top of page

Our Purpose

Woman holding a bowl of harvested grain

The CARFF (Christian Aid Resilient Futures Fund) was established to unlock capital for climate adaptation, resilience and economic inclusion, particularly in communities most exposed to climate shocks and least served by conventional finance needed to build locally led resilience. We exist to:

  • Support locally rooted enterprises that strengthen resilience and livelihoods.

  • Crowd in capital where risk is perceived as too high, but impact potential is transformational.

  • Use philanthropy strategically, not just compassionately, to change systems.

  • Build a permanent capital base that delivers impact generation after generation.

The CARFF is part of the Christian Aid family, drawing on decades of trusted presence, deep community relationships and rigorous social impact expertise, while operating as a distinct, investment‑focused vehicle.

<<< Jen is a Pigeon pea farmer in Malawi and as part of a thriving farmers’ cooperative enterprise she benefits from value addition infrastructure increasing her income and productivity.

Why We Exist

Climate adaptation remains chronically underfunded. Less than ten per cent of global climate finance reaches adaptation, and even less reaches community‑scale enterprises. Grants alone cannot meet the scale of need, while traditional investment often bypasses fragile or climate‑exposed markets. Promising enterprises struggle to access patient, risk‑tolerant capital. The CARFF sits deliberately in this gap, combining philanthropic courage with investment discipline to deploy capital in ways that unlock resilience, dignity and opportunity.

Low smoke efficient cookstoves and sustainable brickettes protects the forest from logging. >>>

Worker with yellow hard hat using a clean cookstove
Women processing grain sacks in a community warehouse

Where We Invest

The Christian Aid Resilient Futures Fund is primarily focused on Sub-Saharan Africa, where the combined pressures of climate vulnerability, youth unemployment and financial exclusion are most acute.

In our current phase of Fund delivery our investment activity is concentrated across Sub-Saharan Africa, leveraging Christian Aid’s decades of global development work and its deep operational presence in more than 20 countries on the continent. This embedded footprint provides trusted local partnerships, contextual insight, and strong pipelines of climate-resilient enterprises.

Through partnerships with experienced impact managers, alongside selective direct investments, CARFF channels capital into enterprises operating across Sub-Saharan Africa. These investments span climate-smart agriculture, clean energy, inclusive financial services, resilient infrastructure and job-rich small and medium-sized enterprises.

<<< Investing into locally owned businesses enables those to benefit from their hard work.

Our approach combines:

  • Locally rooted enterprise investment

  • Affordable, patient capital

  • Technical assistance

  • Regional knowledge that strengthens due diligence, governance and impact oversight

By anchoring our portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa, we align capital with regions where it can deliver the greatest resilience and employment impact.

Over time, as the Fund grows and matures, we will continue to consider the broader geographic footprint of Christian Aid and our investment partners, including opportunities in South Asia and Latin America, where climate vulnerability and enterprise financing gaps share similar characteristics.

Our expansion will be disciplined, mission-aligned and impact-led, ensuring that geographic growth strengthens, rather than dilutes, the Fund’s purpose.

Solor power linked with solar provides clean energy and fresh water, enabling the whole community to thrive, not just the businesses we support. >>>

Woman drinking fresh water from a clean well pipe.
JOIN US - Begin the conversation >
bottom of page