GLB-05-2025
Dear friends,
We are excited to announce that the Messengers of Peace Fund, which powers our work to inspire Scouts and National Scout Organizations to take action in promoting peace, dialogue, and community action worldwide, has been renewed with an additional USD 50 million in funding over the next decade.
The transformative Messengers of Peace funding agreement was signed at the Human Capability Initiative event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 13 April and builds on more than ten years of collaboration between World Scouting, the World Scout Foundation, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Since 2010, Messengers of Peace has strengthened the capacity of National Scout Organizations, and inspired more than 16 million projects and actions totalling nearly 3 billion hours of community service towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These efforts were funded thanks to a generous grant of USD 27 million from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the personal engagement of The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.
The renewed funding will create more opportunities to engage young people and volunteers in Scouting’s transformative education programmes, equipping them with the life and leadership skills to promote peace, tackle climate change, advocate for equality, champion health and well-being, and drive meaningful progress towards the SDGs.
The funding will allow World Scouting to offer national grants for community development, enhance digital learning and advocacy efforts, provide emergency support for humanitarian response, and strengthen the growth and development of Scouting by delivering essential services to National Scout Organizations.
We would like to express our appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their trust and support of Scouting’s peace-building work. We also extend our thanks and recognition to the World Scout Foundation for its efforts over the last decade to sustain and increase project funding for National Scout Organizations and the World Scout Bureau, as well as for leading the renewal of the Messengers of Peace Fund. We would also like to acknowledge the contributions of the Saudi Arabia National Scout Organization as a strategic partner in this process.
The Messengers of Peace Fund is a key component of World Scouting's granting system, bringing together various funding sources and partners under a unified framework to provide financial support to National Scout Organizations. This support strengthens capacity, improves programme implementation, and increases Scouting's global impact. The process for National Scout Organizations to access funding remains the same as in past years, and if you have any questions please contact your Regional Support Centre.
The impact of Messengers of Peace is highlighted in the 2022 impact evaluation report. This success has helped the World Scout Foundation attract new donors, secure additional project funding and, together with World Scouting, encourage the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to renew its funding commitment over the next ten years.
To learn more about the impact of Messengers of Peace, visit the Scout.org website and the World Scout Foundation website. NSOs can also access a range of communications assets — including a press release, graphics, and social media content — to help share this announcement with their networks.
Read this circular in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.
Yours in Scouting,
David Berg
Acting Secretary General
World Scouting