Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), formerly the UK Department for International Development (DFID), leads the UK government’s effort to fight global poverty. It works with governments of developing countries as well as charities, businesses and international bodies, including the World Bank, UN agencies and the European Commission.

Our relationship with the Department (we are a recipient of its Programme Partnership Arrangement) goes beyond funding – we liaise with its staff from desk officer to ministerial level on a range of issues of mutual interest. These include development issues such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), neglected tropical diseases, data, universal health coverage, health systems and policy, social inclusion, education and multilateral engagement.

We’ve also benefited from the Department’s UK Aid Match fund, which matches public donations to appeals for development activities focused on poverty reduction in developing countries. Most recently, the Department for International Development matched donations to our Million Miracles fundraising appeal in the three months after it launched in 2014 and 2015, resulting in Aid Match doubling the £8.5 million raised by Sightsavers supporters.