About
Global Fund for Women is a San Francisco-based nonprofit that funds grassroots feminist organizations around the world. Describing itself as a trusted partner for grassroots feminist organizations, it finds, funds, and supports groups that traditional funders often overlook or cannot reach — organizations on the frontlines of gender justice that take action, organize, and challenge unjust laws, often at great personal risk. It is a 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 77-0155782).
Mission
Global Fund for Women funds bold, ambitious, and expansive gender justice movements to create meaningful change that will last beyond our lifetimes. It envisions a world where movements for gender justice have transformed power and privilege for a few into equity and equality for all. Its values are collaboration, adaptability, action with trust and courage, and careful stewardship of every resource and relationship.
What they do
The organization funds grassroots feminist organizations directly and trusts them to lead. Its current strategy, aimed at awarding an additional $100 million in grants by 2030, has four pillars:
- Mobilize values-aligned funding and investment: raising flexible, long-term funding through deeper relationships and stewarding investments responsibly
- Provide comprehensive support: flexible, multi-year funding and responsive support that strengthens the resilience, collective power, and community-driven solutions of grassroots feminist organizations
- Shift philanthropic narratives: leading conversations that change philanthropic norms, grounded in grassroots knowledge
- Strengthen organizational effectiveness: investing in people, systems, and culture to continuously improve partner support
History
In 1987, four women in Palo Alto, California recognized that feminist grassroots organizations around the globe were creating real change in their communities but were overlooked by traditional philanthropy. They founded Global Fund for Women with a different approach: fund these organizations directly and trust them to lead.
Scale and impact
Over the past four decades, Global Fund for Women has awarded $263 million to more than 5,800 organizations in 180 countries. The organization states that independent verifiers consistently rate it at the highest level for financial stewardship, transparency, and accountability.
Financials
According to IRS Form 990 filings compiled by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Global Fund for Women reported total revenue of $36.7 million (including $33.3 million in contributions and grants), total expenses of $33.1 million, and total assets of $110.3 million for the fiscal year ending June 2024. In the prior fiscal year (ending June 2023), it reported $39.0 million in revenue and $45.3 million in expenses. The organization publishes financial reports on its website.
