Apply for Funding

 We fund registered organisations based in the Global South. The organisation must be legally established and located in the same country where the project activities will take place. 

 ACWW prioritises organisations where at least 80% of those in decision-making positions are women. 

 Yes. The Rural Women in Action Fund is only available to members of ACWW.  Apply for membership or renew your membership here 

 Your organisation must be registered in the country in which you are located. You will be asked to provide a registration certificate and registration number during the application processes.  

Any organisation applying must have been registered in its home country for at least 2 years (with suitable registration for receiving foreign donations) and be able to provide all of the supporting documents required. 

Yes. ACWW does not fund projects in:

• High-income or developed countries.
• Countries experiencing active armed conflict or where security conditions prevent safe project delivery. This is informed by advice from the FCDO. 

Please contact us if you unsure of your eligibility. 

 You may be able to apply for funding in collaboration with another organisation. 

Please contact us for more information. 

The Rural Women in Action Fund has three funding areas:

Climate Smart Agriculture

Rural Womens Health 

Education and Community Development 

Please visit our main Projects page to learn more by clicking here

The Rural Women in Action Fund awards grants of up to £10,000. The applicant organisation is required to contribute 25% of the total  This is for core funding of the project. Additional funds will be provided for Capacity Building Modules.  

Grants are awarded for a 1-year project. However, we strive for a flexible and trusting approach to our grant making and may extend the implementation period at our discretion. 

 ACWW is committed to a sustainable approach to grant funding.
This means strengthening rural communities by helping the organisations we fund to build their resources, capabilities, scope, and skills.

As part of this, all Rural Women In Action Fund projects include up to £5,000 in Capacity Building support in addition to the grant awarded. This funding can be used for training and development activities that strengthen your organisation, such as:

• Governance and Leadership
• Financial Management
• Fundraising and Development

The Projects Manager will assist you with this process. 

If your application is successful, it can take at least three months to receive the funds after the application deadline, so we recommend taking this into consideration when writing your funding proposal. We encourage a flexible approach to timelining in the activity plan. 

You will be provided with a guidance document to help you complete your application. Application support webinars will also be hosted in the lead-up to the submission deadline.

You can also contact the ACWW team and we will do our best to support you to submit your application. Please bear in mind that closer to the deadline we will be very busy so please try to contact us as soon as you can if you need any support.

No. This programme does not fund applications from individuals, as ACWW is committed to supporting women-led grassroots organisations.

The final decision on which applications are successful is made by ACWW's Board of Trustees. Members of our Community Transformation and Projects Working Group, made up of elected ACWW Board members, consider the applications and make recommendations to the full Board. A team of ACWW staff also offer advice to the Working Group.  

 All call outs and submission deadline dates will be published on our website, in our newsletters and shared on social media.

 You may be able to reapply in following rounds, this depends on the reasons your application was not successful the first time. If you're thinking of applying again, please contact us.

Please contact the ACWW team and we will do our best to support you to submit your application. Please bear in mind that closer to the deadline we will be very busy so please try to contact us as soon as you can if you need any support.