Organization: Global Fund for Women

All Photos The Global Fund for Women plays a leading role in advancing women's rights by making grants that support and strengthen women's groups around the world. We mobilize and redistribute resources that enable women to develop creative solutions to local, regional, and transnational challenges. We bring grantees and donors together in an international network that promotes women's action for social change, equality, peace, and justice worldwide.

Focus Areas:

Human Rights, Gender & Equality

Countries Served:

All 170 countries: Afghanistan Albania Armenia Netherlands Antilles Angola Argentina Austria Australia Azerbaijan Bosnia and Herzegovina Barbados Bangladesh Belgium Burkina Faso Bulgaria Bahrain Burundi Benin Bolivia Brazil Bahamas Bhutan Botswana Belarus Belize Canada Congo, The Democratic Republic of The Central African Republic Congo Switzerland Cote D'Ivoire Chile Cameroon China Colombia Costa Rica Serbia and Montenegro Cuba Cape Verde Cyprus Czech Republic Germany Dominican Republic Algeria Ecuador Estonia Egypt Eritrea Spain Ethiopia Fiji Micronesia, Federated States of France United Kingdom Grenada Georgia Ghana Gambia Guinea Greece Guatemala Guam Guyana Hong Kong Honduras Croatia Haiti Hungary Indonesia Ireland Israel India Iraq Italy Jamaica Jordan Japan Kenya Kyrgyzstan Cambodia Kiribati Saint Kitts and Nevis Korea, South Kazakhstan Lao People'S Democratic Republic Lebanon Saint Lucia Sri Lanka Liberia Lesotho Lithuania Latvia Morocco Moldova, Republic of Madagascar Marshall Islands Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic Mali Myanmar Mongolia Mauritania Malta Mauritius Maldives Malawi Mexico Malaysia Mozambique Namibia New Caledonia Niger Nigeria Nicaragua Netherlands Nepal New Zealand Panama Peru Papua New Guinea Philippines Pakistan Poland Puerto Rico Palestinian Territory, Occupied Portugal Palau Paraguay Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Solomon Islands Sudan Sweden Singapore Slovenia Slovakia Sierra Leone Senegal Somalia Suriname El Salvador Swaziland Chad Togo Thailand Tajikistan Timor-Leste Turkmenistan Tunisia Tonga Turkey Trinidad and Tobago Tuvalu Taiwan, Province of China Tanzania, United Republic of Ukraine Uganda United States Uruguay Uzbekistan Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Venezuela Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Viet Nam Samoa Yemen South Africa Zambia Zimbabwe   Summary by region: Asia Europe Latin America & Caribbean Africa Australia & Oceania Northern America

Description of Services:
The Global Fund is honored to work in a supportive, trust-based partnership with women's rights organizations in nearly 200 countries. The extraordinary courage, perseverance and leadership of these groups advance the international women's movement and promote social justice worldwide. Our grants range from $500 to a maximum annual grant of $30,000. We primarily provide flexible, general support grants that address universal issues such as reproductive health and choice, access to education, economic independence, environmental sustainability, political participation, the rights of sexual minorities and the prevention of violence against women and girls.
History:
The Global Fund for Women was founded by three ordinary but bold women from Palo Alto, California who dreamed of creating a different way to connect people and ideas around the globe: Anne Firth Murray, Founding President, Frances Kissling and Laura Lederer. They were convinced that women's human rights and dignity were essential to the advancement of global agendas for social, economic, and political change. They believed that by putting resources into the hands of grassroots women leaders, women would change the world. Frustrated by traditional philanthropy's lack of interest in funding women's groups and human rights, these three women founded the Global Fund for Women and made the first contributions.
Accomplishments & Progress:
- Helped to seed & sustain 27 women's funds in 21 countries, sowing a network of women-led philanthropic organizations in each major geographic region. - Funded advocacy that secured legislation criminalizing domestic violence in Indonesia, Nicaragua, Mongolia, the Philippines, Bulgaria, the DRC, Ghana, Kenya & Zimbabwe. - Supported advocacy for women's reproductive rights in 94 countries & successful efforts to legalize abortion in Mexico City & Colombia. - Invested in the first out lesbian groups in India, Slovenia, Thailand, Mexico, Kyrgyzstan, Croatia, China, Lebanon & Turkey. - Advanced women's role in peacebuilding by sustaining women?s participation in peace processes in Liberia, the DRC, Nepal, the Balkans, Colombia & elsewhere.