Global Impact Investing Network

Impact Now with Amit Bouri | Marilia Bezerra of IKEA Foundation

The IKEA Foundation unveiled a refreshed strategy that merges its historic climate and people pillars into a unified approach, emphasizing that climate action must directly improve livelihoods. This shift reflects a broader industry realization that climate financing from philanthropy is minuscule—just 2‑3% of total climate funds—and that emerging economies remain severely under‑served. Key elements of the new strategy include a systems‑lens grantmaking model, a focus on people‑centric, climate‑positive pathways in low‑income markets, and a firm commitment to localization—handing decision‑making power to those closest to the challenges. The foundation also announced its first foray into impact investing, made possible by a 2024 Dutch law allowing charitable foundations to deploy public‑benefit capital, with grant and investment teams now operating under a single impact‑outcome framework. Illustrative moments from the interview highlight the foundation’s pragmatic balance of urgency and patience: “we have to whistle and chew gum at the same time,” says Marilia, underscoring the need for early wins alongside long‑term structural reforms. Brazil serves as a test case, where policy reform, market incentives, and local institution strengthening are pursued simultaneously, and where the same outcome metrics guide both grants and impact investments. The strategy signals to donors, impact investors, and development partners that coordinated, locally‑led, and system‑wide interventions are now the norm for large‑scale philanthropy. By aligning capital with measurable policy, market, and narrative shifts, the IKEA Foundation aims to catalyze scalable, self‑reinforcing solutions that close the financing gap for sustainable development.