Charity Founder Sought Funding in Samarkand
The leader of Movement in Refuge is working to secure large-scale grants for humanitarian programs.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Magnus Wolfe-Murray traveled to the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand to solicit donations for Movement in Refuge, a charity he founded in November 2024. The organization currently supports 185 individuals at the Cox's Bazar refugee camp with fitness, chess, and education programs.
Why it matters
Wolfe-Murray is seeking to transition the charity from small, individual donations to larger institutional grants to sustain operations. This shift is critical for scaling the project's capacity to provide sports training and confidence-building initiatives for Rohingya refugees.
The project currently supports 185 participants, an effort now managed by its founder to secure expanded funding. The charity is transitioning away from a reliance on small donations to secure larger grants for its programming.
The players
Magnus Wolfe-Murray
Founder of Movement in Refuge and former humanitarian advisor to the UK government.
Kasha Rigby
A late humanitarian professional who died in an avalanche in February 2024.
The details
The Movement in Refuge charity operates programs including chess instruction, gym access, yoga, and self-defense training. The founder is leveraging his professional background as a former UK humanitarian advisor to network with donors at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad. Future operational plans include training female refugees in swimming and fitness coaching to expand the program's reach.
Timeline
Wolfe-Murray served as a humanitarian advisor from 2020 to 2023.
Kasha Rigby died in an avalanche in February 2024.
Movement in Refuge was founded in November 2024.
Wolfe-Murray traveled to Samarkand for funding in September 2026.
Market Landscape
The Movement in Refuge charity is utilizing the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad as a strategic venue for donor recruitment. This follows a pattern of non-profits leveraging major international events to secure the institutional capital necessary for scaling small-scale humanitarian operations.
Operators of small non-profits should monitor whether the founder secures institutional backing to stabilize the project's current 185-person participant base. Organizations relying on personal networks for funding should prepare for the compliance and reporting requirements of larger grant-making entities.
The takeaway
The move to shift from small donations to large grants represents a critical pivot point for the charity's long-term sustainability. Stakeholders should track the organization's progress in securing external partnerships as a signal of its capacity to expand services to Rohingya refugees.
Further reading
Learn more about organizational grant strategies in the Philanthropy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The National.
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