NLIFT (Nutrition Leverage and Influence for Transformation) integrates nutrition interventions into existing and large-scale platforms that are reaching target populations through service delivery or other means of engagement.

The scope and reach of these platforms, which may be delivering health, education, or employment services, along with willing implementation partners, make them ideal for the integration of nutrition interventions.

Good health is not possible without good nutrition.

The integration of nutrition into these platforms maximizes health impacts and strengthens investments across the development sector in areas like education, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and economic development.

NLIFT works with partners who are either not traditionally engaged in nutrition interventions or whose programs do not address nutrition to build innovative programs that leverage unique delivery methods, such as digital technologies, workplace behaviour change communications, and adolescent educational programming, to integrate nutrition.

With a $25 million anchor investment provided by the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada, this Nutrition International-led initiative uses small, targeted investments, using innovative financing mechanisms like impact bonds and results-for-payment schemes, to better incentivize successful and sustainable program results.

By using existing channels and delivery platforms for transition to scale programs, NLIFT helps to overcome traditional issues in scaling up nutrition programs, such as:

• Limited multisector coordination
• Resource prioritization
• Buy-in from relevant political and government stakeholders

Through targeted investments which use a leverage scheme with stakeholders, NLIFT helps to unlock additional priority funding for nutrition amongst multisectoral partners and domestic governments.

NLIFT investments work through advocacy (behaviour or policy change), analytical (research), programmatic (service delivery or training) and innovative finance approaches. Most investments touch one or more of these areas.

NLIFT investment portfolio

NLIFT works like a financial portfolio, with diverse investments across a variety of sectors in Asia and Africa. Each is designed to maximize return on investment, measured using the following outcomes:

• Leverage: The financial commitments and in-kind support that NLIFT leverages from partners that drive resources to nutrition that would otherwise be used in other areas
• Reach: The millions of vulnerable communities in Asia and Africa that NLIFT aims to reach, with a particular focus on women and girls
• Improved health and nutrition: The demonstrated impact on the health and nutrition status of the target population
• Economic wellbeing: The tangible financial benefit of an NLIFT investment, which may ultimately catalyze national governments to contribute resources to the investment