Emerging Markets Foundation (EMpower)
/OVERVIEW: EMpower focuses its grantmaking on improving the lives of at-risk children and young people ages 10 to 24. It does so through K-12 and STEM education, women and girls’ equity, economic development, and global health work.
IP TAKE: EMpower, across its focus areas, conducts it’s funding through a gender lens. As a result, if you’re in the women and girls sector, this is a good funder to know. The foundation doesn’t accept unsolicited applications, so you’re going to need to network to get your organization or project’s foot through the door. EMpower has several global locations, so make sure to contact the location nearest you or the location closet to the geographic area that your work benefits. This funder occasionally changes its geographic areas of focus, so it’s important to check their website often.
Initial grants are only for 1 year; however, grantees have the potential to receive EMpower funding for up to a decade – an impressive and stable source of funding if you can get it.
PROFILE: A group of financial professionals driven by the belief that “[a]ll young people, no matter their life circumstances, deserve the opportunity to create health, productive lives,” founded the Emerging Markets Foundation or EMpower, in 2000. At the time, the overall mission of the foundation sought to help local communities in the emerging markets countries in which they work. EMpower supports organizations that “[e]nsure gender equity approaches in their programs.” Grantmaking programs include Livelihoods, Safe, Healthy Lives and Inclusive Learning.
Grants for K-12 and STEM Education
EMpower conducts K-12 funding through its Inclusive Learning program, which centers on K-12 education at the global level. The program aligns with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of which education is listed Goal #4. EMpower believes education is a “root goal,” essential to a better future. The foundation conducts related educating giving through a gender lens, citing that when a “girl receives 5 years of schooling, her future children are 40% likelier to live past age 5.” The foundation, in keeping with SDGs, invests in philanthropic work that works to “ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes,” as well as “ eliminate gender disparities in education, and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations.”
In the education space, EMpower aims to improve the quality of education for all students. It seeks to do so by supporting “ after-school, weekend and holiday tutoring or coaching that fills the gaps,” in addition to improving teaching skills. EMpower works at the global level with “local grantee partners that use relevant, practical approaches that will prepare students for real life in their specific settings, such as agricultural-focused skills for future livelihoods in rural communities.” This hands-on, real life approach emphasizes building 21st century skills; STEM education, especially for girls; and facilitating 2nd chance education.”
Education grants dominate the foundation’s giving and range from tens of thousands to several hundred thousands of dollars. Past education grantees include Feminist Approach to Technology Society, Yuva, Ibtada, Kodluyoruz (We are Coding), and Teach Unlimited Foundation.
Grants for Women and Girls
The foundation conducts all of its grantmaking through a gender equity lens across its three programs, including its Inclusive Learning program, which you can read more about above under Grants for K-12 and STEM Education. EMpower also makes grants that benefit young women and girls through its Safe, Healthy Lives program focuses on young people and their health challenges such as sexual identity and behavior, risk-taking, explore to health risks and social and family pressures. It also addresses maternal and infant health. Lastly, the foundation’s Livelihoods program supports organizations ensuring that young people have access to training and opportunities allowing them to earn a living wage.
Past women and girls’ grantees focusing their work on women and girls include the Network of Women in Growth (NEWIG) and the Girls Power Initiative. To learn more about the types of organizations EMpower supports, examine its grantee partners page.
Grants for Violence Prevention
EMpower’s grantmaking, in focusing on gender equality, benefits work that addresses violence prevention through predominately two if its programs. In the case of its Inclusive Learning program, EMpower emphasizes the role of education in “reducing poverty and violence, and improving health outcomes for mother and children.” This program awards grants to organizations that position their violence prevention work from the perspective that girls’ education helps to protect against future violence, making girls and boys more resilient against domestic and gender-based violence.
The foundation’s Safe, Healthy Lives program also works with young people and their health challenges such as sexual identity and behavior, risk-taking, explore to health risks and social and family pressures. According to the foundation, “[u]p to 70 percent of all preventable deaths globally result from health-related patterns and behaviors that began during adolescence.” Part of this work includes support for organizations that invest in women’s reproductive health and maternal health, so women and girls are better positioned to make decisions about their families.
EMpower also invests in the well-being of young people by funding projects that develop “psychosocial support, nutrition, safe spaces and sports to reduce conflict and decrease the incidence of all forms of violence.” There’s some funding here, as well, to prevent and address sex-trafficking.
Past violence prevention grantees include the Galaxy Fund, the Russian Federation, Rock Girl SA, and Association for the Struggle Against Sexual Violence (CSMD), among others.
Grants for Global Health
EMpower conducts global health funding through its Safe, Healthy Lives program, which is focused on youths’ health challenges including sexual identity and behavior, risk-taking, explore to health risks and social and family pressures. According to the foundation, “[u]p to 70 percent of all preventable deaths globally result from health-related patterns and behaviors that began during adolescence.” This program also invests in maternal and reproductive health. Other health work addresses HIV prevention and combatting stigma around the virus.
Past EMpower global health grantees include the Azad Foundation, the Isiqalo Foundation (Waves for Change), Youth Approaches to Health Association, and the VACHA Charitable Trust, among others.
Grants for Work and Opportunity
EMpower’s Livelihoods program, centered on helping youths, supports organizations ensuring that young people have access to training and opportunities allowing them to earn a living wage. In particular, the program invests in work that enhances employability and job readiness; increases financial literacy; teaching young people how to build assets; how to become entrepreneurial; and training programs in nontraditional fields (such as construction for women). Like its other programs, EMpower’s Livelihoods also considers ways to increase gender equality and improve women’s economic development.
Important Grant Details:
EMpower grants range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. It’s grantmaking prioritizes education, livelihoods, and health in that order. Though it does not geographically limits its awards, grants tend to cluster in Latin America and Africa. It will only fund organizations that have existed for at least three years; that employ a gender lends focused on empowering young people; have diversified “funding and an organizational budget between US $70,000 and US $3M per year; and are potentially interested in scaling up. To learn more about the types of organizations EMpower supports, examine its grantee partners page.
EMpower’s initial grants are generally for 12 months; however, after “several years, organizations may be invited to apply for multi-year funding if they demonstrate successful results, have solid organizational capacity and an effective partnership with EMpower. The maximum duration of EMpower funding is 10 years.”
EMpower does not accept unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding.
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