Spark Fund
The Spark Fund is open for applications from 1 to 31 August 2025, 23:59 CEST. Scroll down for more information about eligibility and the application forms.
Strengthening the bold work of self-led groups in the Netherlands and on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius and Sint Maarten (the ABCSSS islands).
Through the Spark Fund, we honour Mama Cash’s historical roots in the Dutch lesbian feminist activist movement. The Spark Fund provides grants to communities of women, girls, and trans and intersex people in the Netherlands and on the islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Maarten.
A small amount of money can spark major, radical change
The Spark Fund supports initiatives by and for structurally excluded communities working on urgent and contested issues. Ranging from €5,000 to €7,000 per project, grants are awarded to formalised groups as well as those that may not have formal, long-term plans, but where a grant can provide the group with the needed resources.
How to apply
Apply between 1- 31 August 2025, 11:59 pm CEST, and receive a decision by 16 October 2025. Please consider the Spark Fund selection criteria and priorities first.
Eligibility Criteria
- Self-led by the women, girls, trans people and/or intersex people they serve
- Work from a feminist, women’s, girls, trans rights and/or intersex rights perspective
- Work on urgent and contested political issues in the Netherlands and the ABCSSS islands.
- Push for structural and systemic change
Priority
- Informal/unregistered or new groups with limited resources. This includes groups without paid staff or office space, or with a yearly budget below €50,000.
You can submit your application in one of the three formats listed below:
In line with our commitment to sharing power and putting decisions in the hands of activists, Mama Cash remains a fully participatory grantmaker. After your application is reviewed against our criteria, members of the Mama Cash Advisory Network will make the final decision. You’ll receive a response by 16 October 2025 at the latest.
Frequently Asked Questions
The eligibility criteria are as follows:
- Groups led by women, girls, or trans people or intersex people. The people whose rights are at stake are the decision makers in the project.
Example: If a group focuses on the rights of women with disabilities, they should be the ones to decide on the group’s activities and how the funds are allocated. The spokespersons as well as those being paid, should be women with disabilities. People without disabilities can contribute, but cannot lead the group.
- Groups working from a feminist perspective and/or focused on women’s, girls, or trans or intersex rights.
Mama Cash understands “work from a feminist perspective” to involve work that challenges sexism and patriarchal gender norms, and/or defends the human rights of women, girls, and trans and intersex people. We only fund projects that centre the needs, experiences and rights of women, girls, and trans intersex people. For example, a housing project may quality if it focuses on the barriers women face in accessing safe and affordable housing, especially migrant women, queer women, sex workers, women with disabilities, women in rural areas or with low incomes. These women’s lived experiences and priorities must be at the core of the project, not an add-on.
- Groups working on urgent and contested political issues in the Netherlands and the ABCSSS islands.
Example: A group of Muslim women comes together to defend their rights and voice their concerns in a context where government and public opinion criticise wearing a hijab, niqab or similar forms of covering.
- Groups working on structural and systemic change.
Example: A group of migrant women provides shelter to other migrant women to meet their immediate needs. At the same time, the group addresses the fundamental barriers that prevent access to housing or healthcare, ensuring long-term impact even for migrant women they may not reach directly reach.
In addition, the Spark Fund prioritises:
- Informal/unregistered or new groups with limited resources. This includes groups without paid staff or office space, or with a yearly budget below €50,000.
Important to know: you don’t need an organisational bank account, residence permit, or official ID to apply. Your groups doesn’t need to be registered as a ‘foundation’.
We understand feminism as broad and diverse. At its core, it addresses or challenges sexism and patriarchal gender norms, across sexuality, class, ethnicity, race, migration status, ability, and more, with the aim of ending inequality and injustice.
Application window – Mama Cash usually accepts applications for Spark Fund grants in the month of August.
Online application – You will find links on our website to an application form which accepts written, video, or voice recorded applications. You can apply in English or Dutch. If you feel more comfortable using another language, send us a message at spark@mamacash.org and we’ll be happy to support you.
Screening & Review – Mama Cash staff screen applications based on the Spark Fund’s criteria and priority. Eligible applications are then reviewed by a steering committee of former Spark grantee-partners – feminist activists in the Netherlands or on Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius or Saba.
Decision-making and Award – The steering committee collectively decides which applications get turned into a grant, guided by their earlier review. They also review the top-ranked applications to ensure inclusivity. Grants decisions are usually announced in October.
A steering committee of former Spark grantee-partners – feminist activists in the Netherlands, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius or Saba – reviews all eligible applications and decides.
The Spark Fund is usually open for applications each year during the month of August. Please check back for further information as August approaches.
If you have any additional questions about the Spark Fund, contact us via spark@mamacash.org.