The GSMA Foundation
Creating positive socio-economic impact for underserved and vulnerable populations.
Mobile technology as a positive force
The GSMA Foundation (officially known as The Mobile for Development Foundation, Inc.*) was created in 2007 to demonstrate the positive social impact of mobile technology. It brings together mobile operators, donors and the international development community.
Created to support underserved and vulnerable populations through mobile communications, it has two principal areas of focus – outlined below.
Mobile for Development
The GSMA Foundation provides resources and support to GSMA Mobile for Development programmes that identify opportunities and deliver innovations with socio-economic impact, in financial services, health, agriculture, digital identity, energy, water, sanitation, disaster resilience and gender equality. Learn more about our Mobile for Development programmes.
Sustainability leadership for the 21st century
Over the last 15 years, societal expectations of business have both grown and evolved. All companies are not only expected to act responsibly (i.e. do no harm), but are increasingly expected to demonstrate how they create value for society through their core business.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are now seen as a guide for how business can play its part in building a more prosperous, equitable, secure and sustainable world. We require new models of collaboration, partnership and leadership and our GSMA Foundation work is evolving to meet this challenge.
The GSMA Foundation works with a group of GSMA member CEOs and their companies on developing the necessary insights and tools to act as ‘change agents’ within their own companies at a sector level, and more widely on the world stage.
We are committed to:
- strengthening companies’ understanding of the evolving sustainability and SDG landscape, by sharing analysis through a sustainability framework and community of practice
- equipping CEOs of mobile companies, and our champions, with the tools to navigate sustainability and SDG agendas, as well as recommending how and where to use their voices on the world stage
*Referred to as “GSMA Foundation” throughout this website