Photo: Neil Palmer/2011CIAT
Grant is in response to FFI being named again as a GiveWell ‘standout charity’
The Food Fortification Initiative (FFI) is pleased to announce the receipt of $100,000 from the Open Philanthropy Project in response to being named a GiveWell “standout charity” again this year.
GiveWell is a non-profit evaluator that conducts in-depth analyses to identify outstanding giving opportunities for donors. This is the third consecutive year that GiveWell has designated FFI as a standout charity, and the third year that the Open Philanthropy Project has donated to FFI.
The funds will facilitate FFI’s work in helping country leaders promote, plan, implement, and monitor wheat flour, maize flour, and rice fortification programs. FFI is the only global group that focuses on improving nutrition by fortifying these commonly consumed grains.
“We equip country leaders to sustain fortification programs without us,” said Scott J. Montgomery, FFI Director. “But engaging national leaders and ensuring their commitment to food fortification is a time-consuming process. We rely on the generous support from donors like the Open Philanthropy Project to make it possible.”
For many, nutrition can be a matter of life and death. Pregnant women with severe anemia are twice as likely to die during or shortly after pregnancy. Additionally, about 75% of children with brain and spine birth defects (neural tube defects) die before their fifth birthday.
For survivors, iron deficiency in childhood can hinder cognitive development, academic performance, and future earnings potential. Birth defects often lead to life-long disability and place a tremendous burden on national healthcare systems. Consequently, fortifying grains has far-reaching benefits for individuals and the broader economy.
A recent study using FFI data credited fortification with preventing 50,270 brain and spine birth defects in one year—an average of 137 healthier babies every day. However, this figure represents just 18% of the birth defects that could potentially be prevented worldwide through grain fortification.
The Open Philanthropy Project donation was made through the U.S. National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 501(c)(3) public charity which administers FFI’s grants. Its federal tax ID is 58-2106707, and it has a four-star rating on Charity Navigator.
