The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation is a private foundation based in the United States, formed in 2006 with an endowment from Margaret A. Cargill.
The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation focuses on a limited number of underserved or low-attention causes, favouring community-based, on-the-ground programmes that provide meaningful assistance and support to society, the arts and the environment.
The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation provided USD 53.6 million for development in 2022 through its grantmaking activities. Compared to 2021, this amount represents an increase of 0.8% in real terms.
In 2022, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation channelled its development finance mostly through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society (USD 49.5 million), universities, research institutes or think‑tanks (USD 2.4 million) and multilateral organisations (USD 1.2 million).
In 2022, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation provided USD 1.2 million to the multilateral system, representing 2.3% of its development finance, all of which was earmarked for specific countries, regions, themes or purposes. UNICEF of the United Nations system was the institution that received these contributions.
In 2022, civil society organisations (CSOs) received USD 49.5 million of the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation’s gross development finance. Of this, 10.8% was allocated to CSOs as core support, while the remaining 89.2% was earmarked for specific projects or programmes.
Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid.
In 2022, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation’s development finance was primarily focused on Asia (excluding the Middle East) and Latin America and the Caribbean. USD 19.1 million was allocated to Asia (excluding the Middle East) and USD 11.3 million to Latin America and the Caribbean, accounting respectively for 35.6% and 21.1% of gross development finance. A sum of USD 16.3 million (30.4%) was unspecified by region in 2022, mainly including multi-regional programmes, core support and research grants.
In 2022, 52% of gross development finance went to the top 10 recipients, most notably Indonesia, Kenya, Guatemala, Bangladesh and Cambodia.
Least developed countries (LDCs) received USD 12.3 million (22.9%) of the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation’s gross disbursements in 2022. The Margaret A. Cargill Foundation allocated the largest share (25.1%) of its development finance to lower middle-income countries in 2022), noting that USD 17.2 million (32%) was unallocated by income group.
Notes: LDC: least developed country; LIC: low-income country; LMIC: lower middle-income country; UMIC: upper middle-income country; MADCTs: more advanced developing countries and territories.
Furthermore, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation allocated USD 3.9 million of its development finance to land-locked developing countries in 2022, and USD 2.8 million to small island developing states (SIDS) in 2022, most notably Timor-Leste, Fiji and Vanuatu.
Support to fragile contexts reached USD 18.1 million in 2022, representing 33.8% of the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation’s development finance.
Notes: HDP: humanitarian-development-peace. The chart represents only gross bilateral contributions that are allocated by country.
In 2022, 20.3% of the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation’s contributions were allocated to social infrastructure and services, 9.3% to production sectors, and 67.4% to multi-sector. In terms of sectors, disaster risk reduction (USD 23.9 million), general environmental protection (USD 12.3 million), health and population (USD 9.4 million) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (USD 5 million). Humanitarian assistance amounted to USD 1.1 million.
In 2022, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation committed the largest shares of its contributions to reduced inequalities (SDG 10), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12) and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. Support for gender equality and women’s empowerment amounted to USD 10.1 million. Contributions to combatting climate change totalled USD 26.3 million.
Official website: https://www.cargill.com
The methodological notes provide further details on the definitions and statistical methodologies applied, including core and earmarked contributions to multilateral organisations, the Sustainable Development Goal focus of private development finance, channels of delivery, unspecified/unallocated allocations, the gender equality policy marker, and the environment markers.