FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is gender justice?

We define gender justice as the systemic redistribution of power, opportunities, and access for the benefit of people of all genders through the dismantling of harmful structures like patriarchy, homophobia, and transphobia. Similar to terms like racial justice and climate justice, it signifies an intersectional approach thatcenters the needs, experiences, and leadership of people most impacted by discrimination and oppression. Learn more about gender justice.

Why does Global Fund for Women support movements?

Broad-based social movements are one of the most effective mechanisms to create and sustain long-term social transformation. Under our new FY21-24 Strategic Plan, we are doubling down on our mission to provide more money, resources, and decision-making power to movements and shift power toward women, girls, and marginalized people worldwide. Our movement-led approach drives our grantmaking, fundraising, communications, partnerships, and internal operations. Learn more about our approach.

What is your track record of success?

Global Fund for Women was founded in 1987 by Anne Firth Murray, Frances Kissling, and Laura Lederer. Recognizing a lack of resources for women's human rights causes worldwide as a key barrier to the improvement in the status of women, they decided to establish a new foundation to raise money for women's human rights organizations around the world.

Since then, Global Fund for Women has made over 12,000 grants to 5,000+ women-led organizations and gender justice groups in 176 countries. We have provided more than 220 organizations with seed funding to spur their growth during their first year of operations. We have supported feminist movements and grassroots organizers to end civil wars, get female Presidents elected, and secure laws giving new protection to millions of people. Learn more about our history.

Is my donation tax-deductible?

Yes, when you make a donation to the Global Fund for Women without receiving goods or services in return, you can deduct it from your taxes. When you give, we will provide you with an acknowledgment by mail or email showing the amount of your tax-exempt donation and our tax ID number.

How do you ensure that my gift is well spent?

We exceed the standards set by the American Institute of Philanthropy and the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. These institutions recommend that the program expense to total expense ratio be between 60 and 65 percent. Every year more than three-quarters of the money we raise goes to grants and program services. That includes funds that go directly to gender justice groups and movements as well as our rigorous due diligence process. The remaining quarter of our budget is invested in our staff and used for increased fundraising. We invest in fundraising so that we can award more grants, which we have done every year since our founding.

Can I designate my donation to a specific organization?

According to US tax laws, you may not designate your donation to be given to a specific women's organization abroad. Global Fund for Women’s feminist funding approach is built on flexibility and trust. Whenever possible, we provide unrestricted funding so that organizations can use our support however they may need it. That is just one way we try to shift power from a top-down, donor-led philanthropic approach to a movement-led approach.

Is it cost effective to support grassroots movements?

Yes! Grants to grassroots groups and activists working for equality and justice prove to be one of the most effective uses of financial resources. They deliver support to the people who know how to solve problems at the community level. Small grants are given directly to local leaders who know how to get things done.

Do you pay your Board of Directors?

No, they volunteer their time.

Who funds Global Fund for Women?

We couldn't do this work without individual contributions like yours. Donations from individuals account for nearly three-quarters of our annual income. Small donations add up. We believe that real philanthropy means each and every one of us can make a difference. Learn more about our financial information.

I don't have money to give. What else can I do to help?

In order to transform power and privilege for a few into equity and equality for all we need contributions of all kinds: time, talent, and resources. Learn more about other ways to get involved.

Gender Justice Data Hub Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Global Fund for Women start the Gender Justice Data Hub and why focus on emerging social movements?

We started the Gender Justice Data Hub (GJDH) to see outside of our own echo chamber and networks – we created it as a comprehensive, equitable process to find and support emerging movements.

Based on analytical studies of the evolution of social movements, we found many promising emerging intersectional gender justice movements do not reach their full potential because they do not attract the resources that they need to sustain their mobilization early enough. Global Fund for Women believes that we can have a greater impact by identifying high potential movements when they are emerging and give them the resources they need to succeed.

Through the hub we leverage technology and data to deeply listen, collectively reflect, and decisively act to meet movements and communities where they are.

Do you use AI?

No. We currently use statistical tools and algorithms to understand what is happening with movements today and in the recent past. AI and machine learning are used to predict what will happen in the future. We don’t use AI currently, but the Gender Justice Data Hub may integrate predictive tools down the line based on movements’ needs.

What data sources do you use?

Our quantitative analysis pulls from the comprehensive dataset by Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), which is compiled by a network of more than 200 local individuals and researchers with specific language skills and in-depth country knowledge , and which encompasses five years of historical records and over 600,000 protests.  Our second stage of research uses Meltwater to track and analyze publicly available discussions, trends, and conversations across all digital media -- social media platforms, blogs, and newspapers. Our final steps of research and analysis pulls in insights and sense-making from local gender justice activists and advisors who bring a deep lived experience to the data analysis. Part of our goal in this final step of data analysis is to expand gender justice movements power and impact by integrating them into a data collection and analysis process they are often left out of.

How does Global Fund for Women ensure ethical use of data?

We use publicly available data and anonymize the data we generate from meetings with activists and feminist groups and advisors. We are also exploring how to provide data security training and support to movements.

What about movements that are not active online or are exclusively using encrypted messaging, including for safety reasons?

The tool we are currently using in the Gender Justice Data Hub depends on visible indicators of movements, it therefore does not pick up movements that are not active online or on the streets. However, the Gender Justice Data Hub isn’t the only way we find movements to support at Global Fund for Women. In our crisis funding, we support organizations in repressive and authoritarian societies that may be completely offline for safety reasons. Read more about our crisis funding here.

The Gender Justice Data Hub has been successful in identifying rural and Indigenous movements that may not be as active online. When we collaborate with local gender justice activists we refine our data collection process with key words, alternative media sources, and social media platforms specific to these movements and other intersectional gender justice movements.

How does the GJDH give back to engaged movement actors and avoid extractive practices?

"Extractivism" is an important consideration, and the GJDH has been designed to address this concern through a participatory approach. Transparency is crucial throughout the entire process, starting from the first engagement with gender justice activists and movement actors. Maintaining an open, transparent, and adaptative narrative ensures that activists and movement actors understand the objectives, data collection process, and information use. Building and maintaining trust is achieved by clearly communicating that the findings will lead to actions, which should be shared with process participants and other actors. This process involves validating preliminary findings through meetings with movement actors and disseminating final results through various channels, including convenings, media campaigns, public reports, and other collaborative activities.

How is result sharing handled in terms of privacy, security, and safeguarding practices?

While privacy and security are crucial for data collection and storage, it is equally important to consider safe forms of result sharing and interpretation within the GJDH. It is essential to emphasize that individually consented information collected will not be shared. To ensure confidentiality, all GJDH visualizations will be password-protected and/or de-identified. Priority should be given to sharing aggregate results and anonymized testimonies, respecting the privacy and anonymity of the participants. Throughout the entire process, the guiding principle is to ensure that no movement actor or implementer is put in danger due to their participation, and information should only be used per the terms respondents have agreed to. Safeguarding their privacy and well-being remains our utmost priority. Global Fund for Women’s Privacy Policy is available here.

Why don’t you conduct a survey with Global Fund for Women’s advisors, grantees and partners around the world to get insights on the movements that are emerging in their countries?

Collecting and analyzing survey responses takes a long time and is labor intensive for translation and analysis, and by the time the analysis is done, it’s already out of date.

Through the GJDH we are able to integrate our advisors’ and partners’ perspectives and rich insights into our data analysis process. Furthermore, the GJDH helps us see outside of our own networks to get a more robust view of movement activity to make more equitable funding decisions, as we aren’t just relying on who we know.