Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Empowerment Fund (Ireland)

Deadline: 2-Jun-23

Applications are now open for the Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Empowerment Fund, a $1 million three-year fund created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with Bank of America and the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund.

Rethink Ireland is now launching the Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Empowerment Fund that aims to support women facing intersecting forms of disadvantage into sustainable employment and educational pathways. The Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Empowerment Fund will be focused on achieving deep and transformative impact by supporting women experiencing intersectionality – multiple forms of disadvantage and discrimination – with complex needs. Women facing intersecting forms of disadvantage are the furthest from the labour market and benefit from intensive wraparound support to enable them to transition into employment or education.

The Fund’s goal is to promote access to employment and/or education programmes for 850+ migrant women and women experiencing socio-economic disadvantage in Ireland. Furthermore, the Fund aims to empower 260+ of these women into employment.

Funding Information

• The Fund offers a package of cash grants and non-financial supports to the value of €175,500 for up to 4 to 5 projects, to help them expand and increase their social impact.
• This includes:
  • 4 to 5 awards of up to €153,000
  • The non-financial supports will include:
    • a place on Rethink Ireland’s Accelerator Programme
    • bespoke business and capacity building supports designed in consultation with the successful projects on topics such as strategic planning, maximising your impact, communications, storytelling and fundraising.
  • Access to Rethink Ireland’s networks.
• Note: The Rethink Ireland Board will decide how much money to award, which may be less than the amount requested. The final amount of the award will depend on how many organisations are selected.

Ineligible Projects

• Projects where research is the primary activity
• Projects seeking funding for capital assets (such as buildings, vans or equipment)
• Projects promoting or aligned with a political party
• Projects that only accept participants of a particular faith or religious denomination
• Projects focused on animal welfare
• Projects based outside the Republic of Ireland
• Projects led by people under 18 years of age
• Projects that are an idea (only) and that have not yet started

Eligibility Criteria

This fund is open to organisations that have a not-for-profit legal form, e.g. charity, social enterprise and other voluntary organisations that meet the following criteria:

• Projects must meet both Rethink Ireland’s criteria and the specific criteria for Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Empowerment Fund, as set out below:
  • Rethink Ireland Criteria
    • The project must address a critical social issue
    • The project proposed must be innovative in an Irish context
    • The project must be based on the island of Ireland and must make its impact in Ireland
    • The project must have potential and a desire to scale or replicate in Ireland (it may also have potential internationally, but this is not a requirement)
    • The project must provide evidence that it is up and running, or has been tested at least in a minimal way
    • Applicants must come from an entity that has a not-for-profit legal form, eg:
      • A company limited by guarantee
      • A co-operative
      • Charity
      • And other not for profit legal forms
  • Mná na hÉireann, Women of Ireland Empowerment Fund Core Criteria
    • To be successful in the selection process, the projects must;
      • Work directly with one or more of the following groups of women; migrant women, and/or women experiencing socio-economic disadvantage.
      • Work directly to support women into quality employment using methods like; employability training, mentoring, and/or work placements.
      • Provide wrap-around supports that enable women to fully participate in for example; childcare, confidence-building activities, mental health supports, and/or education.
      • Aim to increase women’s employability as their end goal.
    • Please note: Projects must meet all 4 core criteria to be successful.
  • Fund Advantageous Criteria
    • To be successful, it would be an advantage if the project:
      • Is led by a member of the end-beneficiary community, e.g an organisation supporting migrant women led by a migrant woman.
      • Takes a specific focus on care work
• If you have previously been funded by Rethink Ireland, you can still apply.
• You can make more than one application for separate projects.

Ineligible

• Applicants under 18 years of age
• Commercial companies, sole traders and individuals
• Any staff member from Rethink Ireland, Bank of America and Department of Rural and Community Development staff, Directors and their family members. Family members include siblings, parents, spouses or civil partners or children.
• Individuals, statutory or public bodies, local development companies, LEADER companies, companies limited by shares, and organisations that are funded 100% by state bodies or agencies and continue to be in receipt of that funding.
• Any consultant currently working with Rethink Ireland.
• Projects on one of the Funds that have cash grant payments remaining before the commencement of the new fund programme are not eligible to apply.

For more information, visit Rethink Ireland.