Cannes Lions announces donation of all entry fees from the 2024 Sustainable Development Goals Lions and Glass: The Lion for Change
28 January 2025
€2.4 million now donated to charities across the globe
Donations are made to UNICEF, Dan Wieden’s Caldera, the Geena Davis Institute and Unstereotype Alliance
The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced the donation of all entry fees from the 2024 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Lions and Glass: The Lion for Change. Donations close to €300,000 have been made to charities and organisations in support of vital projects worldwide. Since 2015, Cannes Lions has donated over €2.4 million through the SDG and Glass Lions combined.
A donation of €227,208 from the SDG Lions 2024 entry fees has been donated to UNICEF. Launched in 2018, in partnership with the United Nations, the SDG Lions celebrate creative work that actively supports the advancement of the 17 Global Goals, which were created to end extreme poverty, inequality, and climate change by 2030. Each Lion winner actively supports these ambitions, and the donations made from these entries go towards supporting global projects as part of the Festival’s ongoing commitment to driving progress.
Frank Starling, Chief DEI Officer, LIONS, said: “This year we’ve chosen to donate the SDG funds to an organisation that provides both critical and immediate humanitarian assistance to children worldwide, as well as supporting their longer-term development and wellbeing. We are pleased to be able to contribute and support the crucial work that UNICEF is doing across 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of every child and help countries to achieve the SDGs.”
UNICEF UK Chief Partnerships Officer, Mohini Raichura-Brown, said: “In 2015, the world pledged to eradicate poverty, hunger, and inequality, and to ensure that everyone, especially children, has access to quality basic services by 2030. “However, we are currently on track to achieve just 15 per cent of the SDGs which means that millions of children could still face poverty, inequality and social exclusion, making UNICEF’s work to protect the rights of every child even more crucial. “That’s why we’re hugely grateful for this generous donation from Cannes Lions which will support UNICEF in its mission to transform the lives of children globally, ensuring every child has the happy, healthy and safe childhood they deserve.”
Additionally a donation has also been made in memory of Dan Wieden to Caldera Arts, the arts and environmental charity he founded with his family.
Also announced is the donation of €65,175 to the Geena Davis Institute (GDI) and Unstereotype Alliance. Partnering with GDI since 2015, Cannes Lions donates funds from submissions into Glass: The Lion for Change to support the creation of their reports on representation and inclusion in advertising. Last year’s report, ‘The Power of Portrayal’, is available here. Additionally, the ‘LIONS Intelligence On. . .The Power of Portrayal’ is available through intelligence platform The Work, here. A collaboration with GDI, the report shows how to make your work more representative so it can be more effective.
Cannes Lions is now open for Awards submissions until 10 April 2025. The 72nd edition of the Festival takes place from 16 to 20 June in Cannes, France. Further information on the Awards, including entry kits, pass options, as well as the breadth of initiatives, funded opportunities and academies on offer, can be found at www.canneslions.com.