Avon Foundation for Women
/OVERVIEW: This funder supports organizations whose work relates to breast cancer and gender-based violence, as well as scholarships for female students. College and vocational school scholarship programs are open to Avon representatives and their families.
IP TAKE: While Avon is a major corporate funder, it is not fully transparent about its grantmaking habits, and has no public application process. Grantseekers may reach out to a local representative of the company for additional information about grantmaking opportunities.
PROFILE: The Avon Foundation for Women is the philanthropic of Avon Products, the fifth-largest cosmetics brand and second-largest multi-level marketing companies in the world. The foundation was established in 1955, with the aim of “taking a female-centric approach to break down traditional barriers and build a better future for women.” Since its inception, the foundation has contributed over $1 billion to women’s causes, and has always focused its efforts on promoting scientific, educational and humanitarian activities. Its current programs include the Avon Breast Cancer Promise and the Avon Promise to Help End Violence Against Women and Girls.
Grants for Diseases
The Avon Foundation’s Breast Cancer Promise started in 1992 with its Global Breast Cancer Crusade and has given over $815 million to breast cancer-related programs around the world through 2015. Its stated goals are to promote “early detection of breast cancer,” to “help every woman know the risks,” “help every woman know the signs,” and “help every woman know how to take action.” The foundation provides support to access-to-care safety-net programs for the medically underserved, outreach programs for education and screening, and scientific research to find treatment and a cure. In addition to several major hospitals around the country, other grantees include Give2Asia, CancerCare, Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, and Jonsson Cancer Center.
Grants for Violence Prevention, Women and Girls
Avon’s Promise to Help End Violence Against Women and Girls is dedicated to creating “a world where women and girls can live a life free from violence and abuse.” Its three-pronged strategy is to encourage conversation about the “many forms of violence against women and girls” and “discuss what needs to change in order to end it,” provide information so that employees, representatives, customers, and grant partners have “knowledge and information they need to recognize and respond to violence safely and on their own terms,” and improve support for “local organisations to ensure women and girls have access to the support they need.” This program area supports organizations around the world, in countries such as Romania, Ukraine, Colombia, Chile, Greece, and Italy. Grantees include La Strada Ukraine, Fundatia Sensiblu, Maria Amor Foundation, Donne in Rete Contro la Violenza and Alliancia Zen. The Avon Foundation for Women also supports the UN’s Women Generation Equality initiative, which works for women’s equal pay and workplace protections, among other issues.
Grants for Environmental Conservation
While not much information is available on the foundation’s website, records indicate that it conducts environmental grantmaking through its Healthy Forests, Beautiful World Fund. This program area seems to prioritize the preservation and protection of tropical rainforests around the world. Most grantees have been major international nonprofits such as the World Wildlife Fund, and the Nature Conservancy.
Grants for Higher Education
Avon’s Global Scholarship Program was established in 2012, and in 2018 doubled its annual commitment from $250,000 to $500,000. Applicants—who must be Avon representatives or their children and grandchildren—are selected based on “academic performance and a statement of career and educational aspirations and goals” and must be enrolled or planning to enroll full- or part-time in an accredited university, college, or technical school. Awardees may reapply and may receive the award a total of four times.
Important Grant Details:
The Avon Foundation’s grants generally range from $75,000 to $650,000. While it places no geographical restrictions on its grantmaking, its Breast Cancer Funding tends to prioritize medical and research institutions in the United States. Explore past grantees to better understand how and where it funds.
The Avon Foundation accepts applications by invitation only and will not respond to unsolicited requests for funding.
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