Futura Foundations
/OVERVIEW: The Futura Foundations focus on improving health, rights and economic outcomes for girls and women around the globe, as well as combating climate change through environmental sustainability.
IP TAKE: This funder encourages cross-discipline approaches to gender equality research and projects; however, this is not a requirement for funding. Though a responsive funder, the Futura Foundation is not an accessible one. It prefers to research its own grantees to fund which reflects its laser focus on its giving areas. Grantseekers are encouraged to contact foundation staff for additional information.
PROFILE: Based in Stockholm, Sweden, the Futura Foundations consist of two organizations, registered as Stiftelsen Futura Social Initiatives and Stiftelsen Futura Environmental Initiatives. The former operates the Futura Good program, which focuses on gender equality and empowering women and girls, while the latter operates Futura Green, first founded in 1986, which focuses on climate change.
Grants for Women and Girls
Futura’s Futura Good grantmaking is based on the principle that “gender equality is not a woman’s issue, it is a human right.” It pursues its mission through the simple strategy of partnering with “innovative social initiatives and organizations working to improve the outcomes of girls globally.” It seeks projects that have a long-term view on gender equality. It is particularly interested in efforts concerning women’s health, especially reproductive health and rights, as well as education, labor rights, and economic opportunity. Past grantees in this space include Menstrual Health Hub, which received support for its online platform revolving around menstrual hygiene, and Original Beans, which received a grant for its work empowering women cacao farmers in Eastern Congo.
Grants for Climate Change
Futura Green was founded in 1986, in the face of the “growing realization of the impact of the greenhouse effect.” The majority of the foundation’s funding goes to support scientific research conducted at Swedish universities, in the areas of “science, political science, sociology, economics and the history of ideas.” It seeks projects that have a long-term approach to questions of the environment and climate change. In addition to universities like KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Blekinge Institute of Technology, it has also supported non-university organizations such as Stockholm Resilience Centre and Acumen, which received funding for its Pioneer Energy Program, which provides renewable energy solutions to rural communities around the world.
Important Grant Details:
Futura is not transparent regarding its grant amounts, guidelines and eligibility requirements. Futura Good does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding. Futura Green accepts brief outlines of projects that are affiliated with a research department at a Swedish university.
PEOPLE:
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