Current | Funding

Funding

 
 
WO=MEN fights for more and better funding. We do this through our lobby-activities, but also by providing information. Below you will find an overview of different funds and financing options. Note: this page is for informational purposes. The funds shown here are not managed by WO=MEN. 

Mama Cash Spark Fund - deadline: 13 September
Are you a feminist activist in the Netherlands or on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius or Sint Maarten (the ABCSSS islands)? Are you part of a group of women, girls, or trans or intersex people? And do you need funding to power your work?
 
Mama Cash supports bold, emerging feminist activism in the Netherlands and on the ABCSSS islands with grants ranging from €5,000 to €7,000 per project. These grants are intended to strengthen the bold work of self-led groups in the Netherlands and the ABCSSS islands working to secure the rights of women, girls, and trans people and intersex people. Apply between 15 August and 13 September 2024, 11:59 pm CEST, and receive a decision by 4 November 2024.

More information and criteria

 

iMPACT Direct - Open for applications all year round
iMPACT Direct is always on the look-out to start partnerships with African-based social innovators, working for people living below the poverty line on solutions on income opportunities, food security & climate, or education.  
 
Why? As iMPACT Direct, it is our principal goal to support African NGOs to leverage impact in the aid sector. 
 
What does iMPACT direct offer to partnering NGOs?
  1. Visibility of your NGO and projects through our website and promotional activities (incl. socials, media and events)
  2. Access to donors, supporters and grants
  3. Training and mentoring to build a stronger organisation. We have great expertise and a wide network in Europe and Africa.
What kind of NGOs can apply for a partnership with iMPACT direct?
  • NGOs located in Africa, especially those in Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Tanzania or Uganda, with founders and leadership based in Africa
  • NGOs that are officially registered and have a bank account
  • NGOs with an annual income less than €100,000 and that report per financial annual reports
  • NGOs with running activities for people living below the poverty level on No Poverty (SDG1), Zero Hunger (SDG2) or Quality Education (SDG4) other than primary education
Please check full criteria and exclusions in Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), before you start the application.
 
Do you meet the criteria? Then please apply through the pdf-application format.
 
 

Nel Voltelen Fund - ongoing
The Nel Voltelen Fund is a fund for women in the Netherlands who want to improve their self-reliance by following a vocational training, refresher course or course, but who are unable to pay the costs themselves due to circumstances. They can submit an application: 
  • For training or retraining in the Netherlands
  • Course / training at maximum HBO level
  • not for the 1st year of study, but the fund may be used if the course or training is for a maximum of 1 year. 
For more information or to submit an application see the website
 
 

The Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund - Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) Advocacy Support scheme - ongoing
The WPHF Window for Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) Advocacy Support scheme is now open for applications. 

Through its Advocacy Support scheme, the WPHF Window for WHRDs aims to support the efforts of WHRDs from conflict and crisis-affected countries  in advancing human rights and peace by providing them with direct logistical assistance (DSA, Interpretation, Flights) to meaningfully participate in national, regional, and international meetings, events, and decision-making processes related to their work. 

Interested WHRDs can apply as a delegation or as individuals directly through the WPHF website: https://wphfund.org/whrds-advocacy/  or by email to: WPHF-WHRD@unwomen.org. Application templates are available in ArabicFrenchSpanishEnglish, Dari, and Pashto.  

For more information, visit the WPHF website: https://wphfund.org/whrds/  
 
 

Dutch embassies abroad - Civic Space Fund and Civic Space Fund Flex Option - ongoing
 
NOTE: Since 1 January 2023, the threshold for submitting has been lowered from €100.000 to €25.000.  

The Dutch Civic Space Fund (CSF)  and the Civic Space Fund Flex Option (CSF-Flex) are instruments under the Dutch policy framework ‘Strengthening Civil Society - Power of Voices’. Alongside the development of the Strategic Partnerships, it was a deliberate choice to create for Embassies the opportunity to offer direct support to local CSOs. This direct support strengthens local ownership and leadership and strengthens mutual learning and it facilitates the network of Embassies.

