About

Fighting injustice by funding evidence-driven systemic solutions that are led by the people who are most affected by it.

WHY

We won’t solve the challenges this world faces if we don’t address the underlying global injustices. We need effective, evidence-based solutions that are led by the people most affected by it to achieve lasting change and a better future. Many of these solutions exist but there is very little funding available to test and scale them. That’s why we fund exactly that.

HOW

After a detailed initial organisational review that helps to get to know each other and build trust, our funding is highly flexible. We fund organisations rather than projects and offer support beyond financials (if desired). Our grantee partners are the experts and we let them do their job instead of keeping them busy with reporting. We can’t create impact without our grantee partners and also won’t gain a holistic understanding and learn for ourselves. We consider the magnitude and neglectedness of a problem as well as the tractability of the proposed solution. Our trust-based approach and being receptive allows us to change course when needed. Have a look at our selection criteria for further details. Due to limited time resources we don’t accept unsolicited grant proposals.

WHAT

We support initiatives in low income countries that are locally-led and have a clear focus on evidence from the very beginning. Our aim is to improve lives through funding systemic, sustainable and innovative solutions that generate skills, income and access to knowledge. We believe equitable access to knowledge and education can reduce inequality and enable participation and representation of all in society. There is high need for action, yet many programmes remain ineffective as they are not well linked to local needs and opportunities or based on insufficient evidence. There is a strong bias in financial flows with just a small percentage going to local stakeholders. Often this leads to a vicious circle in which local social entrepreneurs have few opportunities to implement their solutions. It’s now time to change that and make sure that the people most affected by global injustices own their future. Instead of reproducing imbalances that are neither just nor leading to sustainable outcomes.

Our SDG focus:

WHO

Azurit Foundation was set up by a small group of like-minded people. We are optimists at heart and like to focus on the potential and opportunities out there. Our advisory board is responsible for making the final decision on grants. It also challenges and approves the strategic focus of our organisation.

LEA BUCK

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Lea has many years of work experience as a consultant at Active Philanthropy and Wider Sense, working with individuals and foundations on strategies and operations in philanthropy and social investment. More recently, she successfully set up a multi-stakeholder collective impact initiative to improve the situation of care leavers in Germany. Lea is also Managing Director of Kara Impact Ventures, our impact investing vehicle. She studied political science and international law in Hamburg and London. Lea cares about many things, but women empowerment and participatory grant-making in particular.
NOÉMIE BRICARD

PROJECT MANAGER

Noémie studied politics, philosophy and economics at Witten/Herdecke University. Prior to joining Azurit Foundation she worked for the Global Green Growth Institute in Seoul, the European Parliament and locally-led youth focused organisations in Tanzania and Bolivia. She is inspired by founders who create sustainable & impactful organizations to improve the lives of others.
ANTON HIEBER

ADVISORY BOARD

Anton’s core fields of interest are human rights, environment, and education. He is inspired by the contagious power of social entrepreneurs working towards sustainable and equitable future societies across the globe and how their efforts can lead to groundbreaking and indispensable policy changes at national and international levels. Anton studied law at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. After finishing his two-year legal traineeship at the higher regional court of Munich, he has worked as a venture capital lawyer. He now works in the public sector.
JOSEPHINE NZEREM

ADVISORY BOARD

Josephine is a social entrepreneur with over a decade’s experience in the protection of women from socio-economic abuses. She has been the Executive Director of Human Angle, an organisation she co-founded, and she is also the founder of Ten Feet Tall initiative. She is the Regional Director of Ashoka Anglophone West Africa, and Director, Venture and Talent, Ashoka Africa. Josephine’s passion is to build an Africa where everyone is a changemaker by inspiring all of Africa to take the initiative to solve social problems. Josephine’s educational background spans the areas of dramatic arts, psychology, and also public and international affairs.
GREGOR SINGER

ADVISORY BOARD

Gregor is a research economist at the London School of Economics where he works at the Grantham Research Institute for Climate Change and the Environment. He is passionate about socio-economic progress in societies and works on issues at the intersection of development, environment, and industry through economic and empirical analysis of structural challenges and solutions. He completed a PhD in Environmental Economics in 2019 and a Postdoc at the University of California, San Diego.
YANICK KEMAYOU

ADVISORY BOARD

Yanick is an Academic turned EdTech entrepreneur with a deep motiviation for life-long learning. He is the co-founder, CEO and Chief Learning Officer of Kabakoo Academies, one of our first grantee partners. Yanick holds a PhD from Paderborn University, Germany.
VICTORIA WALDERSEE

COMMUNICATIONS ADVISOR

Victoria Waldersee is a business correspondent for Reuters in Berlin. Prior to joining Reuters, she was a data journalist for YouGov, conducting research on public opinion towards political and social issues in the UK. From 2015-2018, she was co-founder and CEO of Economy, a UK-based NGO working towards a more inclusive and accessible public debate on economic policy.

Through our sister company Kara Impact Ventures, we also cover impact investments that follow a vision that is similar to our philanthropic activities. Our integrated approach to philanthropy and investments allows us to develop the best tailored financing solutions.