Cambodian Children’s Fund

BJT readers—who represent one of the highest-net-worth magazine audiences anywhere—clearly have the means to contribute to a better world. To help you do that, we’re spotlighting deserving organizations in every issue. All of them have received a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, which evaluates philanthropic institutions based on their finances, accountability, and transparency.

The World Bank describes the living conditions of families who come to the Cambodian Children’s Fund for support as “absolute poverty.” Hollywood executive Scott Neeson founded the group in 2004 after he witnessed children scavenging at a burning garbage dump near Phnom Penh. He subsequently resigned from his job to devote himself to CCF, whose multi-tiered and comprehensive program focuses on six core areas: education, leadership, community outreach, healthcare, childcare, and vocational training. 

Having “learnt early on that transforming the lives of impoverished children through education isn’t as simple as opening free schools,” CCF employs a holistic approach and several interconnected programs to address the issues that keep kids away from the classroom. Today more than 2,400 students are building better futures with the support of the organization, which works with the whole family to formulate plans for educating their children, escaping debt, and developing job skills.