This factsheet explains how donor countries fund multilateral organisations through core funding (flexible, strategic) and earmarked funding (restricted, donor‑directed). While earmarking can be necessary, it often raises costs, reduces independence, and risks weakening multilateral organisations raising costs, reducing independence, and shifting accountability toward wealthy donors. Core funding, by contrast, is more likely to reach lower‑income country governments directly. Using OECD’s latest ODA data (December 2022), the factsheet highlights recent trends in the balance between core and earmarked funding, underscoring the importance of preserving multilateral organisations’ ability to act strategically for the benefit of the poorest countries.