Resourcing collective action when opportunities for sudden, dramatic change emerge
Mama Cash aims to be responsive to movements by meeting them where they are. The Revolution Fund is Mama Cash’s participatory grantmaking fund that enables us to respond to time-sensitive funding requests that fall outside our other grantmaking criteria.
Getting resources to feminist movements when they need them most!
To bring about radical change, feminist movements need to be agile. They must be ready to take optimal advantage of opportunities or hold the line against setbacks or threats.
The Revolution Fund is designed to support time-sensitive, one-off initiatives of feminist movements that:
- respond to, or create, a critical opportunity,
- enable a reaction to an urgent issue or need, or
- seed a promising new project or idea.
Eligibility Criteria
- Work from a feminist, women's, girls, trans rights and/or intersex rights perspective
- Self-led by the women, girls, trans people and/or intersex people they serve
- Receive a nomination from Mama Cash
- Seek to create an opportunity for change, enable a reaction to an urgent need, and/or seed a new project or idea
- *Reflect our institutional vision, mission and values
Frequently Asked Questions
Mama Cash principally resources long-term, persistent work of feminist organisations and women’s funds, through multi-year, core grants. The Revolution Fund, however, accepts nominations for proposals for small one-time grants that last no longer than a year.
Eligible initiatives a) respond to or create an opportunity for change, b) enable a reaction to an urgent need, and/or c) seed a new project or idea. Revolution Fund grants will also go to groups or initiatives that demonstrate solidarity for a cause or special initiative that reflects Mama Cash’s institutional vision, mission, and values.
Revolution Fund grants will support groups and initiatives that:
- Work from a feminist and/or women’s, girls’, trans and/or intersex people’s rights perspective; and
- Are self-led by the women, girls, trans and/or intersex people with whom they work.
Revolution Fund grants will not support groups and initiatives that:
- Are individually led;
- Academic research or scholarships;
- Are businesses or for-profit projects;
- Are currently receiving a Mama Cash grant; or could otherwise qualify for one of our other grantmaking funds (ie Resilience Fund, Spark Fund, Solidarity Fund and/or Radical Love Fund);
- Are based in the Global North that are executing programmes in or are leading partnerships with groups based in the Global South and East;
- Are founded by, led by, or structurally or economically dependent on political parties, government agencies, or religious institutions;
- Include activities that seek to deny the rights of certain women, girls, trans and intersex people, based on who they are, the work they do, or on their position in society.
We define feminism as being very multifaceted, but at its core we see it as work that addresses or combats sexism and patriarchal gender norms (relating to sexuality, class, ethnicity, race, migration status, disability and so on) with the aim of ending inequality and injustice.
At the centre of our participatory grantmaking system is the Global Advisory Network. It consists of feminist activists based in different geographic areas, from different constituencies, with diverse thematic expertise, experience and connections. For the Revolution Fund, Advisors from the Network with relevant expertise on the nominated proposal convene in an ad-hoc committee that will decide on the grant and amount to be awarded.
Always! We accept and review applications on a rolling basis. If you are a current Mama Cash staff member, Board member, or Advisor and you want to make a nomination, you can start the application process here.
To be responsive to time-sensitive opportunities, the Revolution Fund decision-making turn-around time will take a minimum of six working weeks from receipt of nomination.
Nominations will be accepted for grants up to €10.000 euros depending on the Revolution Fund’s overall budget availability. The grant period will last no longer than a year.
- Where can I find more information?
If you have any additional questions about the Revolution Fund, please contact Coco Jervis at RevolutionFund@mamacash.org.
Nomination – All Revolution Fund applications are nomination based. Nominations are exclusively made by current Mama Cash staff members, Board members of Advisors.
Solicited requests for nominations can be sent to revolution@mamacash.org.
Online application – Nominators submit an application on behalf of their nominees via an online application form.
Ad-hoc Advisors committee – An ad-hoc committee of members of the Global Advisory Network with expertise relevant to the nominated initiative is created.
Award decision – Each grant decision is made by the ad hoc Advisors committee. The committee will make the final decision on the grant and budget.