The Malala Fund is an international charity focused on improving access to education for girls around the world by advocating for increased government educational funding and training female activists. 1 The Malala Fund was previously a project of the New Venture Fund, which is managed by philanthropic consulting firmArabella Advisors.2
The fund was co-founded by Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani educational activist who was injured after a terrorist attack committed by the Taliban in 2012. 3
Background
The Malala Fund was formally established in 2013 following an assassination attempt in 2012 against Pakastani educational activist Malala Yousafzai. Former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown worked with global consulting firm McKinsey to secure donations but received them following Malala’s attack and recovery. Actress Angelina Jolie was one of the first to contribute to the newly established organization. 43 The fund states that as of 2023 it has provided $39.7 million in grants and has assisted over 21 million students. 5
Financials
In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, the Malala Fund reported $55,818,336 in revenue, of which $55,317,404 was derived from grants and contributions and $497,729 came from investment income. It reported $26,643,480 in expenses, of which $16,074,513 was allocated to grants and $4,666,996 was spent on salaries and compensation. It ended the fiscal year with a surplus of $29,174,856 and net assets of $57,039,715. This amount is an increase of net assets from $28,707,330 at the end of the previous fiscal year. 6
Philanthropist Mackenzie Scott has listed the Malala Fund as a recipient of funding in 2022, however the amount of money contributed to the fund was marked as “disclosure delayed for the benefit of recipient.” 7
In December 2025, the Malala Fund was one of multiple organizations that received a grant from Yield Giving, the philanthropic initiative started by MacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos. In 2025 alone, Scott, through Yield Giving, donated over $7.16 billion to philanthropies and other charity organizations around the world. 9
Programs
The Malala Fund is focused on increasing educational opportunities for girls around the world by changing social norms around women’s education, safety, and career expectations and increasing government funding for education. It works towards these goals by running international advocacy campaigns, mobilizing women activists, and providing educational resources. The fund also states that climate change is a cause of girls being unable to complete 12 years of education and that educated women will help to solve the perceived climate crisis. 110
The fund is active in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Brazil, Lebanon, Pakistan, India, Tanzania, Turkey, and Ethiopia. 1
Leadership
Malala Yousafzai is the co-founder and executive chair of the Malala Fund. She is an activist for girl’s education in her home region in Pakistan before she was attacked and wounded in 2012 by members of the Pakistani Taliban. Following her attack and recovery, the Fund was established through donations from former U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown as well as donations from around the world. 3
Lena Alfi is the chief executive officer of the Malala Fund since January 2023. She was previously the chief development officer and worked as the corporate and foundation relations officer. Before moving to the Malala Fund, she worked at the Middle East Children’s Institute and Mercy Corps. 11
With #startsmall's investment, Malala Fund will support at least 20 Education Champion-led initiatives that empower girls and keep them learning during COVID-19, advocate for global policy change that prioritizes girls' education and train the next generation of girl activists. Our work supports girls in Afghanistan, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey.
