Global Funds and Grants: Funds from Global Fund for Women

Last date : January 31, 2016

Global Fund for Women invests in women’s groups that advance the human rights of women and girls. We strengthen women-led groups based outside the United States by providing grants ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 per year for operating and project expenses. First-time grant awards generally range from $5,000 to $13,000 per year. We value local expertise and believe that women themselves know best how to determine their needs and propose solutions for lasting change. To maximize our impact in defending and expanding hard won gains in women’s rights, Global Fund for Women’s grantmaking will focus on three critical areas:

Global Fund for Women receives over 2,500 proposals each year and is able to award about 500 grants annually. Unfortunately we do not have the resources to provide funding to all the groups that meet our criteria. We do, however, give priority to women’s groups that might particularly benefit from our support. Please review a full list of our priorities before applying for a grant.

APPLICATION CRITERIA

Please note that your group MUST meet all the following criteria to be eligible for a grant:

It is based in a country outside the United States. We do not fund US-based organizations.
Its primary focus is advancing women’s equality and human rights, with these goals clearly reflected in its activities. Please note that groups whose sole purpose is to generate income or to provide charity to individuals are not eligible to apply.
It is a group of women working together. We do not accept requests from individuals and do not fund projects proposed by or for the benefit of individuals (including scholarships).
It is governed, directed, and led by women. Women must fill all or most of the leadership roles throughout the various decision-making levels of the group (including but not limited to the most senior decision-making levels).

Global Fund for Women provides three types of grants.

Groups do not need to be registered non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to qualify for funding.

In addition, please note that Global Fund for Women does NOT fund the following:

Government entities
International organizations proposing projects with local partners
Political parties or election campaigns
Women’s branches/departments/projects of mixed gender organizations

Exceptions

Women-focused projects within mixed-gender organizations may occasionally receive support from Global Fund for Women if they work with particularly marginalized groups: for example, women within groups of people with disabilities or women within LGBTQI organizations.

Where we fund

Review our current regional priorities. You can also search our grantmaking database to see where we’ve awarded all grants since 1988.

PRIORITIES

Impact areas

We make the greatest impact for women’s rights when we focus on the issues that make a vital difference for women and girls. When women and girls are free from violence—when they are empowered—when they control decisions about their own bodies—they soar. We continue to defend and expand hard-won gains in women’s rights by focusing on three critical areas:

Freedom from Violence

We fund and advocate for women’s and girls’ participation, empowerment, and peace building while challenging laws, policies, cultures and behavior that perpetuates discrimination, violence and abuse.

Our goal: An end to gender based violence.

Economic & Political Equality

We support advocacy for economic and legal reform and women’s equal participation in local and national elections and economies. We support democracy movements and efforts to secure land, labor and property rights.

Our goal: All women are economically secure and independent and are supported by policies ensuring women’s and girls’ equal rights to resources and livelihoods.

Sexual & Reproductive Health & Rights

We support campaigns, service delivery, advocacy and education to influence attitudes and achieve policy change that secures women’s and girls’ full access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Our goal: All women and girls are free to make their own reproductive and sexual choices. Sexual and reproductive health services and information are readily available.

While our focus is sharp, we continue to provide general support funding, which is critical to strengthen and sustain strong women’s rights movements.

Tools for change

Our grant partners use three tools to achieve lasting change for women and girls:

Technology

Using technology to advocate, connect, and increase awareness of key issues to support global women’s right movements that are constantly learning, mobilizing and evolving. Critical issues include security, advocacy, and mapping.

Education

Using a variety of educational approaches to build knowledge, skills, and self-confidence. This includes advocating for change through increasing public awareness and influencing attitudes in support of women’s and girls’ human rights.

Leadership

To change attitudes and systems, women and girls must be leaders – in protest, advocacy, representation and mobilization. This includes providing young women with important leadership opportunities.

Sub-regional priorities

While we have funded in more than 170 countries, these are our current priority areas.

NOTE: If you are located in a country that is not on this list, you are still welcome to submit an Organizational Profile through our online application site; however, please note that the likelihood of receiving funding is extremely low.

Asia and the Pacific

South Asia (India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka)
Southeast Asia (Myanmar and Thai border areas, Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia)
Pacific Island Countries (Fiji, Papua New Guinea)

Europe and Central Asia

The Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia)
Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan)
Eastern Europe (Russia – North Caucasus, Ukraine, Belarus)
South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia)

Latin America and the Caribbean

Mexico and Central America (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador)
Caribbean (Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica)
Andean Region (Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia)
Southern Cone (Chile, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina)

Middle East and North Africa

North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia)
Middle East (Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Turkey, Yemen)
Cyprus
Areas with Syrian women refugees

Sub-Saharan Africa

Central Africa: Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of the Congo
East Africa: Kenya, Malawi, Northern Uganda, Somaliland, South Sudan, Tanzania
West Africa: Burkina Faso, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone

For more details : http://www.globalfundforwomen.org/apply-for-a-grant/#criteria