Technical assistance for funders

We partner with funders to design or strengthen initiatives that: pilot bold ideas with smart risk-taking, test them rigorously with fit-for-purpose evaluation methods, scale what works, and continuously learn so operations, portfolios, and procurement improve over time. Our core principles - cost-effectiveness, evidence, and scalability - anchor every engagement. From there, we work with funders to tailor our support to specific contexts and needs. We right-size our engagement, from part-time consulting to full-time embedding of staff, with options for virtual and in-person support. We can co-create scopes aligned to priorities and where opportunities for influence and impact are most promising.

We collaborate with funders of all kinds - multilaterals, bilaterals, national and subnational governments, and private foundations. If you share our commitment to rigorous evidence, cost-effective impact, and scaling what works, or are hoping to work towards that goal, we would love to hear from you to explore a potential partnership.

Our team is available to work with funders in a variety of ways to elevate evidence and innovation in their work. The DIV Fund supports global funders to: - Design and build fit-for-purpose tiered-evidence innovation funds: From initial fund design to execution of daily processes, support can involve fund conceptualization and operationalization, as well as building evidence and learning systems. - Build internal scaling functions: The team can support funders to build initiatives to identify evidence-backed, cost-effective solutions and mainstream them through institutional funding and programming. - Integrate and strengthen evidence and innovation: DIV can support funders to adopt more evidence-based approaches into their work. This could range from launching targeted initiatives (e.g., supporting institutions in making new types of awards for early-stage pilots or policy-relevant evaluations) to providing practical recommendations on funding criteria, review approaches, outcomes-based funding models, and more.

Beyond its 15 year experience building and running Development Innovation Ventures within USAID, the DIV Fund team has helped establish and refine several other tiered-evidence funds and innovation programs, including France’s Fund for Innovation in Development (FID) and the Global Innovation Fund (GIF). The DIV Fund’s team established the USAID-wide “Stage 4” innovation scaling initiative, which leveraged over $100M in committed USAID funding to bring highly cost-effective solutions to scale. Our team brings deep experience working both inside and outside government, combining technical expertise with a practical, outcomes-oriented approach. We work side-by-side with partners to design solutions that fit their institutional goals by adapting our proven model to each organization’s context, priorities, and needs.

If this piques your interest, we would love to hear from you - please reach out at connect@div.fund. Initial conversations are informal and exploratory - a chance to listen, understand your context, and determine how we can help. We look forward to hearing from you!