The CSF is open to countries mentioned in the BHOS policy note. These are Afghanistan; Algeria; Bangladesh; Benin; Burkina Faso; Burundi; Egypt; Ethiopia; Ghana; Iraq; Indonesia; Yemen; Jordan; Kenya; Lebanon; Libya; Mali; Morocco; Mauretania; Mozambique; Niger; Nigeria; Uganda; Palestinian Territories; Rwanda; Senegal; Sudan; Somalia; Tunisia; Chad; South Sudan.
The CSF-Flex will be open for applications by Embassies in all OECD-DAC countries ( except the Upper Middle Income Countries). The thematic areas mentioned in the policy framework ‘ Strengthening Civil Society’ and relevant for the CSF are, Climate mitigation and adaptation, Trade and/or sustainable value chains, Food security, Sustainable water management and/or WASH ( water sanitation and Hygiene), Women rights and gender equality, Freedom of speech or religion and belief, Equal rights LGBTQI+, Peace, law and order.

The annual total CSF budget (2021-2025) is EUR 10 million, including EUR 1 million for the Flex option. As of January 2022, due to an amendment of Parliament revising the BHOS 2022 budget, an extra budget of EUR 7.5 million is available for the Flex Option of the CSF during 2022. For this reason, Embassies are invited to make use of this unique opportunity and to submit proposals for the CSF-Flex throughout the year 2022 (as long as enough budget is available).
 
Find more information here.
 
 

Ukrainian Women’s Fund - rapid response grants - ongoing
Since the early days of the war, the Ukrainian Women’s Fund has been supporting women’s/feminist organisations with rapid response grants, issuing four to five grants a day.  These grants are helping non-governmental women’s/feminist organisations respond to urgent humanitarian issues, with a focus on the needs of vulnerable women and girls. This support has enabled grantee organisations to procure and distribute food, water, medicines, hygiene products, utensils, linens, and other basic items, as well as to provide emergency psychosocial and transportation services. They provide this assistance daily to women and their families fleeing the war, particularly to vulnerable groups such as women and girls with disabilities, those caring for children with disabilities, those who have been wounded, LGBTQI+ populations, and activists remaining in place. The competition has no deadlines. UWF encourages all women’s/feminist organisations to apply and will provide a response within 72 hours of receiving the request. For security reasons, grantee details are not being disclosed at this time.

More information on the grants is available here.
 
 

Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund - crowdsource funding - ongoing
A platform for grassroots leaders to seek funding for projects to help break down the physical, cultural, and financial barriers that keep girls from getting an education and fulfilling their potential. Funds from the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund will go toward projects ranging from mentoring girls in Uganda to hiring educators in India to covering school-related expenses for girls in Guatemala. The paths and techniques to support these girls may be different, but they all share a common goal: to ensure that adolescent girls are able to achieve an education and fulfill their potential.
Donation page and an overview of projects here.
To apply for crowdsources funding, use the form on this page.
 

 
Challenge Fund for Youth Employment - Co-investment and Technical Assistance - ongoing
The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment makes a deliberate point of creating equal opportunities for young women in the job market; they have an explicit gender component to ensure that 50% of the young people reached by the Fund are young women. Analysing and understanding the gender dimension of youth unemployment is critical, and require Implementing Partners to present a targeted strategy for ensuring women are not just considered and included, but actively benefit from their project. The contribution of the Challenge Fund, either though co-investment, technical assistance or a combination of both, will range from 10% to 50% of the total project budget. The minimum contribution by the Fund will be Euro 100,000 and there is an expectation that projects will provide prospects for at least 250 youth. More information here.
 
 

Wilde Ganzen - Financial support private development initiatives - ongoing
Wilde Ganzen Foundation supports hundreds of small-scale philanthropic initiatives. These projects are co-created by community-based organisations in the Global South and their Dutch partners (mostly "private development initiatives”). We value equal partnerships based on mutuality, complementarity and trust. Wilde Ganzen Foundation welcomes new partnerships year-round. Please note: Project proposals can only be submitted by organisations from countries that are eligible to receive official development assistance (as listed on the DAC list of ODA Recipients), together with a Dutch partner organisation.  More information here.
 
