
EPISODE 55:
Hayley Roffey & John Hecklinger
CEO The Felix Project: The Food Rescuers!
“Young change-makers... can create long-term change”
Hayley Roffey is Global Fund for Children’s Co-CEO. She is a committed, passionate, and experienced senior executive who champions trust-based practices in philanthropy by promoting participatory grantmaking and involving young people in decision-making processes. Before joining Global Fund for Children (GFC), Hayley was the leader of Asphaleia Action, a former grantee partner of GFC. This powerful insight means Hayley’s commitment and passion to champion GFC’s partners comes from a deeply personal place of understanding what a partner needs, and how and when to make the biggest impact for the children and young people they exist to serve.
John Hecklinger is Global Fund for Children’s Co-CEO. Prior to joining GFC, John served as chief network officer for GlobalGiving, where he established partnerships to drive GlobalGiving’s growth as a globally networked organization. Before taking on that role, John was GlobalGiving’s chief program officer, heading the team that identifies effective nonprofits around the world and helps them make the most of GlobalGiving’s support and services, and he previously led corporate partnership efforts as GlobalGiving’s business development director. An information industry veteran, John led GlobalGiving’s efforts to improve the global philanthropic information ecosystem through projects such as BRIDGE (Basic Registry of Identified Global Entities). Prior to joining GlobalGiving, John headed partnership efforts at CARFAX Vehicle History Reports, creating a network of thousands of content providers in North America, and served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bangui, Central African Republic. He holds a master’s degree in English from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Virginia.
Links
https://globalfundforchildren.org/
OUT MONDAY 5TH JANUARY 2026
Ep 55. Hayley Roffey & John Hecklinger,
Co-CEOs Global Fund for Children:
Young people as agents of change
In the fight for children’s rights, the Global Fund for Children champions bold ideas that might otherwise go unheard. Global Fund for Children or GFC is a global nonprofit dedicated to discovering, funding, and coaching community-based organizations and individuals, who are driving change at the grass-roots, on issues like gender justice, education, and youth power.
What makes GFC's approach noteworthy is its commitment to shared power.
GFC holds that children and young people already know how to solve problems in their communities. They are innovators, problem solvers, dreamers, and leaders. What they need isn't rescue - it's belief, resources, and the space to lead.
In this episode, Global Co-CEOs of the Global Fund for Children, Hayley Roffey and John Hecklinger, talk about GFC’s model as an intermediary funder providing flexible, trust-based funding and support, sometimes to children as young as 10! And the impact of genuinely putting decision-making power in the hands of children and young people. We discuss the importance of engaging young men and boys, if we are to create a truly gender equitable world. And they share perspectives on co-leadership, and the importance of re-imagining development and philanthropy, and re-building for change.
Recorded December 2025.
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