Women First International Fund
/OVERVIEW: The Women First International Fund supports women and girls, global development, refugees, human rights and LGBTQ causes in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and India.
IP TAKE: Women First runs a three-tiered funding system that supports the development of women-led organizations with grants that increase in size over a six-year period, rendering this fund’s grantmaking space more competitive leaving less room for newer grantseekers.
This is an accessible and supportive foundation focused on gender justice that aims to grow its grantees’ impact through a variety of measures in five countries. It is also transparent about how it works, what it expects from grantees and how it hopes to partner with organizations.
It is also highly collaborative, working with both local and regional partners, as well as other international partners, to “forge partnerships and relationships to maximize impact.” If your organization’s women-led work aligns with that of Women First, don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more about how you can support WFIF partnerships.
PROFILE: The Women First International Fund, formerly the Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund, was established in 1969 by a group of members of the International Federation of University Women to promote the empowerment of women and girls globally. Based in New York City, the fund was initially named for Virginia Gildersleeve, who founded the IFUW and served as Dean of Barnard College. In 2019, the organization officially changed its name and refined its mission, which is to “to support and partner with new and emerging grassroots women-led organizations in countries where gender inequities remain pervasive.”
The organization currently supports organizations in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and India, making opportunity grants to recently established organizations, investment grants to organizations that have achieved a level of organizational effectiveness and leverage grants to established organizations that aim to expand their work and presence. The fund conducts grantmaking, across all of its giving, through a gender lens.
Grants for Women and Girls
Women First “envisions a world where gender equity prevails, and where every woman and girl has the power to thrive.” The Fund’s grantmaking strategies all occurs through a gender lens that support women-led organizations at the grassroots level.
By concentrating on it’s five areas of geographic focus, the Fund facilitates networking, convening, and learning opportunities between it’s grantee partners, which is critical for catalyzing and sustaining local movements. The Fund also believes that this focus allows it to “be more present in the places we have grantee partners, and to collaborate with other national and regional stakeholders.”
While the Fund offers grants across a variety of issues that intersect with women’s issues — refugee rights, LGBTQ rights, humanitarian aid and global development, as well as human rights — it does so through three stages of grantmaking:
Opportunity Grants focus on sustainable agriculture, women’s economic empowerment and work, mothers, rural women, and any related efforts that work toward’s advancing women and girls’ ability to safely support themselves. These grants are for one-year terms in the amount of $10,000 for start-up grassroots organizations.
Investment Grants appear to offer funds for nonprofit infrastructure and capacity building, enabling women-led organizations to scale up their efforts. Investment grant exist for organizations that have established organizational and operational effectiveness, represent a three-year commitment totaling $45,000.
Leverage Grants are for organizations that are working towards expanding upon their work. These grants are two-year commitments of $40,000.
Grants for Global Development
Women First’s global development grants appear to focus on sustainable agriculture, women’s health and reproductive services, and entrepreneurship.
Past grantees include, in Uganda, Kyamuduma II Coffee Farmers’ Cooperative Society Ltd., which helps rural farmers to build their capacity and manage finances wisely. Another Ugandan grantee, Zaam Community Health Development Organization, provides health services to underserved children and adults, including maternity and pediatric care. And in Kenya, the fund has given to the Nafisika Trust, which used funding to run a prison entrepreneurship program and reduce the rates of recidivism in the Nairobi area.
Grants for Human Rights and Refugees
Women First’s human rights funding significantly overlaps with its grantmaking for refugees and LGBTQ rights. Some of this work encompasses health-related work, education, employment and women’s safety, among other issues.
In Malawi, the fund has supported Solidarity of Refugee Women for Social Welfare, an organization that runs educational and vocational programs for refugees, and is a repeated recipient. Another human rights grantee is India’s Vasantham Pengal Sangam, which works broadly to support health, education, employment and safety for the poorest citizens in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Grants for LGBTQ
Women First’s grants for LGBTQ focus on trans women, bisexual women and lesbians’ economic empowerment, safety and health. This extends to LGBTQ refugees. The Fund also invests in LGBTQ advocacy, research, and education to build LGBTQ movement-building support.
One grantee, Kenya’s Kodera Women Group, provides a safe space for women to discuss issues regarding transgenderism. Another Kenyan grantee, Women Working with Women, works to ensure the security and rights of lesbian and bisexual women in Kenya through advocacy, research, capacity building and health services.
Grants for Nonprofits
Across all of it’s areas of interest, the Fund works to offer capacity assessment, planning and tools, capacity building resources, and networking opportunities to grassroots, women-led nonprofits that work at the local level in the Fund’s five countries of focus.
Important Grant Details:
Women First’s grants are awarded in amounts up to $95,000.
See Women First’s current grantees page for additional information about funded organizations.
General inquiries may be directed to Women First staff via email or telephone at 212-213-0622.
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