*2023 Impact figures
The AVOCADO Foundation, formerly Money4Youth, is a UK based charity founded in 2014 by Carol Akiwumi MBE, which holds the importance of financial literacy at its core.
Our pilot programmes were funded by Barnet Innovation Bank and started as a six week lunchtime money club for Year 5 pupils at Dollis Junior School in London. Following this, we ran a two week financial literacy session with Year 12 students at Copthall School, London, and coached them to deliver a similar session to their fellow Year 7 students.
Seeing everyone beam with confidence in their new skills and knowledge, confirmed the positive impact we wanted to continue to make.
Since then, we have delivered financial literacy classes to more than 2,500 young people in schools and community groups in the UK, Rwanda, Nigeria, Liberia, Cameroon and Zambia.
And now our activities have expanded to include work with nonprofits and entrepreneurs, to give them the tools they need to make the most of their resources, as well as the knowledge and confidence to make their own positive change in the world.
Collectively, this is our movement of #WorldChangers.
In her own words, here’s a short video from our founder, Carol, on the influences and impact that underpin why we do what we do.
A world where disadvantaged and marginalised communities thrive because individuals and organisations that serve them have access to financial management education and the confidence to engage in enterprise.
The AVOCADO Foundation exists to tackle inequality through quality education by equipping individuals and organisations with tools for stewardship, financial sustainability and entrepreneurship.
Our work places a strong emphasis on young people, women and disadvantaged communities.
Through our interventions, we light fires that equip and inspire people to be the architects of their own, lasting change.
Respect for everyone we work with is at our core.
We choose to engage with honesty and transparency to build meaningful working relationships.
Here to inspire and motivate, we celebrate difference and learning from one another.
Our support evolves with those we work with.
In a rapidly changing world, our support stems from maintaining a deep understanding of the needs of our team and those we are here to help.
Our strength comes from collaboration.
We work together to achieve common goals and drive positive change.
Hear the words of Shadia, (not her real name) a 10 year old girl who was inspired to set up a stall at her school book fair after attending a lunch time Money4Youth club.
After the six week lunch time course for Year 5 pupils at Dollis Junior School, Shadia’s confidence had grown and she couldn’t wait to put her new found knowledge and skills to use.
Since 2012, The AVOCADO Foundation CEO and Founder, Carol Akiwumi MBE, has hosted our very own annual AVOCADOs’ Den event.
Named after the acclaimed BBC TV show, we bring an audience of Black, Asian, Multi-Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) led nonprofits together to pitch to grant makers, with the opportunity to network and celebrate the work of the BAMER-led voluntary sector.
At this year’s event in October, we’ll be placing a renewed emphasis on participatory grant-making. Participatory grant-making is about placing the people and communities affected by the issues we’re tackling at the core of decision-making; on what to fund and how to fund it.
Audience voting has been the norm at our AVOCADO Den event but this year, we want to go one step further.
Giving is powerful. To embed participation at every level of grant-making, we need collective funds, with a wide range of sources, where every stakeholder has a say in the process.
Will you help us shine a spotlight on what true participatory grant-making looks like?
On 4th July this year, The AVOCADO Foundation’s #OperationTransparency sent an open letter to the Charity Commission for England & Wales.
We urged the Commission to monitor the diversity of charity trustees and senior executives across a range of protected characteristics. Public access to this data would enable better interventions to improve diversity and build trust and accountability in the sector.
The AVOCADO Foundation received a formal response from the Commission, dated 8th August, acknowledging the severity of the issue and committing our proposal to consideration. The Commission has made no policy commitments, but we hope its openness to addressing the issue will encourage others affected and interested, to continue adding their own views.
