How the Equality Fund is going Beyond Aid
Monday, May 18, 2026
London, United Kingdom
Today, the Equality Fund published its new policy white paper, Beyond Aid: Rethinking Development Finance for a Changing World. It boldly lays out a global opportunity to finance gender equality in a time of rapid geopolitical change and economic instability.
This white paper identifies two fundamental flaws in the traditional ways the world finances social and economic progress:
- An over-reliance on foreign aid
- An outdated aid‑driven model that leaves vast pools of capital disconnected from real‑world impact
Alternative models of development finance can deliver social impact led by local actors. This paper spotlights the Equality Fund as an innovative, future‑ready development finance mechanism, aligning public, private and philanthropic capital to create steady, durable, long-term funding.
“Despite unprecedented global wealth, the systems we rely on to finance progress are not reaching those doing the hardest, most necessary work,” says Jess Tomlin, CEO of the Equality Fund. “The real scarcity is not in ideas or leadership. It is in the way money moves.”
About the Equality Fund
Since its launch in 2019, the Equality Fund has refined a new model for the future, investing in people with local solutions to global challenges, and has achieved the following:
- $300 million initial investment from Government of Canada
- $55 million (CAD) investment from Government of UK
- $356 million current valuation of investment portfolio
- $125 million in grants disbursed to 1800 organizations in over 100 countries
Media inquiries can be sent to media@equalityfund.ca
