Development Co-operation Profiles

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

Introduction

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is a family foundation, established in 1999. The foundation is based in Austin, Texas and has offices in both India and South Africa.

The Dell Foundation is inspired by its founders’ shared desire to transform the lives of children living in urban poverty.

Private development finance

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation provided USD 47.3 million for development in 2022. Compared to 2021, this amount represents an increase of 0.7% in real terms. Grants represented 68.8% of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s gross disbursements, while the remaining 31.2% was extended as equity investments.

 

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Bilateral and multilateral allocations

In 2022, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation channelled its development finance mostly through non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil society (USD 28.5 million), private sector institutions (USD 15.4 million) and universities, research institutes or think tanks (USD 3.4 million).

 

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Civil society organisations

In 2022, civil society organisations (CSOs) received USD 28.5 million of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s gross development finance, all of which was earmarked for specific projects or programmes. Of this, 47% was provided to NGOs in donor countries and 41.5% to recipient country-based NGOs.

Learn more about the DAC Recommendation on Enabling Civil Society in Development Co-operation and Humanitarian Aid.

 

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Geographic and thematic focus

In 2022, almost all (99.2%) of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s development finance was allocated to two countries: USD 27.8 million (58.7%) to India and USD 19.6 million (41.3%) to South Africa.

Figure. Bilateral private development finance by recipient country

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Accordingly, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation allocated 58.7% of its development finance to lower middle-income countries in 2022 and 40.5% to upper middle-income countries, noting that USD 0.4 million (0.8%) 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.

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Sectors

In 2022, 81.5% of the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s contributions were allocated to social infrastructure and services and 18.1% to economic infrastructure and services. In terms of sectors, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s largest allocations went to education (USD 37 million) and financial and business services (USD 8.5 million).

 

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Sustainable Development Goals

In 2022, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation committed the largest shares of its contributions to reduced inequalities (SDG 10), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8) and quality education (SDG 4) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda.

 

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Additional resources

Official website: www.dell.org

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.