Maypole Fund

OVERVIEW: The Maypole Fund focuses its grantmaking on increasing the presence of women in the global security landscape.

IP TAKE: Maypole is an accessible, grassroots funder that supports individuals or groups staging projects centered on women for which they are having a difficult time securing financial support. This funder’s website lacks detailed grantmaking strategies, pointing instead to examples of grantees who’ve won it’s support in the past, which indicates an interest in feminist messages of anti-militarism. However, one thing is clear here: Maypole is dedicated to feminist messaging, making it a good ally to have in the feminist space. This funder only makes a handful of grants a year, preferring not to be your main source of funding.

PROFILE: Established in 1986, the U.K.-based Maypole Fund is a modest funder that seeks to “resource imaginative, non-violent activities by feminist anti-militarist women — whether individual women or women only groups — to proactively challenge patriarchy.” The fund works to increase women’s presence in the global security landscape. Note that Maypole is an unincorporated nonprofit association and has chosen not to seek charitable status from the U.K.’s Charity Commission. 

Grants for Global Security, Women and Girls

The Maypole Fund conducts all of it’s funding through a gender lens. For this funder, that typically means only women’s organizations may receive a grant. The Fund has supported a variety of global security projects in the areas of anti-militarism, anti-nuclear proliferation, violence prevention and peace-building.

Examples of previous grantees indicate an interest in feminist and youth education campaigns and marketing materials meant to inform the public about the cross-sectional relationship between women and climate change. Another grantee, Encuentro de Mujeres Creadoras, which reflects an intergenerational group of women used a grant from the Maypole Fund to “transform an external wall of a neighbourhood cultural centre in Bogotá into a mural with strong messages of feminist anti-militarism.”

Important Grant Details:

Maypole’s grants are limited to £750 (a little over $1,000). The foundation awards 10 to 12 grants per year. Maypole accepts unsolicited grant applications, which must be received by January 31 and June 30 of each year to be considered for the current grant cycle.

Grantseekers should be sure to read the complete Grant Guidelines before applying. The application form is here

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