Call for applications: AWDF COVID-19 fund

The AWDF is a grant-making foundation that supports local, national and regional women's organisations working towards the empowerment of African women and the promotion and realisation of their rights.

It seeks projects that empower women with skills, information, sustainable livelihoods, opportunities to fulfil their potential, and the capacity to make transformative choices to promote women's leadership and development in Africa.

"The economic and social impacts of COVID-19 are starkly gendered- a fact that is evident as we all manage the immediate health threats and economic and social crises caused by the pandemic, and as we plan for a post-COVID future," the AWDF said.

"AWDF is seeking to support African women's organisations working to respond to COVID-19 beyond immediate emergency service delivery operations – in particular those seeking to use this opportunity to support deeper change in our economic, social and political systems."

Project eligibility 

The applicant's organisation should be:

• Using the arts, culture, sports and technology for activism and social change.
• Supporting the leadership and concerns of women facing multiple discrimination, including women living with HIV, women with disabilities, economically marginalised women in both urban and rural areas, lesbians, bisexual and transgender women, and young women (under the age of 25).

The proposed project should offer:

• Advocacy and knowledge production on subjects including social and economic protection policies and provisions, health system reform, violence against women response and prevention, rights around water and sanitation, surveillance and injustices around COVID-19-related policing and security measures affecting women.
• COVID-19 related cases access to justice and violence response services for women. 
• Economic resilience initiatives that include programming for deeper economic transformation and look to tackle the root causes of women's specific economic vulnerabilities.
• Emotional wellbeing initiatives arising out of COVID-19 response.

The AWDF will accept projects under the themes below:  

• Transnational/sub-regional and regional organising.
• Rights of women living with a disability.
• Communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Movement building in Francophone West Africa, including initiatives led by and engaging young women.
• Post-COVID-19 response.

Applicants should note:

• Organisations applying for grants of more than $20 000 will be required to provide an audit report conducted by a reputable audit firm.
• The AWDF will only consider grants amounts that are less than 50% of an organisation's annual income as evident in the latest annual audit statements.
• The AWDF is not able to transfer funds to organisations based in Sudan, South Sudan or Somalia. However, it supports organisations based in other African countries that are implementing initiatives in these countries.
• Organisations applying to the AWDF for the first time, and past grantees who have not received a grant from the AWDF in the past three years, should send a reference letter and the name and contact information for an additional referee who knows the organisation's work. Referees may be donors and other organisations, including grantees of the AWDF.

Who can apply?

The AWDF supports African women's organisations that meet the following criteria:

• Women-led, with a majority of women staff and board.
• A stated commitment to supporting women and/or advancing women's rights/gender equality in their mission/vision.
• Organisations registered in any African country and working at the local, national, sub-regional or regional African levels.

Project implementation could take the following forms:

• Campaigns to advance specific women's rights agendas, and law and policy change.
• Training to build core social change and activist skills.
• Action research and knowledge production.
• Alliance and movement-building activities.
• Interventions to change public attitudes on key women's rights issues.
• Services to advance women's rights (including legal aid, violence support services, counselling and free medical services for HIV, cancers and other women's health concerns).
• Income generation activities that include a focus on increasing women's understanding of their rights and/or building their social and political leadership.

Requirements

Interested applicants are required to:

• Submit proof to show that they have been in existence for at least three years.
• Submit a write-up to show how the funding proposal fits into the organisation's overall strategy for the area of work or community in which it is located.
• Submit a write-up to demonstrate how their work fits into either a local, national or regional strategy for the empowerment of African women.
• Have basic systems and structures in place. For example, a constitution, strategic plan and financial reports.
• Have a clear evaluation plan for the project – including what you aim to achieve and to change and measures to track progress.
• Highlight plans for sustainability, including raising additional or further funding to keep the initiative going.
• Be able to demonstrate that they can manage funds and transparently account for them.

How to apply

• Click here to read the full guidelines.
• Click here to download the application form.
• Click here to download the financial management assessment form.
• Click here to download the budget template.
• The application form along with the supporting documents should be sent to proposals@awdf.org or awdf@awdf.org.

The application deadline is 10 August.

View the original call here.