Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation which works in 71 countries across the world, in Africa, the Americas, and Asia to advance children’s rights and equality for girls.[1]

Plan International
Founded1937 (1937) (as Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain)
FoundersJohn Langdon-Davies
Eric Muggeridge
TypeInternational NGO
Location
Key people
Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen (CEO)
Revenue
€806 million (2016)
Employees
8,000
Websiteplan-international.org

Plan International is one of the world's largest organisations working for children's rights and gender equality. In 2016, Plan International reached 17.1 million girls and 15.5 million boys through its programming.

Plan International focuses on child protection, education, child participation, economic security, emergencies, health, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and water and sanitation. Plan International provides training in disaster preparedness, response and recovery, and has worked on relief efforts in countries including Haiti,[2] Colombia[3] and Japan.[4]

Plan International also sponsors the Because I Am a Girl campaign, which is envisioned as a global movement to ensure girls everywhere can learn, lead, decide and thrive.

History
Plan International's country office in Niamey, Niger

Plan International was founded in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War by British journalist John Langdon-Davies and aid worker Eric Muggeridge. The organization was founded with the aim to provide food, accommodation and education to children whose lives had been disrupted by the Spanish Civil War.

Timeline
  • 1930s – Plan International was founded as"Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain."
  • 1940s – 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 International extended aid to children in France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Greece and briefly in Poland, Czechoslovakia and China.
  • 1950s – As Europe recovered, Plan International gradually moved out of these countries and opened new programs in less developed countries. It became "Foster Parents Plan Inc." to reflect the goal of bringing lasting change to the lives of children in need, whatever their circumstances.
  • 1960s – Foster Parents 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.
  • 1970s – In 1974, the global name became Plan International as programs now spanned South America, Asia and Africa.
  • 1980s – Belgium, Germany, Japan and the UK joined Canada, the US, Australia and the Netherlands as donor countries. Plan International was recognised by the United Nations Economic and Social Council.
  • 1990s – Plan International offices opened in France, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden and the Republic of Korea.
  • 2000s – The name Plan International evolved and a unified global identity was created to help make the organization more easily recognized around the world, and the logo was updated.
  • 2017 – Plan International launched a new "International Global Strategy 2017–2022", which places an added emphasis on working with girls. The traditional blue logo was updated.[5]

Funding and accountability

Plan International's income comes from supporters who sponsor children and the remainder is raised through donations and grants. An average of 77% of this money goes directly to supporting Plan International’s development and humanitarian work.[6] The remainder is spent on fundraising initiatives and maintaining an international network of support staff. Plan International publishes annual reports detailing its fundraising and spending activity.[7]

The organization receives funding to implement grants from a range of multilateral institutions, such as the UK's Department for International Development (DFID), Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and other multilateral agencies.[8]

Plan International adheres to several international standards and quality assurance mechanisms including the International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGO) Commitment to Accountability Charter[9] and the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief.[10]

Notable persons associated

Anil Kapoor, who starred in Danny Boyle's film Slumdog Millionaire, is an ambassador for Plan India.[11] He donated his entire fee for the movie to the NGO's Universal Birth Registration campaign.[12] Slumdog Millionaire stars Dev Patel and Freida Pinto were among cast members who attended a screening of the film at Somerset House in London,[13] where over £2,000 was raised for Plan’s work in Mumbai, the setting of the film.

In the U.S., notable celebrity endorsers associated with Plan International include Jacqueline Kennedy, David Elliot, Beau Bridges, Dina Eastwood, Scott Bakula,[14] and Nicholas D. Kristof, also a child sponsor.[15] In 2015 Mo'ne Davis teamed up with the brand M4D3 (Make A Difference Everyday) to design a line of sneakers for girls, with some of the proceeds going toward the Plan International’s Because I Am a Girl campaign.[16]

The organization was featured in the 2002 film About Schmidt.

See also

References
  1. "Plan-international.org". Plan-international.org. 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  2. Source: Content partner // Plan International (2011-01-06). "'What Haiti needs now - "Safety, schooling and jobs", says Plan' | Reuters AlertNet". Trust.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  3. Source: member // Plan UK (2011-03-31). "'Devastation caused by Colombian floods worse than feared' | Reuters AlertNet". Trust.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  4. Source: member // Plan UK (2011-03-29). "Japan: Plan reaches out to families in evacuation centres | Reuters AlertNet". Trust.org. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  5. "100 Million Reasons". Plan International. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  6. "Plan Worldwide Annual Review and Combined Financial Statements 2013". Plan International. Retrieved 2016-12-07.
  7. "Plan Worldwide Annual review and Combined Financial Statements 2010".
  8. "Our Grant Partners". Plan International. Retrieved 2017-07-27.
  9. "INGO Accountability Charter member organisations". Ingoaccountabilitycharter.org. Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  10. "ICRC Code of Conduct signatories" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  11. Plan India
  12. "Anil Kapoor donates Slumdog pay cheque to Plan India | Top News India". Topnews.in. 2009-03-17. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  13. "Slumdog Millionaire – Summer Screen raises funds for Plan". Plan UK. Retrieved 2012-01-27.
  14. Plan International USA (28 October 2010). "Plan International USA - Plan to change the world" – via YouTube.
  15. "Changing Lives, Mitt by Mitt". The New York Times. 19 April 2009.
  16. Erin Clements. "Little League star Mo'ne Davis designs sneaker line to benefit impoverished girls - News". TODAY.com. Retrieved 2015-03-20.

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