BY THE END OF 2022, GLOBAL FORCED DISPLACEMENT REACHED NEARLY 110 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE DUE TO CONFLICT, HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, OPPRESSION AND CLIMATE DISASTERS. IT IS A GLOBAL PHENOMENON THAT AFFECTS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND WALKS OF LIFE 

People with refugee experiences face political, economic, social and personal challenges spanning housing, safety, employment and trauma. These challenges compound the difficult and distressing experiences they face on their journey to resettlement. Personal characteristics like age, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, educational background, sexual orientation and religion also affect an individual’s resettlement experience.

Beyond Sport launched the Sport Together Fund in 2022 to provide grants and capacity-building support to non-profit organizations, sports clubs and collectives who are assisting communities facing conflict, displacement, human rights violations and climate change disasters. The Fund also supports the transit and host communities where people are rebuilding their lives.

Co-designed with our Expert Advisory Group, comprised of activists, practitioners, athletes, researchers and individuals with lived refugee experiences, the Fund directly supports initiatives using sport to tangibly improve the lives of people experiencing displacement and resettlement.

With a strong call to action following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which caused the displacement of an estimated 14 million people, the Fund was initially formed to provide direct support to community sport organizations across Europe using sport to support individuals displaced and resettled from Ukraine.

However, systemic forced displacement affects people from all continents worldwide. The Sport Together Fund, guided by the Fund Priorities and Principles and with strategic support from UNHCR - the UN Refugee Agency, supports wide-ranging sport-based leadership and grassroots initiatives that prioritize intersectionality, co-production with refugees, diversity, sustainability and community building.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR GRANTEE-PARTNERS

"In times of heightened instability, like the evolving refugee crisis, it’s important to Beyond Sport to be able to meet the needs of organizations who are assisting affected communities where they are -- being flexible in our approach and adapting to their individual situations. We always seek to be intentional with our grants, guided by research and community experts, to best serve those who are serving others. When NGOs have the space to take a needs-based approach, supported by flexible but purposeful funding, the impact is immeasurably stronger." - Fred Turner, Executive Director, Beyond Sport

For more information, please contact [email protected].