Grants to End Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

Deadline: 31-Dec-2026

The Childhood Foundation provides grants to organizations developing innovative solutions to help end sexual abuse and exploitation of children in selected countries. Based at its international office in Sweden, the Foundation supports initiatives addressing child protection challenges in Cambodia, Moldova, South Africa, Sweden, Thailand, and Ukraine. The Foundation focuses on practical and innovative approaches that can create meaningful and sustainable impact for children and communities.

About the Childhood Foundation

The Childhood Foundation was established to inspire, promote, and develop innovative solutions aimed at ending sexual abuse and exploitation against children. The Foundation supports projects addressing both local and cross-border child protection challenges. Its grantmaking approach focuses on initiatives that can strengthen prevention, protection, justice, healing, and safety for children in eligible countries. Countries Supported The Foundation supports projects in the following countries: - Cambodia - Moldova - South Africa - Sweden - Thailand - Ukraine Organizations proposing projects in these countries should demonstrate how their activities respond to relevant child protection needs and align with the Foundation’s thematic priorities. Current Thematic Priorities Projects seeking support should align with one or more of the Foundation’s current focus areas.

These include:

- Strengthening the role of trusted adults - Improving digital safety for children - Enhancing access to justice and healing - Addressing neglected risk groups - Preventing perpetration Applicants should clearly demonstrate how their proposed solution addresses one or more of these priorities. Strengthening the Role of Trusted Adults Trusted adults can play an important role in helping children remain safe and identifying situations where children may be at risk. The Foundation supports approaches that strengthen the ability of trusted adults to contribute to child protection. Projects should demonstrate how they will improve protection, awareness, support, or prevention through appropriate trusted-adult relationships. Improving Digital Safety Children increasingly interact with digital environments, creating new challenges related to safety and exploitation. The Foundation’s priorities include enhancing digital safety for children. Projects can focus on innovative approaches that address digital risks and help create safer environments for children online. Access to Justice and Healing The Foundation also prioritizes initiatives that improve children’s access to justice and healing. Projects should consider how children affected by abuse or exploitation can receive appropriate support and how barriers to justice and recovery can be addressed. Addressing Neglected Risk Groups Some children and groups may face risks that receive insufficient attention. The Foundation encourages projects that address neglected risk groups and develop solutions for children whose protection needs may not be adequately covered by existing approaches. Applicants should clearly explain the specific gap their project is addressing. Preventing Perpetration Prevention is another important thematic priority. The Foundation supports approaches designed to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation before harm occurs, including initiatives focused on reducing the risk of perpetration. Projects should demonstrate a clear prevention strategy and explain how their proposed approach can contribute to measurable impact. What Projects Should Demonstrate Organizations seeking support should ensure that their proposals demonstrate a clear strategy for impact.

Projects should explain:

- The child protection problem being addressed - The target population - The relevant country or countries - How the project aligns with the Foundation’s priorities - The proposed innovative solution - How the approach can contribute to preventing abuse or exploitation - The expected impact - How the project can address local or cross-border challenges where relevant A clear connection between the proposed activities and the Foundation’s thematic priorities is important. Who Can Apply? The opportunity is intended for organizations developing solutions to end sexual abuse and exploitation of children in the Foundation’s selected countries. Organizations should first determine whether their project and institutional circumstances meet the Foundation’s basic eligibility requirements. Basic Eligibility Quickscan Organizations interested in applying must first complete a basic eligibility quickscan. This initial step allows applicants to determine whether they meet the fundamental requirements before investing time in developing a full proposal. Applicants should complete the quickscan before proceeding to the next stage of the process. Concept Note Stage If an organization is found eligible through the quickscan, it may submit a concept note. The concept note provides the Foundation with an initial understanding of the proposed project and its alignment with the Foundation’s priorities. If the concept is considered relevant to the Foundation’s thematic focus, the Foundation will initiate further dialogue with the organization. Further Dialogue With the Foundation Following submission of a concept note, the Foundation may begin further discussions with applicants whose proposals align with its priorities. This dialogue provides an opportunity to explore the project context, proposed approach, and potential fit with the Foundation’s objectives. Applicants should be prepared to explain the problem their project addresses and why their proposed solution is appropriate. Foundation Visit Requirement Before a full application can be submitted, a prior visit from the Foundation is required. The purpose of the visit is to meet the organization’s staff and gain a better understanding of the project context. This requirement means organizations should