Funding opportunities coming your way!

Hi friend, I told you we always come back.

We’ve been a bit quiet lately — not because we stopped, but because we’ve been working hard behind the scenes, just in different ways. Over the past few months, we've been putting time and love into building something that many of you asked for: a practical, accessible, and politically grounded fundraising guide.

It’s called Getting the Money We Need: A 101 Guide on Fundraising for Small Grassroots Organisations, and we’re really excited to finally share it with you.

If you want to know more about what’s inside and how it was made, scroll down to the Resources section at the end of this newsletter. Today, we’re also bringing you a pretty long list of new opportunities. We hope it’s helpful — take what you need, share it with your people, and don’t forget to rest too.

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EAccelerate Fund 2025 – Short Film Support for East African Filmmakers

🌍 Burundi, DRC, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Comoros, Mauritius, Madagascar || 🔍 Arts, Film, Cultural Production

💸 Up to €20,000 || 🗓️ July 21, 2025 || 💬 EN

🎯 East African directors and producers developing short films (max 20 mins). Selected teams will receive funding and mentorship to bring their ideas to completion. Films must be 80% shot in East Africa and finalized by December 1, 2025, with opportunities for regional and international screenings.

SVRI 2025–26 Open Grant

🌍 LMICs || 🔍 Violence Against Women & Children

💸 $40,000–$100,000 || 🗓️ July 31, 2025 || 💬 EN, ES, FR

🎯 For LMIC-based organizations, universities, or research institutions addressing evidence gaps in violence prevention and response. Proposals must show ethical rigor, strong uptake strategies, and build on existing research. Funding supports 12–18 month projects.

Africa Impact Fundraising Grant (AIFG) Program 2025

🌍 African Union Member States || 🔍 Grassroots Fundraising, Capacity Building, Fiscal Sponsorship

💸 Up to USD 5,000 match + free fiscal sponsorship || 🗓️ July 31, 2025 || 💬 EN

🎯 Local NGOs, CBOs, and social enterprises based in any of the 55 AU member states. Selected orgs will run a 30-day small donor campaign with up to $5,000 in matching funds, receive online training, and access one year of fiscal sponsorship. Top fundraisers will join a 1-week workshop in Kigali and access future fundraising opportunities.

Direct Aid Program (DAP)

🌍 Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda || 🔍 Climate, Economic Empowerment, Human Rights, Countering Extremism

💸 Up to AUD 60,000 || 🗓️ July 31, 2025 || 💬 EN

🎯 Small-scale, community-driven projects by eligible local groups or organizations in East Africa, focusing on climate, biodiversity, skills development, social inclusion, and governance. Grants must fund self-sustaining initiatives with defined outcomes and must not include salaries, utilities, or microcredit schemes.

Sorenson Impact Foundation – 2025 Grant Program

🌍 Global || 🔍 Responsible AI, Ownership Economy, Digital Equity

💸 Not specified (philanthropic + catalytic capital available) || 🗓️ July 31, 2025 || 💬 EN

🎯 For organizations, researchers, and entrepreneurs working on inclusive AI and ownership-based economic empowerment. Proposals must align with one of two focus areas: Responsible AI & the Digital Future or The Ownership Economy & Economic Empowerment. Selected applicants will advance to interviews and pitch presentations for final selection. A rare opportunity to access both grant and investment capital in one open call.

