Jumuiya Women Fund was incorporated in February 2019 in Eldoret, Kenya; as a company limited by guarantee, under Companies Act 2015. It is a nonprofit women’s rights and feminist fund which leverages its local philanthropic and capacity building strategies to deliver impactful development and empowerment outcomes for women and girls. The Organization is committed to increasing empowerment of women and girls for improved gender equality, women empowerment, and sustainable socio-economic development.
Our groundbreaking work in local philanthropy in Kenya empowers women and girls’ organizations to close the gender inequality gap across healthcare, economic opportunities, and social justices. The Organization continues providing small grants, enhancing cooperation, and facilitating women empowerment, participation, and development efforts with a focus on four thematic program priority areas, namely: sexual and gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights, economic empowerment and rights, and sustainability and climate change, with technology and innovation as a cross-cutting theme.
JWF is seeking to provide micro and small grants to eligible community-based women rights organizations and groups, feminist movements and networks, and other women-led coalitions in the following counties: Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo-Marakwet, Baringo, Bomet, Narok, Nandi, Kisumu, Turkana, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Samburu, and Bungoma.
Projects to be supported should address any one of the following themes:
Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV)
JWF seeks to fund local community-based projects that increase awareness on SGBV, strengthen local responses to prevent SGBV, including addressing sexual harassment, defilement, cyber bullying, and rape; physical, emotional, and psychological violence against women and girls; Female Genital Mutilation, child marriages, and teenage pregnancies, and meaningfully promote gender equality across the target counties.
Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
JWF seeks to fund local community-based projects which accelerate access and uptake of priority SRHR services, information, contraceptives, and supporting and strengthening youth & women friendly centers, and advocates for SRHR commodity supplies and policy reforms.
Economic Empowerment and Rights
JWF seeks to fund local community-based projects designed to increase participation of women and girls in economic activities and foster financial inclusion in the target counties. JWF will support projects which promote skilling in business planning which produce investor-ready enterprises, availing catalytic small grants to unlock private sector investments and local financing opportunities, and increasing the survival and success rate of women-owned and led local enterprises.
Sustainability and Climate Change
JWF seeks to fund local community-based projects that builds resilience to climate and disaster risks, mitigates climate change, and addresses ecological loss and environmental damage. These actions may include the provision of skills training on climate smart agricultural techniques and practices, supporting community-based sustainable cooperative models, and leading transition to an inclusive, circular, and regenerative green economy.
Technology and Innovation
JWF seeks to fund local community-based projects which bridge the gender gap in digital access and competence, by accelerating meaningful access to digital technologies and promoting universal access to digital literacy across target counties. Initiatives to be supported may include feminist technologies and innovations that promote women's leadership and to better responds to the most pressing needs of women and girls, such as addressing sexual and gender-based violence, increasing access to economic empowerment and opportunities, decentralizing and digitizing access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, and combating climate change.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The minimum eligibility criteria to apply for this grant include:
- Be duly registered by either a local or national authority in Kenya and be in active existence for at least 3 months, and compliant with the local regulations and laws.
- Be governed and led by women, with women filling most of the leadership and management positions in both the board and secretariat levels.
- Have a clear commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment defined in your constitution.
- Come from or have reach to remote, rural, or marginalized groups and communities.
- Be non-discriminatory and open to working with diverse groups and issues regardless of ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, people living with disability.
What can’t the grant support?
- Individual women or their families – such as through scholarships or individual or family assistance payments.
- Infrastructure such as community halls, resource centers, roads, or water supplies
- Religious or political activities, i.e. Grantees must adopt a non-religious and non-political, neutral approach;
- Fundraising, donations, repayment of loans or bank overdrafts.
- Expenses which have already been paid for (retroactive funding).
- Activities which are contrary to the interests of JWF and this call for proposal.
GRANTS CATEGORIES
Micro Grants, up to 250,000/=
Micro Grant is meant for fairly new community-based women rights groups and organizations seeking funding to implement a small initiative within their local communities which are transformative and empowering to women and girls.
- The duration of the intervention is 6 months.
- The project addresses any one of the thematic areas mentioned above and provides clear description of the proposed intervention.
- Must have an authentic certificate of registration.
- Must have a constitution ratified by members.
- This is a project-based grant and can support up to 10% of core cost.
Small Grants, up to 350,000/=
Small Grant supports interventions of women and girls aiming at building and strengthening relevant organizational capacities, networking, learning and sharing with other women-based movements and organizations.
- The duration of the intervention is 6 months.
- The project addresses any one of the thematic areas mentioned above and provides clear description of the proposed intervention.
- Must have an authentic certificate of registration.
- Must have a constitution ratified by members.
- This is a project-based grant and can support up to 10% of core cost.
APPLICATION FOR THE GRANTS WILL BE AS FOLLOWS:
Please download and fill in the Project Proposal Template and Budget Template as instructed, using Times New Roman font 12, spacing 1.0.
Attach a copy of the organization’s registration certificate and constitution to the proposal, then send them via email to projects@jumuiyawomenfund.org or hand-deliver to the office or mail it to the following address:
Attn: Program Officer, Activate.
Jumuiya Women Fund
Rosewood Lounge, Next to Safaricom Call Centre,
Off Uganda Road, P.O. Box 3713-30100,
Eldoret,
KENYA.
Organizations can submit questions for clarifications to be received not later than Friday, March 24, 2023 at 23:59 East African Standard Time via email projects@jumuiyawomenfund.org. JWF will address all questions by 12.00 Noon of March 31, 2023 and post on the JWF website for all potential applicants to access.
PLEASE NOTE THAT:
Grant applications should be completed in English and submitted no later than 23.59 Hours of Friday, April 7, 2023. Any grant application received after this deadline will not be considered. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the application window. The Grant Application form provides guidance on the number of words per section and the Budget template provides guidelines on completing your budget. Any solicitation or canvassing or attempted bribery or influence-peddling of any JWF staff, officer, or director, will lead to automatic disqualification of your grant application. Participation in this call is not an automatic guarantee of accessing funding. JWF reserves the right to award or not to award any grant during this call for proposals.