"At the outset of the Four Year Plan, forty-one selected National Spiritual Assemblies were advised of the new approach the Universal House of Justice had decided to take in the assignment of international financial collaboration goals during the Plan. Each of these Assemblies was asked to gauge how much it could contribute towards the acquisition and improvement of property and equipment by other national communities over the following four years. They were informed that, on the basis of their own estimates, the House of Justice would call upon them to assist communities in other parts of the world as specific needs came to its attention." [Message from the Universal House of Justice dated 12 May 2000; Mess86-01p731]

Given the success of the initiative, the House of Justice decided to carry it forward into the Twelve Month Plan and beyond. In a message from the National Spiritual Assembly of the UK to all believers in the UK dated 20 January 2024, it was stated that their National Assembly of one of 57 donor National Spiritual Assemblies in this program, a marked increase from the original 41 in 1996. [GC-37891]

The programme reflects the Bahá’í principle of mutual support and unity among communities worldwide, enabling stronger communities to assist those with fewer resources and has been named the "International Financial Collaboration Program".