti—an island country 600 miles off the coast of the U.S. state of Florida—shares the Caribbean island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. Haiti has received billions in foreign assistance, yet persists as one of the poorest countries and has the lowest human development index in the Americas. There have been more than 15 natural disasters since 2001 including tropical storms, flooding, earthquakes and hurricanes. The international donor community classifies Haiti as a fragile state. Haiti is also considered a post-conflict state—one emerging from a recent coup d'état and civil war.
An international non-governmental organization (INGO) is an organization which is independent of government involvement and extends the concept of a non-governmental organization (NGO) to an international scope.
Tostan is a US-registered 501(c)(3) international non-governmental organization headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. The organization's mission is "to empower communities to develop and achieve their vision for the future and inspire large-scale movements leading to dignity for all" in several West African countries, including Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Mali, and Mauritania.
Global Action for Children (GAC) was a highly effective nonpartisan coalition dedicated to improving the lives of orphans and vulnerable children in the developing world active from 2004 - 2010.
Development and Peace-Caritas Canada is the official international development arm of the Catholic Church in Canada. It is a member of Caritas Internationalis, CIDSE, the Halifax Initiative and many other networks. Through its membership in the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, Development and Peace is also connected to the Humanitarian Coalition, a coalition of Canadian non-governmental organizations that partner with the Government of Canada, and mobilize media, businesses and individual Canadians to raise money in response to humanitarian catastrophes around the world.
Food for the Hungry is a Christian international relief, development, and advocacy organization. Food for the Hungry was founded in 1971 by Larry Ward. Food for the Hungry's stated mission for long-term development is to graduate communities of extreme poverty within 10–15 years. The organization also works in disaster relief and humanitarian response, including working with the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and Syrian refugees in Lebanon.
Population Action International (PAI) is an international, non-governmental organization that uses research and advocacy to improve global access to family planning and reproductive health care. Its mission is to "ensure that every person has the right and access to sexual and reproductive health, so that humanity and the natural environment can exist in balance with fewer people living in poverty". PAI's headquarters is in Washington, D.C.
UNICEF, originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. The agency is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare organizations in the world, with a presence in 192 countries and territories. UNICEF's activities include providing immunizations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters.
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit international development and human rights organization that supports community-based organizations in 19 countries in the developing world and works to educate the American Jewish community about global justice. It is the first and only Jewish organization dedicated solely to ending poverty and promoting human rights in the developing world. Its headquarters are in New York City. AJWS has received a Four Star rating from Charity Navigator since 2002.
Plan International UK is the UK branch of the global children's rights non-profit organisation Plan International. Plan UK which works to advance equality for girls all over the world through sustainable development and humanitarian response activities in 50 countries across Asia, Africa and the Americas. The organisation also helps communities to build resilience prior, during and after emergencies. It is a registered charity in the UK and has no religious affiliations. It focuses on issues that particularly face girls of all ages. Plan International UK works across a range of sectors, including education, health, child protection and participation, economic security and water and sanitation. The organisation's current focus is the promotion of the rights of adolescent girls and disaster response and preparedness. Tanya Barron became Chief Executive of Plan International UK in January 2013 having been International Director at Leonard Cheshire Disability from 2004 to 2012. She holds various trusteeships and is currently a board member of the World Bank's Global Partnership on Disability and Development. In 2003 Barron was given the European Woman of Achievement (Humanitarian) award.
International Day of the Girl Child is an international observance day declared by the United Nations; it is also called the Day of Girls and the International Day of the Girl. October 11, 2012, was the first Day of the Girl Child. The observation supports more opportunity for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender. This inequality includes areas such as access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination, violence against women and forced child marriage. The celebration of the day also "reflects the successful emergence of girls and young women as a distinct cohort in development policy, programming, campaigning and research."
UNICEF Canada, also known as the Canadian National Committee for UNICEF, is one of 36 UNICEF National Committees based in industrialized countries. UNICEF is a child-focused humanitarian organization, working in over 190 countries.
Armenia was admitted into the United Nations on 2 March 1992, following its independence from the Soviet Union. In December 1992, the UN opened its first office in Yerevan. Since then, Armenia has signed and ratified several international treaties. There are 20 specialized agencies, programs, and funds operating in the country under the supervision of the UN Resident Coordinator. Armenia strengthened its relations with the UN by cooperating with various UN agencies and bodies such as the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the World Food Programme, and with the financial institutions of the UN. Armenia is a candidate to preside as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2031.
The Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) is an international, faith-based NGO, providing long-term, co-operative medical and development aid to communities affected by poverty and healthcare issues. It was established in 1912 and officially registered in 1928. CMMB is headquartered in New York City, USA, and currently has country offices in Haiti, Kenya, Peru, South Sudan, and Zambia.
MATCH International Women's Fund is a non-profit, non-governmental, grant-making organization created to make lasting changes in the lives of women and girls. Their company aims to support projects that dismantle barriers, change systems, challenge perceptions, and transform society and is based in Ottawa, Canada. MATCH is dedicated to funding women's rights movements and grassroots organizations working on women's rights worldwide with a particular interest in the global South. MATCH was founded in 1976 by two Canadian women, Dr. Norma E. Walmsley and Suzanne Johnson-Harvor. Since then, MATCH International has helped women's rights organizations from numerous countries with investments totaling $12 million for improvement of women and girl's rights. In 2013, the organization re-launched under the name MATCH International Women's Fund with the same aim to invest in women and girls in the global South. As the only international women's fund in Canada, their motto is, "Holding Ground and Breaking Ground" on women's, girls', and transgender rights. The organization's funding comes from individual donors, corporate partners, and the government of Canada.
