Dream Building Fund 2020 Update - Top Projects Selected

From October 17th to November 10th 2019, we opened the Dream Building Fund for the second time since its inception and received applications from every continent. After a thorough screening process, the expert Panel selected 5 projects to receive support from 2020. A public announcement will be made once agreements have been finalised with the successful applicants.

The Dream Building Fund is an annual grant supporting table tennis for development projects

Our Dream Building Fund (DBF) supports organisations and projects using table tennis as a vehicle for social and humanitarian development. This approach is more broadly known as Sport for Development. Applicants aim to address one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a universal call to action adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. Ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

The applications received for the Dream Building Fund 2020 (DBF 20) covered a variety of social and development objectives, ranging from reducing gender-based violence to providing access to school and quality education for underprivileged children. Key figures from the recent call include:

  • Total of 29 applications were received
  • Overall, applications were of a high standard with a strong focus on working towards the SDGs
  • Total of 20 countries applied
  • We received applications from every continent
  • Significant increase from previous year in projects focussing on SDG 5: Gender Equality
  • The most commonly targeted SDGs were SDG 3: Good Health & Wellbeing and SDG 4: Quality Education
FUDELA is promoting inclusion and social cohesion in Ecuador through table tennis

Following the closure of the call for applications in November 2019, a 3 stage screening process was utilised in order to find and select the best projects and those most likely to have a positive impact. The final selection was completed by an expert Panel consisting of:

  • ITTF CEO – Steve Dainton
  • ITTF Foundation Ambassador – Sarah Hanffou
  • ITTF Vice President and Foundation Board of Trustee – Petra Sörling
  • Founder of the Agitos Foundation – Georg Schlachtenberger
  • ITTF Foundation Director – Leandro Olvech

Each panel member has extensive experience in the sector and strongly advocate for sport in contributing to positive social change.

Steve Dainton – “Ensuring that table tennis and the ITTF are seen in the international community as drivers of positive social and even positive political change has always been a strong pillar of the ITTF


Petra Sörling – “Table Tennis. For All. For Life. is for me much more than a slogan. It’s the way table tennis can make a difference in life.

Each project adopts a Theory of Change model in order to illustrate how they will achieve and measure their objectives. Our ITTF Foundation Dream Building team will be liaising with the selected organisations and aiming to finalise agreements over the coming weeks before announcing the successful organisations publicly. The new projects will commence in April 2020 and run for 2-3 years depending on the project.

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