Olympic Refuge Foundation Invests $2.25 Million in Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees to Advance Inclusion through Sport
New partnership with the Mayors Migration Council backs city-led sport initiatives to improve health, inclusion, and opportunity for migrants, refugees, and receiving communities.
Geneva, December 15, 2025—Today at the UNHCR Global Refugee Forum Progress Review, the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) announced a $2.25 million contribution to the Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees (GCF), a flagship initiative of the Mayors Migration Council (MMC) that channels resources directly to city governments to design and deliver bold local solutions for migrants, refugees, and the communities that receive them.
This catalytic investment creates a new Sport for Inclusion funding window within the GCF. It will support three to five cities with two-year grants of up to $500,000 each to launch city-led projects that leverage sport, recreation, and play to foster belonging, improve mental and physical health, and open pathways to economic opportunity for migrants, forcibly displaced people, and local residents alike.
“Cities are where displaced young people build their futures—and sport is one of the most effective ways we can support them, with dignity, confidence, and hope,” said Jeroen Carrin, Head of the Olympic Refuge Foundation. “The Olympic Refuge Foundation is proud to partner with the Mayors Migration Council to invest directly in city leaders who are using sport to break down barriers, strengthen communities, and open doors to opportunity. We invite donors around the world to join us in scaling this movement and ensuring every young person forced to flee has the opportunity to play, to belong, and to thrive.”
The ORF’s contribution will be submitted at this year’s Progress Review as evidence of implementation toward two global commitments made at the 2023 UN Global Refugee Forum: the MMC’s pledge to grow the Global Cities Fund to $50 million by 2030, and the multi-stakeholder pledge to advance Sport for Inclusion and Protection.
With this announcement, the Global Cities Fund has now mobilized over $30 million to date, exceeding its original $25 million goal ahead of schedule and accelerating momentum toward the next phase of global, city-led impact.
“Cities are often the first responders to migration and displacement—but too often the last to be funded,” said Vittoria Zanuso, Executive Director of the Mayors Migration Council. “Thanks to the Olympic Refuge Foundation’s catalytic investment, we can now equip mayors around the world with the resources they need to bring the power of sport from the sidelines to the center and build safer, healthier, more inclusive cities for all. We hope many more funders will follow ORF’s leading example.”
Why Cities. Why Sport. Why Now.
Whether points of origin, transit, destination, or return—cities are where most migrants and refugees live. One in five international migrants lives in just 20 cities. Nearly 80 percent of displaced people settle in urban areas.
Mayors are already responding. From housing and healthcare to education and jobs, they’re on the forefront of inclusion—and many are turning to sport and recreation to build healthier, more connected communities. Sport helps newcomers cope with trauma, rebuild confidence, and develop the leadership and teamwork skills they need to thrive. In Ramallah, refurbished sport fields are giving refugee youth safe, climate-resilient spaces to play. In Paris, a municipal fund supports community sport initiatives that build cohesion. In Bogotá, young people from migrant and host communities are being trained as coaches and mentors.
Yet sport remains vastly underused—too often sidelined as non-essential, especially when resources are scarce and needs are urgent. Cities are ready to do more, but systemic barriers to finance hold them back. Only 1.2% of global humanitarian aid reaches local actors, and only a fraction of development finance goes directly to cities.
The MMC created the Global Cities Fund to change this broken system. The GCF delivers funding straight to city governments to launch inclusive solutions that address urgent needs and lay the foundation for long-term change. To date, it has supported 34 city-led projects, reaching more than 140,000 people, with 90% of grantees unlocking additional resources to sustain and scale their impact.
A Global Mechanism to Accelerate Local Inclusion Through Sport
Backed by the Olympic Refuge Foundation, this new GCF funding window will support city projects that may include:
- Integrating sport into refugee resettlement and services
- Expanding access to sport for crisis-affected women, children, and LGBTQIA+ communities
- Creating safe, inclusive, climate-resilient sport and play spaces in migrant neighborhoods
- Creating labor pathways through local leagues, coaching jobs, or event management
- Leveraging major sporting events to foster visibility, pride, and belonging
Cities will be selected in 2026 through an invitation-only process. Projects will run through 2028 and be elevated at major global events, including the 2026 UN International Migration Review Forum, the 2027 Global Refugee Forum, and other major international fora and sporting events.
About the Olympic Refuge Foundation
The Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) was established by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the belief of a society where everyone belongs, through sport. Its mission is to shape a movement where young people and communities affected by crisis thrive through sport. Functioning in lieu of a traditional National Olympic Committee preparing the Refugee Olympic Team, the ORF also works across the globe in communities affected by crises, using sport to improve mental health, foster inclusion and create a sense of belonging.
About the Mayors Migration Council
The Mayors Migration Council (MMC) is a mayor-led coalition accelerating global action on migration and displacement. With most migrants and displaced people living in cities, the MMC helps mayors influence policy and access resources to implement inclusive, city-led solutions. Learn more at www.mayorsmigrationcouncil.org or follow @MayorsMigration.
About the Global Cities Fund
The Global Cities Fund for Migrants and Refugees is funded by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the IKEA Foundation, the Olympic Refuge Foundation, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, with support from the MMC’s Strategic Partners—C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, Metropolis, UN-Habitat, IOM, UNHCR, and United Cities and Local Governments—in outreach, application review, and ongoing technical guidance.
To learn more, visit www.mayorsmigrationcouncil.org/gcf
Media Contacts
Alfonso Redondo – Communications Manager, Olympic Refuge Foundation (alfonso.redondo@olympic.org)
Cynthia Nahhas – Communications Manager, The Mayors Migration Council (cnahhas@mayorsmigrationcouncil.org)
