About Us

What we do

Extreme poverty is a complex issue: it won’t be solved overnight or by one person. But, for the first time in history, humankind has the resources, the knowledge and the framework to see an end extreme poverty within a generation.

At the Global Poverty Project we see our role as building the movement of people working to realise this monumental opportunity. We know that every person – in what we learn, how we talk, buy, use our political voice and give our time - can help tackle extreme poverty. That’s why we focus on build a movement of people taking action – developing education and advocacy tools to ensure we can build a bigger, better and more effective movement, so that we can end extreme poverty quicker.

In 2009 the Global Poverty Project launched the live multi-media presentation 1.4 Billion Reasons. This interactive presentation was designed to educate and inspire audiences to join the movement to end extreme poverty. Developed in conjunction with development and economics experts, 1.4 Billion Reasons shares the successes, challenges and opportunities in the fight against extreme poverty.

Since launch, the presentation has been seen by more than 100,000 people across three continents.

Live Below the Line is an innovative awareness and fundraising campaign that’s making a huge difference in the fight against extreme poverty. Over five days, the challenge sees participants feed themselves with the equivalent of the extreme poverty line - gaining personal insights into lack of opportunity and choice, and opening a window onto the challenges faced by those living in extreme poverty. Since launching in 2010 this campaign has mobilised more than 24,000 participants, facilitated more than 400,000 conversations about extreme poverty and raised more than $5 million for partner organisations working to fight poverty.

Since July 2011, the Global Poverty Project has worked with partners to run The End of Polio campaign. This campaign shares the remarkable story of progress towards polio eradication, while helping build the public support and momentum required to close the funding gap threatening eradication efforts.

So far the campaign has mobilised more than 25,000 people and secured an additional $118 million in pledges for polio eradication.

Global Citizen is a website and mobile application designed to help passionate change makers find effective and relevant ways to take action. It is a platform to learn more about the issues that trap people in extreme poverty, support organizations working to create change on the ground, and to campaign for systemic, lasting change. 

This September, as world leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, the Global Festival will bring 60,000 change makers together in Central Park to celebrate progress fighting extreme poverty, and urge leaders and citizens to do more. This advocacy concert will showcase a generation taking action to fight extreme poverty, and provide a platform for further action. It will share the good news stories of smart aid, demonstrating how investments in things like vaccines can transform children’s lives, and bring us to the brink of huge wins like the complete eradication of polio.