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OPHI is kindly supported by contracts, grants and donations from governments, international agencies, foundations, and individuals. We are grateful for this support. See our supporters page for a list of OPHI’s current sponsors. If you would like to get in touch with us or have any questions, please contact us.

Why give to OPHI?

It is possible to ‘do something’ about poverty. Since its inception in 2007, the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), part of the University of Oxford’s Department of International Development, has worked to advance individual freedom and overcome poverty by combining rigorous academic research with practical policy-relevant outreach. Acting as a nexus for leading poverty researchers, practitioners, business leaders, and policy makers from all over the globe, OPHI advances sustainable development research while engaging in policy in ways that directly serve the poorest people. OPHI understands that good data are vital for good policy and has taken practical steps to remove existing bottlenecks to effective poverty measurement.

The results of this exacting pragmatism can be found in OPHI’s successful partnerships and projects.  Countries including Mexico, Colombia, Bhutan, Chile, Mozambique, Ghana, Namibia, Pakistan and Costa Rica have adopted official Multidimensional Poverty Indices (MPIs) using the Alkire-Foster method to guide poverty programmes within their national plans. Over 60 countries have now joined the Multidimensional Poverty Peer Network (MPPN) with its Secretariat at OPHI, and many of these countries are well on their way to implementing official national MPIs.

Former President Santos of Colombia has called this work 'inspiring.' Prime Minister Anthony of St Lucia has praised OPHI for its help in providing a way forward on poverty reduction. The Minister of Social Prosperity of Colombia directly attributes poverty reduction in that country to the Colombian MPI.

In 2010, OPHI co-founder and Director, Sabina Alkire, was listed as one of the top 100 thinkers for her work on multidimensional poverty by Foreign Policy. The Economic and Research Council of the UK recognised OPHI in 2014 for the impact of its research on poverty. In 2015, OPHI’s work was included among the top 20 most impressive examples of UK research contributing to global development, a list compiled by the UK Collaborative on Development Sciences (UKDCS). OPHI was selected from the 6,975 impact case studies submitted to the Research Excellence Framework, the system used to assess the research quality of UK universities. In 2019, OPHI’s work won the University of Oxford the Queen’s Anniversary Prize.

We believe in showing respect for the resources given to OPHI by conducting OPHI’s operations as cost efficiently and transparently as possible. We also very much value the ideas and experience of all of our donors. To join OPHI and support its mission to reduce poverty efficiently and effectively, please consider making a gift.

Giving Tuesday 2024

Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving, will take place on 3 December 2024. You have a chance to make a difference and support OPHI's work on eradicating global poverty.

Your gift will provide our team with resources to address new global problems such as the environment-poverty nexus through cutting-edge research, and to continue developing world-class tools that are used by over 40 governments and international agencies to inform poverty reduction policies and programmes.

With your help, OPHI can continue to innovate and stay the forefront of the fight against poverty, actively engaging global leaders, and championing sustainable development through rigorous academic work, while engaging in policy in ways that directly serve the poorest people. 

How to give

Donations from individuals provide important flexible resources to further our mission. Individuals in the UK, USA, and Canada may be able to claim tax deductions on their gifts.

• Donate online in British pounds via credit or debit card through the University of Oxford’s Online Giving Page.
• For Residents of the United States, tax deductible donations may be made in US dollars online via credit card through the University of Oxford North American Office.  When using this facility, please type in ‘Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI)’ in the ‘Further Information’ field. US Residents may also make a donation by mail to the University of Oxford’s North American Office’s Gift Form for US Residents. Please be sure to indicate that the gift is for the ‘Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI)’. On the North American Office’s Planned Giving pages, there is also information on alternative forms of giving, including securities.