Deadline: 31-Oct-2025
The West African Sankofa Initiative (ISDAO) has opened a new round of flexible grant funding to strengthen LGBTQI movements across West Africa.
Led by LGBTQI activists, ISDAO is dedicated to advancing equality, social justice, and gender diversity through community-led philanthropy. The fund supports organizations and networks that are working to reduce violence, stigma, and discrimination, while building stronger and more inclusive societies.
ISDAO’s flexible grants can be used to support both organizational needs and programmatic activities. Funding may cover a wide range of priorities such as organizational registration, strategic planning, recruitment, advocacy initiatives, capacity building, networking, member meetings, participation in conferences, emergency responses, and program or project implementation. The fund offers options for core funding, project funding, or a combination of both, allowing organizations to respond to the most urgent needs of their communities while strengthening their structures and operations.
To recognize the diversity of organizations across the region, ISDAO offers three tiers of funding. Tier 1 grants, capped at USD 5,000 per year, provide start-up support for informal groups that have been active for at least two years, with most work led by volunteers. Tier 2 grants, capped at USD 20,000 per year, are aimed at more formal groups with at least four years of experience, existing management structures, and a mix of staff and volunteers. Tier 3 grants, capped at USD 30,000 per year, target well-established organizations with at least six years of operational experience, functional governance systems, and full-time staff, enabling them to consolidate and expand their work.
Eligibility is limited to organizations, groups, and networks that are LGBTQI-led, meaning that LGBTQI people make up at least 75% of their leadership and decision-making bodies. Applicants must be based in one of ISDAO’s nine focal countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, or Togo. Eligible groups must demonstrate a commitment to strengthening the LGBTQI rights movement, improving the lives of LGBTQI people, and working in collaboration with allies to advance inclusion and equality.
Through this call, ISDAO reaffirms its commitment to building principled, intersectional, and resilient movements in West Africa. By investing in organizations at different stages of development, ISDAO seeks to nurture leadership, amplify advocacy, and create lasting change for LGBTQI communities across the region.
For more information, visit ISDAO.
