AWDF
Main Grants Program
The African Women's Development Fund
(AWDF) funds local, national, sub-regional and regional organisations in Africa
working towards women's empowerment. The AWDF is an institutional
capacity-building and programme development fund, which aims to help build a
culture of learning and partnerships within the African women's movement.
In addition to awarding grants, the AWDF attempts to strengthen the
organisational capacities of its grantees.
The
AWDF funds work in six thematic areas:
- Women's Human
Rights
- Political
Participation
- Peace
Building
- Health,
Reproductive Rights
- Economic
Empowerment.
- HIV/AIDS
The
AWDF prioritises programs, which develop and promote women's leadership
and advocacy across all these themes. These thematic areas have been selected
because they feature very highly on the agenda of African women and their
organisations.
Who
can apply?
- Organisations
can be local, national, sub-regional or regional African women's
organisations, from any part of Africa.
- Local women's organisations should send in the
names of two referees, one of whom should be a member of a women's
organisation that operates nationally.
What
types of grants do we support?
- The AWDF gives grants for projects related to any of
the thematic areas specified above. We expect applicants to build in
relevant and reasonable running/core costs into their project proposals.
- We
give grants to national and regional organisations for aspects of
organisational growth and development such as strategic planning,
developing fundraising strategies, communications systems, retreats,
governance systems, etc.
- We
give grants for capital costs such as purchase of computers, printers,
photocopiers.
Frequency
of grant-making
The
AWDF makes grants in three cycles each year. Applications can be sent in at any
time.
Size
of grants
Organisations
can apply for grants ranging from $1,000 - $40,000. Kindly note that most
grants will be for less than the maximum. Grants over $20,000 are only made to
organisations which operate on a regional basis.
Criteria for the review of grant
applications
The
AWDF uses the following criteria for the review of grant applications:
- Applying organisations should preferably have been in
existence for three years.
- Women's organisations have to be led and managed by
women.
- National or regional civil society organisations
may apply for a women-specific project, but will have to demonstrate that
the project will be managed by a senior woman in the organisation.
- Potential grantees shuold show how the project proposal
fits into the organisation's overall strategy for the area of work or
community in which it is located.
- Organisations have to demonstrate how their work fits
into either a local, national or regional strategy for the empowerment of
African women.
- Applying organisations should have basic organisational
systems and structures in place. We look for evidence of effective
leadership, planning and networking.
- The organisation should have a clear evaluation and
sustainability plan for the project.
- The potential to raise additional funding.
- Ability to manage funds and account for them in a
transparent manner.
The AWDF
does not support the following projects:
- Organisations
that aim to convert people to any religious belief.
- Political
parties or women's wings of political parties.
- Individuals.
- Government
departments.
- Scholarships
and fellowships for academic studies.
- Women's
organisations which are not led by women
How to
apply
Interested
organisations should send in their proposals to the AWDF secretariat in Accra,
Ghana, using the grant application guidelines. Applications can be sent in
English, French, or Portuguese, by email, fax or post. Please note that whilst
we will accept applications by email and fax, we still expect a hard copy.
Grant
Application Guidelines
In order to
consider your request, we need basic and specific information about your
organisation, its composition, and its purposes. We need to know how your
organisation believes its work can be supported with a grant of $1,000- $25,000
from the African Women's Development Fund. Please write your project proposal
using the following guidelines:
Contact
Information
1. Name
of organisation
2. Address (Physical & Postal)
3. Telephone and Fax number
4. E-mail address, and website address (if any)
5. Contact person's name and title 6.
6. Who completed this proposal? Please sign and date.
7. Contact details of two (2) referees
8.How did you
learn about the African Women's Development Fund?
Organizational
Information
1. What is
your organisation's purpose?
- What
are your organisation's main goals?
- When
was your organisation formed?
- Who
started your organisation and why?
- Is
your organisation local, national, sub-regional or regional?
- In
which region(s) does your organisation work?
- Who
are the main beneficiaries of your organisation's activities?
- How
to assess the strengths and weaknesses, opportunities of your
organisation.
2. Structure
- How
does your organisation make decisions? Does your organisation have a
staff, a board, advisors, or volunteers? How many of each and what roles
do they play? How many are women? What are their positions?
- How
many people participate in your organisation? Do you have members? If so,
how many? How many are women? What are their positions?
- Is
your organisation a women's organization? If not, please explain the role
women play in making decisions about your organisation's activities.
3. Activities
and/or Programs
- What
would you describe as the key areas of work for your organisation, i.e.
women's human rights issues, economic empowerment, etc.
- What
key challenges does your organisation face in this area of work?
- Describe
your organisation's past activities and/or programs.
- Describe
your organisation's present activities and/or programs.
- What
are your organisation's plans for the future?
- How
does this project you are applying for fit into those plans?
4. Financial
Situation
- Please
include your budget for your current financial year
- What
sources of funds does your organisation have for the next twelve months?
(Please list sources and amounts.)
- Enclose
a set of audited accounts for your last financial year. If these are not
available, a financial statement signed by your Treasurer and one other
officer or member. The audited accounts/financial statement should include
sources of funds for your activities and details of income and
expenditure.
Grant
Request Information
- How
much money are you applying for?
- What
purpose are you seeking a grant from the AWDF? Please tell us specifically
how this grant will be used, and include a monitoring plan. Please list
the specific outputs from this project
- Provide
a detailed budget for the project. If you have prepared the budget using
your local currency, please include the US dollar or Pounds Sterling equivalent.
- How
will this grant enable your organisation to achieve its strategic
objectives?
Please
include the following information:
- A
copy of your most recent annual report and financial statement.
- Brochures/leaflets
describing the work you do. Relevant photographs, press clippings,
posters, videos (if available).
Please note
that these will not be retuned to you, so you should only send information
which you are willing to part with. Whilst we will accept applications by email
and fax, we still expect a hard copy by post. We receive a lot of applications,
so we will prioritise those proposals which arrive completed with all the
information we have asked for. All applications should be sent to:
African Women's Development Fund
Plot Number 78,
Ambassadorial Enclave,
East Legon - Ghana
Mailing
Address
PMB CT 89 Cantonments,
Accra, Ghana.
Tel:+233 21 521257
E-mail:
awdf@awdf.org