Plan at 75
75 Year anniversary
One of Plan’s founders, Esme Odgers, with 12-year-old Lorenzo Murias (who was sponsored by Eleanor Roosevelt!)
Plan was founded in 1937 by British journalist John Langdon-Davies and refugee worker Eric Muggeridge, in order to help support the children whose lives had been disrupted by the Spanish Civil War. See this great interactive timeline to explore 75 years of Plan’s history!
1.5 million sponsored children
Plan now reaches 56.5 million children in 50 developing countries. Sponsorship is the key to building relationships between individual donors, the communities where Plan works and more than 1.5 million sponsored children.
Improving the lives of girls
Because I am a Girl is Plan's initiative to fight gender inequality, promote girls' rights and lift millions of girls out of poverty. The campaign will celebrate a significant milestone on October 11, 2012, the day adopted by the UN in late December 2011 as International Day of the Girl Child
Across the world, girls face double discrimination due to their gender and age, leaving them at the bottom of the social ladder. With your help, the Because I am a Girl initiative is helping to transform the lives of the world's poorest girls.
Working with children to achieve their full potential
Because I am a Girl is a big part of Plan’s work. However, boys and girls alike comprise the hundreds of millions of children who remain without their rights. Plan believes this can change.
Plan is working to address these wrongs and work towards enabling every child to have rights and opportunities. Our goal is to reach as many children as possible, particularly those who are excluded or marginalized, with high-quality programs that deliver long-lasting benefits.
Coming this year
Promotion of child rights are at the centre of our work at Plan and in 2012 we are celebrating 75 years of our commitment to children.
In the months ahead, you'll be hearing from us about the world's biggest birthday party, taking place on March 20. You'll have the chance to show your support and join in as children in Plan communities celebrate with us in a variety of ways.
Learn more about Plan’s history