The UN Women Trust Funds attract many applicants around the world and is highly competitive with a low chance of success. However, many organizations that apply are successful. If your organization can show a close thematic and geographic match with the proposed objectives of the Trust Funds your chances of success increase significantly.
The Fund for Gender Equality (the Fund) looks for projects that are exclusively dedicated to the economic and political empowerment of women worldwide. According to its grant-making statistics, the Fund awards its grants across geographic regions, though Africa regions receive the most and Europe and Central Asia regions the least. This may indicate that if you are working in smaller country with a limited number of high-capacity NGOs, your overall chances may increase.
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) looks for the proposals based on the overall quality and results-oriented nature and specifically focused on the elimination of violence against women. Though UN Trust Fund also aims for a fair geographic spread, the UN Trust Fund primarily answers and supports those countries with the most urgent needs of women and girls. A successful applicant must be able to articulate a project that closely fits the Trusts priorities, and that respond to the challenges facing women and girls.
A close look at previous grantees may also shed some light on the types of projects the Trusts Funds support. Integrating some of the “best practices” and high-impact activities from previous projects funded will likely improve the quality of your application.
UN Women also encourages close relationship and strategic dialogue with civil society partners at global, regional, and national levels in the ways to achieve strategic goals and advance shared objectives in promoting its mandate. UN Women set up the Civil Society Advisory Group (CSAG) to be a consultative body for civil society networks, and it consists of 25 members including leaders of grass-roots, rural and community-based groups, and indigenous peoples’ organizations, scholars, and activists and male advocates for gender equality and women’s rights.
Another way to increase your chances is to network with UN Women’s Civil Society Advisory Groups. Through networking, a potential applicant may learn which areas of focus have been prioritized for that particular funding round, and gain advice on the important components of a successful application. NGOs can also contact UN Women’s headquarters’ and regional offices with technical questions about a potential application.
Members of the Global Civil Society Advisory Group
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