1. URBAN YOUTH FUND
UN-HABITAT
Nexus Global Youth Summit
2013

2. Urban Youth Fund
What have we learned?
How can you get involved?

3. What is the Urban Youth Fund?
1
•A gate opener for youth groups with low
or no access to finance
2
•A laboratory for testing out new models
and mechanisms for youth empowerment
3
•A provider of input to UN-Habitat’s
research and normative work
Ultimate goal
Change the policy of bilaterals and multilaterals
affecting youth globally

4. Youth Fund: A working model?
• Funding small scale initiatives
• Small is equally efficient
• We learn through diversity

6. Youth Fund: A working model?
• Funding small scale initiatives
• Small is equally efficient
• We learn through diversity

7. Small is equally good and efficient
-0.1
0.1
0.3
0.5
0.7
0.9
1.1
1.3
Rateofsuccess
1:Outcome=Target
Grant Size ranging from USD4,000 to USD 25,000
Level of success
Source: 2009 Urban Youth Funded Projects

8. Small is equally good and efficient
Youth Fund Grantees
No significant difference between small and large grants in terms of ability to
achieve project goals
There is inverse relationship between the size of grant and efficiency

9. Youth Fund: A working model?
• Funding small scale initiatives
• Small is equally efficient
• We learn through diversity

10. 38%
8%
4%
21%16%
5%8%
Thematic Focuses

11. Urban Youth Fund
What have we learnt?
How can you get involved?

12. What have we learnt?
• Youth-led development is complex and multi-focused
• Financial important but not in a vacuum
• How to create sustainable results?

13. Purpose of Youth-led Initiatives
Youth-led projects are wide in
their scope of work and tackle
intricately-linked issues
TOGETHER rather than one by
one.
Source: 2008-2012 Web Survey of Youth-Led Initiatives-UN-
Habitat, Youth Unit
Community
Development
Vocational
training
Entrepreneurship
Reprodu
ctive
Health

14. What have we learnt?
• Youth-led development is complex and multi-focused
• Financial support important but not in a vacuum
• How to create sustainable results?

15. “Personally, I am grateful to UN-Habitat for the
support they gave me as the Project Coordinator.
In 2012, I benefited from the project
implementation training in Cairo (Egypt) which
greatly boosted my project management and
implementation skills. UN-Habitat also gave
CI, guidelines on various aspects of the project
such as report writing”
-Project Coordinator, Conscience International -
Gambia

16. Physical
Capital
Human
Capital
Financial
Capital
Social, p
olitical &
cultural
capital
“Personally, I am grateful to UN-Habitat for the support they
gave me as the Project Coordinator. In 2012, I benefited
from the project implementation training in Cairo (Egypt)
which greatly boosted my project management and
implementation skills. UN-Habitat also gave CI, guidelines on
various aspects of the project such as report writing”
-Project Coordinator, Conscience International -Gambia
“The project has established a credit facility for the youth
known as the Entrepreneurship Support Fund which supports
small businesses run by youth and helps turn their ideas into
successful businesses. UN-Habitat funds for entrepreneurship
support were invested as a revolving fund and are helping to
address part of the challenges. The credit facilities established
means that the project impact will continue after UN-Habitat
funding as it is a revolving fund which will continue to benefit
more youths in various ways.”
- Project Coordinator, CYM

17. What have we learnt?
• Youth-led development is complex and multi-focused
• Financial important but not in a vacuum
• Creating sustainable results

18. Creating Sustainable Results
Direct Youth
Funded
Project
Funded Youth
Group
Community
Level
Immediate Intermediate Long-term

19. Creating Sustainable Results
Immediate
Outcomes
•Capacity
building through
project
management
training for
Project
Coordinators
•Expanded
working space for
some grantees
Intermediate
Outcomes
•Revolving funds
•Youth-run micro-
enterprises
•Resource centers
•Cooperatives
and working
groups
•Enhanced skills
for targeted
youth
Long term
Outcomes
•Community
cooperation and
mobilization
towards
sustainable youth
employment
creation
•Youth viewed as
positive change
agents in their
community

20. Urban Youth Fund
What have we learned?
How can you get involved?

21. Our goals
Improved
mentorship during
the project
Improved monitoring
and evaluation during
the project
Improved
assistance/
support to
scale up
successful
projects for
year 2
Create platform and
networks for peer-to-peer
learning and support during
and after the project
Create platform
for capacity
development
after year 1
And Here

23. How to get involved
1. Through One-To-One mentorship
2. As a resource person in regional training sessions
3. As a resource person in regional alumni sessions
4. As funder

25. The greatest strength of youth
organizations or initiatives is the
young people within them
AND
the people they are able to
network and partner with.

26. Partnering up: Full-scale partner
Example 1: The Narotam Sehksaria Foundation
• The India Youth Fund (yearly budget of 155,000 USD for 3 years)
• Customized partnership model for the India Youth Fund
• Financial support
• Application documents and requirements
• Active partner in the screening process
• Selection of projects
• Contracting

27. Partnering up : Financial Partner
Example 2: BASF Social Foundation
• Financial support to our regional project management trainings, and
• Selected projects, and
• Developing e-learning platform for the Urban Youth Fund (tbc)

28. Let’s talk more…
jon-andreas.solberg@unhabitat.org
LinkedIn.com/jasolberg
Facebook.com/j.a.solberg
Twitter.com/jasolberg