Next Narrative Africa Fund – Script Development Grant

🌍 Africa & African Diaspora || 🔍 Narrative-shifting Film & TV

💸 USD 20,000–100,000 || 🗓️ August 1, 2025 || 💬 EN

🎯 For narrative feature or episodic projects with 50%+ production in Africa and led by African or African diasporan creatives. Funding supports scriptwriting, audience testing, and development. Projects must be commercially viable, globally appealing, and aligned with themes like gender equity, climate, democracy, or economic inclusion. Short films, documentaries, and reality shows not eligible.

lululemon Community Wellbeing Grant 2026 – Funding for Movement & Mindfulness Programs

🌍 Australia, Canada, China Mainland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Macau SAR, Malaysia, Mexico, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, UK, USA, Vietnam

🔍 Movement, Mindfulness, Community Wellbeing

💸 Up to $50,000 USD (max 40% of org’s annual budget)

🗓️ August 1, 2025

💬 EN, FR, ZH (Simplified Chinese)

🎯 Grants for community-led nonprofits advancing physical, mental, and/or social wellbeing through equitable access to movement and mindfulness programming. Open to organizations with annual budgets under $10M USD (priority to < $3M USD). Funds can cover operating or program costs. Organizations in China Mainland must apply via separate form.

CJIFA Community Empowerment Grant Program 2025

🌍 25 African Countries including Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Rwanda & more || 🔍 Climate Justice, Governance, Human Rights

💸 USD 5,000–8,000 || 🗓️ August 5, 2025 || 💬 EN, FR, PT

🎯 Small grassroots NGOs and CBOs with 1–3 years of activity, especially youth-led, women-led, or marginalized groups. Grants support short-term projects (6–12 months) addressing climate resilience, good governance, women’s rights, inclusion, local economic empowerment, and corporate accountability. Innovative, scalable, and inclusive proposals prioritized.

Karibu’s Africa Grantmaking Program (Karibu New Realities Grant)

🌍 Africa || 🔍 Systemic Justice, Intersectional Crises, Social Movements

💸 USD 5,000–15,000 || 🗓️ August 6, 2025 || 💬 EN, FR, PT

🎯 For African-led groups launching bold and imaginative initiatives that disrupt systemic injustice through non-violent and creative means. Open to social movements, associations, collectives, and cooperatives, even if not formally registered. Priority for groups with feminist, Pan-African, and grassroots perspectives and limited prior access to funding.

AABLE 2025 – Research Grants on Adolescent Sexual & Reproductive Health in Africa

🌍 Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe || 🔍 Sexual & Reproductive Health, Adolescents, Gender, Policy, Data, Digital Health

💸 Up to CAD692,000 || 🗓️ August 7, 2025 || 💬 EN FR

🎯 Grants for implementation research teams focused on adolescent sexual and reproductive health (ASRH). Open to researchers and national decision-makers in 13 African countries. Projects must integrate gender equality, evidence use, and local policy influence. Four research themes: service delivery models, policy interventions, data systems, and digital health. Duration up to 30 months, with start date in November 2025.

Emerging Climate Champions Award 2025

🌍 Global || 🔍 Youth-Led Climate Solutions

💸 $1,000,000 || 🗓️ August 15, 2025 (registration) + September 22, 2025 (application) || 💬 EN

🎯 For youth-led organizations (ages 15–35 in leadership roles) with at least 2 years of operation. Open to community-based organizations worldwide advancing climate solutions—education, tech, climate justice, sustainable agriculture, disaster preparedness, and more. A total of 25 multiyear flexible grants of $1 million each will be awarded. Participatory review phase begins in November 2025.

LEVANTE 2025 – Research Grants on Children's Learning and Development

🌍 Global (focus on underrepresented regions & Global South) || 🔍 Education, Child Development, Research

💸 Up to $600,000–1,000,000 || 🗓️ August 19, 2025 || 💬 EN

🎯 Open to research labs worldwide exploring how children aged 5–12 learn and develop across individual, social, and contextual dimensions. Projects in the Global South and underrepresented regions are especially encouraged. Total funding of up to $5 million will be distributed.

Social Shifters Global Innovation Challenge 2025 – Funding for Young Impact Founders

🌍 Global || 🔍 Youth, Social Innovation, Climate, SDGs

💸 $3,000–15,000 || 🗓️ August 29, 2025 || 💬 EN

🎯 Open to youth-led initiatives (founders aged 18–30) addressing at least one UN Sustainable Development Goal. Offers grant funding, pitch coaching, and year-round access to a global opportunity network. Projects must demonstrate measurable social or environmental impact.

