FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

What We Fund

First Response Fund moves humanitarian response funding to women and girl-led organizations in ODA eligible countries through a global network of national, regional and multi-regional women’s and feminist funds. Women’s and Feminist Funds provide financial and organizational support to diverse, local women and girl-led organizations who are leading humanitarian response activities. First Response Fund grants support humanitarian response activities and are designed to complement core, flexible funding that Women’s and Feminist Funds mobilize from other sources.

How to Apply for Funding

First Response Fund works with a network of trusted women’s and feminist funds who serve as value-added intermediaries. It does not provide funding directly to women and girl-led organizations. Eligible women’s and feminist funds come from a cohort who are pre-vetted to facilitate quick response and selected via a participatory process with the First Response Fund Advisory Group. First Response Fund uses a closed call process to fund women’s and feminist funds. 

Women and girl-led organizations receive funding directly from national, regional, and multi-regional women’s and feminist funds. Women’s and feminist funds may use open or closed calls, depending on the context and available resources. They have well-established selection criteria and processes for women and girl-led partners that are context specific and build on years of experience and partnership at regional and national level. This typically includes participatory processes that engage local advisors in setting priorities and criteria for grantmaking. 

First Response Fund is currently funding in the following settings: 

• Democratic Republic of Congo

• Philippines

• Sri Lanka

• Sudan

Please find here a list of women’s and feminist funds partnering with First Response Fund in each of these contexts.