Normally at this time of year, 1% for Development Fund volunteers would have stood at the building entrances in headquarters to distribute the traditional 1% Fund calendars to all staff. It would have been the one occasion in the year that the 1% Fund performs an awareness-raising exercise to encourage staff to sign-up to this uplifting staff initiative. Although the calendars have not been produced this year, the core work of the 1% Fund continues.

Financed by contributions from staff at FAO and the other RBAs, who pledge to contribute one percent of their salary each month.

Initially established in 1976 by a small group of UN colleagues in Geneva, the 1% for Development Fund assigns one percent of participating members’ salaries/pensions to small-scale development projects in underprivileged communities around the world.

Inspired by a UN resolution calling on the world’s largest economies to earmark 0.7 percent of their GNP for official development assistance, our colleagues in Geneva wanted to show that UN staff could do the same or even better.

1% Funds were subsequently established in Rome, New York, and Vienna in 1983, 1985, and 1986, respectively, to involve UN staff working in these cities

The Rome-based fund presently counts 75 members. The entirety of their contributions, around USD 50 000 annually, is allocated directly to projects without any overhead costs since the 1% Fund is managed by the members themselves, all volunteers. Since its inception almost 40 years ago over USD 2 000 000 has been disbursed by the Rome 1% Fund to over 450 small-scale development projects!

The 1% Fund finances tangible development projects in line with the Organization's mandate. It also offers members the chance to contact colleagues outside their work circle and beneficiaries, enabling the sort of hands-on experience often lacking in administrative work.  

Development project requests are received through colleagues or directly on the 1% Fund’s web page. All proposals are screened by a project appraisal group and all members are invited to approve projects by e-mail votes.

Recent projects have included a post-hurricane Dorian beekeeping project in Fiji (BHS/19/098) through a former FAO colleague, the construction of toilet facilities in a village school in Cameroon (CMR/19/001), an oyster mushroom production project also in Cameroon (CMR/18/015) and a beekeeping and honey production project in northern Guatemala (GTM/18/063).

Anyone with a contractual relationship, including programme, project staff, consultants and retirees, with FAO, IFAD, and WFP - can join and pledge 1% of their net salary. Members can also choose to participate actively in the work of the 1% Fund by helping to evaluate and monitor small-scale projects or by sharing expert knowledge.

FAO staff members' contributions can be automatically deducted from their payroll, with other methods of payment available tailored to staff and non-staff members alike.

To enrol in the 1% for Development Fund please send an email to [email protected] who will guide you through the simple joining procedure.