 

Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund - Rapid Response Window: Short-Term Grants - ongoing
The Short-Term Grants stream is an opportunity for civil society organizations to implement urgent projects that address diverse barriers to women’s meaningful participation in a formal peace process or implementation of a peace agreement. Grants are awarded up to 100,000 USD for a maximum period of 6 months, and the stream is open to all ODA-eligible countries where formal peace processes or the implementation of peace agreements are taking place. The grants will be implemented with the support of 4 INGO partners, whose technical expertise and global reach will strengthen the impact of the RRW: Conciliation Resources, Cordaid, Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Diplomacy (NIMD), and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF).  There is no deadline for applications. The RRW is demand driven and accepts submissions on a rolling basis. Apply here.
 
 

Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund - Rapid Response Window: Direct support - ongoing
Direct Support (currently open for applications) up to $25,000 USD. The RRW directly finances the provision of services to ensure women’s access and influence in track 1 and track 2 peace processes. This includes logistical and technical support that would increase the likelihood of a woman CSO representative to actively participate in or influence a peace process or the implementation of a peace agreement – such as the cost of travel arrangements, childcare, access for persons with disabilities, interpretation needs, expert advisory support, etc. Please note, financing for CSO projects is not eligible under the Direct Support Stream. Successful applicants receive services, not funding. Services are purchased and arranged directly by the WPHF RRW Secretariat on behalf of selected applicants. website
 
 

Global Fund for Women - ongoing
Are you curious about our grantmaking application process? The Global Fund for Women supports movements for gender justice and fund feminist, grassroots initiatives and organizations. Please carefully review its application process, criteria, and priorities here. As a #FeministFunder, the Fund strives to be transparent about its process, to advocate so women‘s funds offer more and better funding, and to connect folks to the right funding. More fundraising resources listed here.
 
 

Haëlla fund with guts - ongoing
Do you, like us, dream of a better world? A world where everyone has the right to a good life. A peaceful world in which there is respect for each other, for each other's faith and background and in which we take care of vulnerable people and our environment. And do you have a concrete plan to contribute to this and do you need help to realize your project? Then you can request an amount up to a maximum of 2,500 euros from the Haëlla Foundation, on a total budget of a maximum of 50,000 euros. You can apply digitally on this website. Areas in which the Haëlla Fund is active: Faith and Society, Peace and Human Rights, Living Together in the Netherlands, Environment and Sustainability, Women's Rights, Undocumented People.
 
 

Het Actie Fonds - ongoing
Are you organising an action to draw attention to an urgent issue? Or to react to sudden political or societal developments? And weren’t you able to apply for funding sooner because your action has to be organised immediately? In that case we can treat your application as an urgent application. With an urgent application you can request an amount up to 250 euros. A decision concerning your request will be made within days. Please note: this option is specifically meant for unforeseen situations, not for last minute funding for actions that are already prepared. Apply here.
 
 

U.S. Embassy The Hague Public Affairs Section Small Grants Program - ongoing
The U.S. Embassy The Hague Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Department of State has funding available through the Embassy’s public diplomacy grants program. Grants are intended for local representatives of civil society, including non-governmental organizations and universities.  They support projects to: Ensure shared responsibility for international security and strengthen the cohesion of the Western Alliance; Strengthen economic prosperity; Advance energy security; Deepen the commitment to our shared values. Most grants considered are between $5,000 and $25,000. For more information, check out the website here.
 
 

GWI Hegg Hoffet Fund - ongoing
The GWI Hegg Hoffet Fund provides assistance to women graduates and, in special cases, women tertiary students, who have been displaced as a result of war or political upheavals, natural disasters, or other serious emergencies. Short term grants to individual women graduates, and in special cases women tertiary students, are offered for refresher courses for re-entry into the candidate’s professional field, retraining courses if the candidate is not able to practice her previous profession, lay courses for integration into the new country and courses necessary to pass required national exams in the new country. More information on the website.
 
 

Urgent Action Funds - ongoing
Urgent Action Fund’s Rapid Response Grants resource the resilience of human rights and gender justice movements by supporting the security and advocacy interventions of activists when a swift response is needed. Specifically, Rapid Response Grants offer quick, flexible funding to respond to security threats or unexpected advocacy opportunities experienced by women, transgender, or gender non-conforming, activists and human rights defenders. More information on the website.
 
Database

The Database contains information about gender equality, respect for women's rights and all the themes WO=MEN strives for worldwide.