Tjera » Global Fund for Women

The Global Fund for Women provides funding for women’s groups to advance the human rights of women and girls around the world. It gives grants ranging from $500 to $30,000 for operating and program expenses.

The Global Fund for Women values local expertise and believe that women know best how to determine their needs and propose solutions for lasting change. The Global Fund for Women is committed to providing support to women’s groups throughout the world in a fair and just way. They award grants based on criteria and priorities determined in partnership with women’s rights activists working on the ground. The Global Fund for Women supports Groups of women working together.

There are three types of grants of the Global Fund for Women: Innovation, Strengthening, and Sustaining Grants:

1. Innovation Grants: Women’s movements are stronger when they are diverse and dynamic. Innovation grants fund new/emerging approaches, issues, and voices. With these grants Global Fund aims to raise visibility and leverage resources for women’s movements and to connect emerging groups to a wider network of women’s organizations. They address women’s rights agendas in rural and excluded areas/communities, sustain new approaches, and nurture young feminists involved in building the women’s movement. These grants can also support creative approaches to challenging issues and pilot projects that require some calculated risk.
2. Strengthening Grants: Women’s movements are stronger when women’s organizations have the capacity and resources to be effective and strategic. Strengthening grants fund infrastructure, enhance grantee’s programmatic impact, and strengthen capacity and connections. These medium-sized grants aim to support the professionalism of women’s groups. Strengthening Grants offer reliable support to groups who have a track record of cumulative change and have infused voices and issues into mainstream agendas.
3. Sustaining Grants: Women’s movements are most successful when women’s organizations are well networked, led and supported and have the funds to seize opportunities when they arise. Therefore Sustaining Grants are larger, fund strong national, regional, and global women’s rights organizations. Only those who are invited can apply for them.

To help link women’s rights groups outside the United States, Global Fund also funds a limited number of small, time-sensitive grants to participants and organizers of conferences that bring together and build the capacity of women’s rights activists. These are small grants that allow members of an organization to attend conferences and events.

Read the Frequently Asked Questions HERE for further information.

Eligibility

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

1. It is based in a country outside the United States. They do not fund US based organizations.
2. Its primary focus is advancing women’s equality and human rights, with these goals clearly reflected in its activities.
3. It is a group of women working together. They do not accept requests from individuals.
4. It is governed, directed, and led by women. Women must fill all or most of the leadership roles.

Your group must meet ALL the basic criteria (listed under “application requirements” of the grant application form) to be eligible for a travel grant:

• A group may only have one proposal of any type under consideration at a given time.
• Amount granted may be less than the amount requested if and when an award is made.
• Applications for travel and event grants must be received at least 8 weeks before the beginning of the event. Funds for these kinds of grants are limited and priority will be given to former Global Fund for Women grantees that do not have access to other funding sources.

Application

The Global Fund for Women recently moved from accepting proposals on a rolling basis to accepting proposals twice a year with defined cycles. The current grant cycle is open from September 15 onwards and closes on December 15, 2013.

To use the Global Fund for Women online grants application, your group must create a user account online HERE. You can use this account any time you want to apply for a grant from the Global Fund for Women. They will first ask you to answer a few questions to help us determine if your group meets our basic grant criteria. Next you will be asked for your group’s basic contact information, including a user name and password for your user account. After creating your user account, you will be able to log into the Application Center, where you can start, submit, and track your grant applications.

To start a grant application, click on “New Grant Application” on your application center home page. In your new grant application, you will be asked to briefly answer a series of questions so they can better understand your work. If you wish, you may upload up to three additional documents (such as budgets, recommendation letters, or reports) to include with your application.

Once you have answered all questions for your application, you can submit your grants application to the Global Fund for Women directly through the online system. You will receive email confirmation that your application has been received. Within three weeks, you will receive an additional confirmation email from the Global Fund for Women that will include your Grant Request number.

Details about the application process can be found HERE. Applications for the travel grants are AVAILABLE HERE.