Europe as the Open Society Institute slowly pulls out), it also shows that despite their total grantmaking being small, women’s funds are reaching a large number of women’s organizations globally. The women’s funds themselves indicated that the numbers of funding requests are growing and they increasingly feel the pressure to raise larger amounts of money. Women’s funds usually donate small amounts and mostly to groups with budgets under USD 100,000. Grant size varies from USD 15,000 on average (for the Global Fund for Women) to between USD 1,000 and USD 8,000 for most other women’s funds. Some occasionally also support organizations with bigger grants. Women’s funds generally reject a project-cycle, piecemeal approach and are especially interested in core institutional support. Some are increasingly also providing multiyear support. Program officers at most women’s funds work with advisers to make decisions about focus areas for different regions where the funds work. Through their networks of volunteer advisers the funds make funding decisions, while keeping costs as low as possible. These on-the-ground expert advisers identify grantees and provide mentoring and monitoring. In addition, they give their feedback on developments and priorities in the different regions and countries and are actively involved in strategy development of the women’s funds.78 While women’s funds, just like other funders, insist on funding proposals, checks and balances, contracts and
The Global Fund for Women’s fundraising success story
monitoring reports, many interviewees confirmed that the fact the donorgrantee relationship is grounded in a shared passion for women’s rights
At the end of its recent fiscal year (2004-2005) the GFW’s
makes the relationship different. Women’s funds do seek to make fund-
net assets amounted to USD 20.7 million—an increase of
raising less of a bureaucratic experience than with most other funders.
37% over the previous year. Actual expenses were USD
Some women’s funds have been essential in providing resources to
11.8 million (an increase of 29%) of which USD 7.5 million
organizations from highly marginalized sectors of women’s movements
went out in grants. Importantly, of its total USD 17.4 million
with limited access funding such as lesbians, rural women, peasant and
revenue for the year, around 35%, or USD 6 million, was
indigenous women and young women. In some cases, resources coming
raised from individuals. In fact, over an 18 month period, the
from women’s funds are the only ones available to support these
Fund was able to double its individual donor base from 8,000
groups.
to 15,000. They attribute their success to a combination of factors including their investment in external marketing and
Potential challenges associated with women’s funds
PR expertise. Ironically, in the US, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have created a new awareness of the lives and challenges of women ‘overseas’. Finally, their success has also been thanks to the leadership of the Global Fund for
While the steady growth of women’s funds, both in number and amount
Women, which had the vision and was able to make the
of money raised, is an important achievement, it is by no means enough
necessary investments. The Fund is currently experimenting
to fill the gap in funding that women’s organizations are experiencing
with web-based fundraising with the use of self-run, peerto-peer software that will enable them to grow even further.
78 For example, in April 2005, the GFW organized a meeting with members of its advisory council for Latin America and the Caribbean. Advisors provided feedback, contextual perspectives and strategic guidance on the issues and groups the GFW supports. These recommendations have been key in the development of a GFW strategic plan for the region, which were discussed and ratified by the GFW Board of Directors.
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Where is the money for women’s rights?
(Based on interviews with GFW staff)