We are excited to announce the launch of the fourth call for applications for the Solidarity Fund from 1 to 28 February 2023.
The Solidarity Fund, hosted by Mama Cash, is a participatory grantmaking fund. From the design to the selection process, it was created in its entirety by women’s funds, for women’s funds.
Mama Cash knows first-hand that women’s funds are supporting some of the most innovative, courageous and transformative feminist movements around the world. They are a key part of the infrastructure needed for feminist movements to hold the line, advance their agendas, and resist attacks and backlash.
In the spirit of radical trust and solidarity, the Solidarity Fund is a pot of funding made to support the organisational needs of women’s funds. It incorporates participatory grantmaking as a more equitable, just, transparent and accountable form of grantmaking. This approach also seeks to cede power to women’s funds who are best placed to make the decisions that are best for our peers and thus strengthen the feminist funding ecosystem.
Important change
This year the Solidarity Fund will not have a theme. Previous Solidarity Fund themes included Learning and Knowledge Sharing, Fundraising and Financial Resilience, and Institutional Strengthening.
Mama Cash is committed to listening to those we support and feedback from women’s funds told us that a themed call for applications restrictive.
Moving forward without a theme, the Solidarity Fund intends to support the organisational needs for women’s funds in areas they identify themselves . A Solidarity Fund grant cannot be used for regranting or to solely support core costs. This type of support is part of Mama Cash’s Resilience Fund grants for women’s funds.
The Solidarity Fund Eligibility Criteria
- The Solidarity Fund is a fund for women’s funds. Women’s funds interested in applying must first review and meet Mama Cash’s criteriafor Women’s Funds.
- Applicants are not required to be a member of Prospera – The International Network of Women’s Funds to be considered for funding; nascent and emergent funds are welcome to apply.
- Women’s funds can apply for a Solidarity Fund grant individually or as part of a larger collaborative of eligible women’s funds. Applicants may not submit more than one proposal: if they are interested in multiple collaborations, they will have to choose and submit (or be part of) just one idea. Prospera regional chapters are exempted from this rule, because they serve a large number of funds.
- Women’s funds who received a Solidarity Fund grant last year can apply for a 2023 Solidarity Fund grant.
How to Apply
Mama Cash’s grant application window for the Solidarity Fund will run from 1 – 28 February 2023, 23:59 CET. All applications need to be submitted directly to the following address: solidarityfund@mamacash.org
Women’s funds interested in applying can submit a written application form or a video recording form alongside a budget form. For the written application form please download the brief proposal and budget application forms here
English (Application Form, Budget Form)
French (Application Form,Budget Form)
Spanish (Application Form, BudgetForm)
If you would like to write a grant proposal in another language and have it translated, please contact solidarityfund@mamacash.org.
If you decide to submit a video, please follow the questions on the application form, as well as the budget, and answer them in the video recording.
The grant amount for the 2023 Solidarity Fund will be €40,000 per grant.
Decisions about the grants will be made through a participatory approach. Any women’s fund eligible for a grant is eligible to participate in this decision-making process. Women’s Funds interested in reviewing the grant proposals need to indicate their interest no later than 16 February 2023 by sending an email to solidarityfund@mamacash.org. Please note that you do not need to submit a grant proposal to participate in the grant proposals review.
We encourage applicants to visit our FrequentlyAsked Questions page to learn more about the Solidarity Fund and answer any questions that you may have. If you have additional questions that don’t show up in our FAQ, please send us a message to solidarityfund@mamacash.org.
We will also hold office hours to respond to your questions and/or comments on 16 February 2023 at 10:00 CET and at 16:00 CET, you can join with this link.
Thank you for your interest!