Grant Opportunities

How we choose our projects

We support projects that align with our mission to sustain the path out of poverty for women and youth. These projects must also help to advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. To be eligible for funding, over 50% of the proposed project’s beneficiaries must be women or girls.

Areas of Focus

Our goal is to empower women and youth with fundamental human rights. To accomplish this, we accept grant applications for projects focused on education, livelihood training, and health care. Projects funding humanitarian relief efforts are by invitation only.

  • Education

    Our education projects work to ensure everyone has the opportunity to grow, learn, and prosper.

    We look to empower girls and women through education so they can unleash their full potential within their community. We also educate boys on the critical role girls and women play in families and societies, to break down antiquated norms around gender.

    We fund education projects that focus on the following:

    • Reading, writing, and math programs
    • Financial education, from budgeting to business planning
    • GED training
    • Child educational TV programming
    • Digital advancements for remote learning
  • Livelihood Training

    Our livelihood training projects create economic opportunities and job prospects for women so they can earn their own incomes.

    Livelihood training equips women with the skills and experience they need to rise out of poverty permanently, and bring their families and communities along with them.

    We fund livelihood training that focuses on the following:

    • Computer skills training
    • Customer service training
    • Entrepreneurial strategies
    • Seed money for new businesses
    • Training in specific sectors, like farming
  • Health Care

    We fund projects that ensure proper access to health care for women and girls, including reproductive care.

    When women are at their healthiest, physically and emotionally, they can also succeed economically. No one should fear losing their job in order to take care of their physical or mental health.

    We fund health care projects that focus on the following:

    • Protecting reproductive rights
    • Providing healthcare to homeless populations
    • Providing access to free or low-cost care
    • Providing mental health assistance
    • Supporting emotional health and building self-esteem

Our education projects work to ensure everyone has the opportunity to grow, learn, and prosper.

We look to empower girls and women through education so they can unleash their full potential within their community. We also educate boys on the critical role girls and women play in families and societies, to break down antiquated norms around gender.

We fund education projects that focus on the following:

  • Reading, writing, and math programs
  • Financial education, from budgeting to business planning
  • GED training
  • Child educational TV programming
  • Digital advancements for remote learning

Our livelihood training projects create economic opportunities and job prospects for women so they can earn their own incomes.

Livelihood training equips women with the skills and experience they need to rise out of poverty permanently, and bring their families and communities along with them.

We fund livelihood training that focuses on the following:

  • Computer skills training
  • Customer service training
  • Entrepreneurial strategies
  • Seed money for new businesses
  • Training in specific sectors, like farming

We fund projects that ensure proper access to health care for women and girls, including reproductive care.

When women are at their healthiest, physically and emotionally, they can also succeed economically. No one should fear losing their job in order to take care of their physical or mental health.

We fund health care projects that focus on the following:

  • Protecting reproductive rights
  • Providing healthcare to homeless populations
  • Providing access to free or low-cost care
  • Providing mental health assistance
  • Supporting emotional health and building self-esteem

How We Evaluate Applications

Our grantees must fall into one of the following categories:

  • A US-based 501(c)(3) organization
  • A United Nations agency or program
  • An international organization with a US-based 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor

For organizations that meet this requirement, our Board of Directors uses the following criteria to evaluate applications:

  • Alignment with our mission to end poverty by empowering women and youth
  • Alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Strong track record of success over a 3-year period
  • Ability to access additional resources
  • Ability to track impact of the project or organization and regularly report on results
  • Direct impact on the lives of marginalized women and children in need
  • Priority will be given to projects based in the following specific strategic locations: Kenya, Senegal, Uganda, New York City, Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, DC 

Grants Timeline

April
Application process opens
May
Applications accepted through our online grants portal
May—June
Virtual meetings begin
July
Financial reviews begin
September
Board decisions made 
October
Grantees notified
December
Funding delivered 

Frequently Asked Questions

The Foundation prioritizes funding projects in Kenya, Uganda, Senegal, New York City, and the Greater Washington, DC/Maryland/Virginia area. That said, we occasionally fund projects in strategic locations that fall outside of these priority regions.

To be eligible for funding, over 50% of the proposed project’s beneficiaries must be women or girls.

Once grants application is open, applying organizations complete the eligibility survey. When we have determined your eligibility, you will be able to access the rest of the application.

After we have confirmed that you meet our eligibility criteria, you will need to share your organization’s financials, a detailed program proposal, a program budget, and measurable objectives.