The Malaysia-UN SDG Trust Fund
The Malaysia-UN SDG Trust Fund (the Fund) is a collaboration between the United Nations (UN) in Malaysia and Yayasan Matlamat Pembangunan Mampan Malaysia (Yayasan MySDG), also known as MySDG Foundation, with support from the Ministry of Finance. The Fund was established in 2023 to complement the Government’s efforts to accelerate SDG achievement. It aims to address national priorities by supporting innovative, people-centric SDG solutions that focus on communities and areas at risk of being left behind.
Guided by national SDG progress and evidence-based assessments, it is open to proposals from UN agencies, NGOs, and other non-state actors, promoting joint action across three main pillars: People and Prosperity, Planet, and Peace and Partnership. By fostering partnerships, the Fund drives inclusive and sustainable development via catalytic effects. With a strong emphasis on local impact, it works to improve lives, empower communities, and ensure sustainable progress benefits all in Malaysia.
The Fund launched its inaugural Call for Proposals in 2023 (CFP-2023/2024). The second Call for Proposals (CFP- 2024/2025) was launched in September 2024 during the Malaysia SDG Summit.
Current Projects:
Empowerment through Skills: Training Courses and Job Placements for Marginalized Communities
Grantee: Dignity for Children
Funding: USD 200,000
Duration: 18 months
Project: Empowering 250 youths from marginalized groups by addressing gaps and challenges in the current TVET syllabus, thereby enhancing their employability and career opportunities.
Pioneering Circular Economy via Sustainable Poultry Farming
Grantee: Global Peace Foundation Malaysia (GPFM)
Funding: USD 211,298
Duration: 18 months
Project: Supporting sustainable agricultural programmes for the Orang Asli community in Pahang, through skills enhancement, providing capital support, and introducing sustainable chicken farming to boost income, reduce poverty, and improve nutrition within the community.
Health Equity and Empowerment for All Populations (HEEAP) Project
Grantee: Malaysian Red Crescent
Funding: USD 500,000
Duration: 18 months
Project: Addressing barriers to healthcare for the underserved communities in Peninsular Malaysia by supporting 7,500 patients and establishing community-based health workers and awareness programmes.
Water, Sanitization, and Hygiene (WASH) Programme in East Malaysia
Grantee: MERCY Malaysia
Funding: USD 460,100
Duration: 12 months
Project: Increasing access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and improved hygiene practices for 1,550 poor and vulnerable villagers in rural areas of Sabah and Sarawak through the WASH programme.
Healthcare Services through Mobile Clinic for Marginalized Communities
Grantee: Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA) - Healthcare
Funding: USD 170,930
Duration: 15 months
Project: Enhancing essential healthcare access for 1,000 individuals in marginalized indigenous and stateless communities in remote areas of Malaysia through mobile clinics, providing preventative and curative care, including sexual reproductive health education.
Project IQ: Assisting Left-Behind B40 Students in Fulfilling their Potential through Literacy
Grantee: Malaysian Relief Agency (MRA)
Funding: USD 187,549
Duration: 18 months
Project: Improving literacy, numeracy skills, and confidence in learning for B40 primary school children in Penang, Kedah, Sabah, Johor and the Klang Valley.
Malaysian SDG Community Health Observatory Network (MASCHON)
Grantee: National Cancer Society Malaysia
Funding: USD 123,000
Duration: 18 months
Project: Addressing health-related SDG challenges for vulnerable and underprivileged groups by setting up community-led health observatories and developing targeted microsolutions.
Empowering Orang Asli Communities for a Better Future
Grantee: Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam - KUASA
Funding: USD 106,696
Duration: 18 months
Project: Empowering Orang Asli communities in Malaysia’s Titiwangsa Forest Complex by strengthening their capacity to protect land and preserving cultural heritage through training, community participation, and forest monitoring, while advocating for forest protection and sustainable resource management.
Improving People with Disabilities' Access to the Open Labour Market with Enhanced Social Protection
Grantee: UNDP-ILO
Funding: USD 249,987
Duration: 18 months
Project: Improving People with Disabilities' access to the labour market with social protection through capacity building and engagement of PWD community, organizations with PWD (OPD), employers’ and workers’ organization, private sector, government, including SOCSO.
Enhancing Wastewater, Nutrient Management and Sanitation Provision for Marginalized Coastal Communities in Sabah, Malaysia
Grantee: UNEP-UN Habitat
Funding: USD 300,670
Duration: 18 months
Project: Improving wastewater management and sanitation for 500 people in marginalized coastal communities in Sabah by addressing the lack of adequate sanitation and a sustainable financing intervention.
Enhancing Access to Key Health Services for Refugees
Grantee: UNHCR-WHO
Funding: USD 300,000
Duration: 18 months
Project: Enhancing access to healthcare services for 3,500 refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia through health advocacy and mobile clinics.
Shaping First Steps: Early Childhood Education in Educating Orang Asli at Pos Lenjang, Pahang
Grantee: Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM)
Funding: USD 101,420
Duration: 12 months
Project: Empowering and enhancing the quality of life for marginalized communities by focusing on early childhood education for Orang Asli children in Pos Lenjang, Pahang, through an intervention that provides support and strengthens basic literacy and numeracy skills.
Empowering Women to Empower their Communities
Grantee: Women of Will
Funding: USD 288,989
Duration: 18 months
Project: Empowering 200 women entrepreneurs from the B40 group by helping them develop stable income sources, improve living standards, and break the cycle of poverty through personalized coaching and financial support.
Revitalizing Gelam Forests for Sustainable Livelihoods and Biodiversity Conservation in Setiu Wetlands, Terengganu
Grantee: World Wide Fund for Nature, Malaysia (WWF)
Funding: USD 200,000
Duration: 18 months
Project: Revitalizing Gelam Forests in Setiu Wetlands to boost sustainable livelihoods, particularly for young adults and women, while restoring the forest to enhance climate change adaptation, reduce flood risks, and protect biodiversity.
Grantee: World Wide Fund for Nature, Malaysia (WWF)
Funding: USD 200,000
Duration: 18 months
Project: Revitalizing Gelam Forests in Setiu Wetlands to boost sustainable livelihoods, particularly for young adults and women, while restoring the forest to enhance climate change adaptation, reduce flood risks, and protect biodiversity.
UN entities involved in this initiative
Goals we are supporting through this initiative
