Key Takeaways
- • Save the Children launched its first Bitcoin Fund in partnership with Fortris, enabling the organization to securely hold Bitcoin donations for up to four years to maximize contribution value during humanitarian crises.
- • The fund represents a strategic pivot toward blockchain-based cash and voucher assistance delivery, leveraging Bitcoin, stablecoins, and digital wallets to accelerate fund disbursement while reducing transaction costs and improving financial transparency.
- • Save the Children has set a $10 million fundraising target in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency donations before year-end, building on over a decade of digital asset acceptance dating back to its 2013 pioneering adoption as the first INGO to accept Bitcoin.
- • The initiative addresses funding gaps in traditional foreign aid channels by positioning cryptocurrency as a complementary mechanism for emergency response and long-term development programs serving children in crisis zones including Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan.
- • The Bitcoin Fund operationalizes Hodl Hope, Save the Children's existing cryptocurrency initiative that has raised millions in digital assets, and tests scalable infrastructure for delivering humanitarian assistance through decentralized financial tools.
Summary
Save the Children unveiled a first-of-its-kind Bitcoin Fund on December 11, 2026, developed in partnership with digital asset infrastructure provider Fortris. The initiative represents a significant institutional adoption of cryptocurrency by a major global humanitarian organization, positioning blockchain-based tools as a mechanism to accelerate emergency aid delivery while reducing operational friction inherent in traditional cross-border payment systems.
The fund's core functionality enables Save the Children to hold Bitcoin donations in secure storage for extended periods—up to four years—allowing the organization to time liquidity events strategically and maximize the value realized from volatile digital assets. Beyond storage, the platform tests operational deployment of Bitcoin, stablecoins, and digital wallets to distribute cash and voucher assistance directly to affected families, with the stated objective of improving speed, cost-efficiency, and transparency relative to conventional humanitarian aid channels.
According to Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children US, the initiative addresses structural challenges in the humanitarian funding landscape. "Out-of-the-box solutions are essential to ensure we continue to be there for children when they need us most—especially when traditional foreign aid funding falters," Soeripto stated. The fund integrates blockchain infrastructure to strengthen both emergency response protocols and long-term development programming across markets including the United States and international crisis zones.
Save the Children's cryptocurrency engagement spans over a decade of institutional practice. The organization became the first international non-governmental organization to accept Bitcoin donations in 2013, establishing early credibility in the crypto-philanthropy space. Through its Hodl Hope initiative—described as one of the sector's most active cryptocurrency programs—the organization has accumulated millions in digital asset donations supporting humanitarian operations in regions including Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. The organization has announced a $10 million fundraising target in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency donations before year-end, signaling institutional commitment to scaling digital asset fundraising infrastructure.
This launch positions Save the Children as a leading institutional validator of cryptocurrency utility in humanitarian contexts, where traditional banking infrastructure, currency instability, and geopolitical constraints frequently impede rapid capital deployment. The Fortris partnership provides technical scaffolding for secure asset custody and programmatic distribution mechanisms, creating a replicable model for other development organizations evaluating digital asset integration.
The fund's core functionality enables Save the Children to hold Bitcoin donations in secure storage for extended periods—up to four years—allowing the organization to time liquidity events strategically and maximize the value realized from volatile digital assets. Beyond storage, the platform tests operational deployment of Bitcoin, stablecoins, and digital wallets to distribute cash and voucher assistance directly to affected families, with the stated objective of improving speed, cost-efficiency, and transparency relative to conventional humanitarian aid channels.
According to Janti Soeripto, President and CEO of Save the Children US, the initiative addresses structural challenges in the humanitarian funding landscape. "Out-of-the-box solutions are essential to ensure we continue to be there for children when they need us most—especially when traditional foreign aid funding falters," Soeripto stated. The fund integrates blockchain infrastructure to strengthen both emergency response protocols and long-term development programming across markets including the United States and international crisis zones.
Save the Children's cryptocurrency engagement spans over a decade of institutional practice. The organization became the first international non-governmental organization to accept Bitcoin donations in 2013, establishing early credibility in the crypto-philanthropy space. Through its Hodl Hope initiative—described as one of the sector's most active cryptocurrency programs—the organization has accumulated millions in digital asset donations supporting humanitarian operations in regions including Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan. The organization has announced a $10 million fundraising target in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency donations before year-end, signaling institutional commitment to scaling digital asset fundraising infrastructure.
This launch positions Save the Children as a leading institutional validator of cryptocurrency utility in humanitarian contexts, where traditional banking infrastructure, currency instability, and geopolitical constraints frequently impede rapid capital deployment. The Fortris partnership provides technical scaffolding for secure asset custody and programmatic distribution mechanisms, creating a replicable model for other development organizations evaluating digital asset integration.
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