Deadline: 9 February 2020
Mama Cash has announced the Solidarity Fund which is a new participatory grantmaking fund created by women’s funds for women’s funds.
Mama Cash knows first-hand that women’s funds are supporting some of the most innovative, courageous and transformative feminist movements around the world. They are a key part of the infrastructure needed for feminist movements to hold the line, advance their agendas, and resist attacks and backlash.
In the spirit of radical trust and solidarity, the Solidarity Fund is a pot of funding made to support the needs of women’s funds. It is also unique in that it incorporates participatory grantmaking as a more equitable, just, transparent and accountable form of grantmaking. This approach also seeks to empower women’s funds to make the decisions that are best for their peers and thus strengthen the feminist funding ecosystem.
For this first round of the Solidarity Fund, the Design Committee, has collectively decided to focus on the theme: learning and knowledge sharing. Women’s funds are encouraged to seek funds on the topic of most importance (e.g. care & wellbeing, technology & digital security, fundraising, environmental justice, convenings & events, campaigns & advocacy, security as examples that some Women’s Funds have suggested). Decisions will be made by participating Women’s Funds.
Funding Information
Eight grants will be made in this inaugural round of funding. The two highest ranked applicants in four regions will be selected for grants of 17,000 euros.
Eligibility Criteria
- Women’s funds interested in applying must first review and meet Mama Cash’s criteria for Women’s Funds.
- Organisations and groups that are typically eligible for Mama Cash Body/Money/Voice grants are not eligible to apply for the Solidarity Fund, this is a fund for women’s funds only.
- Applicants are not required to be a member of Prospera – The International Network of Women’s Funds to be considered for funding; nascent and emergent funds are welcome to apply.
- For this initial round, US and Canadian Women’s Funds working at the local/city/state level (e.g. City of X Women’s Fund) are ineligible.
- Women’s Funds can apply as individuals or jointly (as a collaborative request). Women’s Funds can only submit one proposal, even if they are part of a collaborative.
What can these funds be spent towards?
- These funds are designed to be flexible and can support any costs within the theme.
- Solidarity Fund grants are designed to support the Women’s Funds themselves, and in turn the Women’s Funds ecosystem, and the global feminist movement.
- This round of the Solidarity Fund will support learning and knowledge exchange.
- There is no restriction on activities, but the fund will not support work that actively seeks to deny the rights of women, girls, trans and intersex people. The fund will not support anti-sex work activities, individuals, political parties, government agencies, or religious institutions.
For more information, visit https://www.mamacash.org/en/solidarity-fund-announcement