Fundación Ama Amoedo 2025 – Grants for Artists, Social Impact, Orgs & Publications

🌍 Latin America || 🔍 Visual Arts, Art & Social Engagement, Institutional Support, Publishing

💸 USD 10,000 || 🗓️ August 31, 2025 || 💬 ES, PT, EN

🎯 10 total grants available: 4 for artists, 2 for art and social engagement, 2 for organizations, and 2 for publications. Projects must be strongly connected to Latin America. Open to individuals, collectives, and non-profits. Projects must align with the foundation’s goals and demonstrate artistic value and social relevance. Application is via online platform only.

IDRC – Connecting Indigenous Research and Leadership

🌍 Global South (see eligible countries list) || 🔍 Indigenous Knowledge, Research, Inclusion

💸 Up to CAD 100,000 || 🗓️ September 23, 2025 || 💬 EN, ES, FR

🎯 Indigenous or Indigenous-supporting organizations in the Global South aiming to build research alliances with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities in Canada. Grants fund one-year knowledge-sharing projects (e.g. workshops, research agenda co-design) centered on Indigenous leadership, capacity-building, and decolonial collaboration. Preference to initiatives with existing Canadian partnerships.

Initiation Fund – WAYS: Fair & Sustainable Partnerships

🌍 Africa, Latin America, Caribbean, Middle East, Oceania, Central, South & Southeast Asia + Germany || 🔍 Arts, Culture, International Exchange

💸 €20,000–€27,000 || 🗓️ October 1, 2025 || 💬 EN + DE

🎯 Supports the creation of new international artistic collaborations between German and non-European cultural organizations. Funds up to 9.5 months of travel, meetings, and co-design of a partnership “Roadmap.” Required first step to access larger WAYS funds for multi-year projects. Only one application allowed per org.

FFEM – Grants for Environmental Innovation in the Global South

🌍 ODA-eligible countries (focus on Africa) || 🔍 Climate, Biodiversity, Land, Pollution, Sustainable Development

💸 €500,000–€2,000,000 (co-funding only) || 🗓️ Rolling || 💬 EN, FR

🎯 Grants from the French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) for projects that contribute to global environmental protection and local sustainable development. Eligible applicants include NGOs, public actors, research institutions, and companies. Proposals must meet 9 strict criteria (e.g. innovation, replicability, local ownership) and secure backing from a member of FFEM’s steering committee before submitting a Project Opportunity Note (NOP).

Prince Talal International Prize for Human Development 2025

🌍 Global – with focus on developing countries || 🔍 Human Development, Poverty Alleviation, Gender, Children, SDGs

💸 Up to $1,000,000 (divided into 4 categories) || 🗓️ No deadline stated yet || 💬 EN

🎯 Annual prize rewarding impactful development projects aligned with the SDGs. Open to UN agencies, international/regional NGOs, national NGOs, governments, social businesses, and individuals. Focus areas include poverty, marginalization, education, health, and the wellbeing of women and children in developing countries.

Climate Tracker Mentorship Program 2025 – Journalism on Energy Transition

🌍 Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic || 🔍 Climate Journalism, Energy, Just Transition

💸 Up to $900 USD || 🗓️ July 27, 2025 || 💬 PT, ES

🎯 Three-month mentorship for six selected journalists (one per country) to report on the energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean. Includes group training, 1:1 editorial support, funding for three original articles, and support for audiovisual and social media storytelling. Open to freelance, affiliated, or final-year journalism students with experience or interest in climate, energy, or social topics.

WJW Fellowship 2026 – Paid Legal Fellowships for African Women Lawyers

🌍 The Gambia, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania || 🔍 Gender Justice, Legal Advocacy, Human Rights, Fellowships

💸 $25,000 annual gross salary + possible travel/work expenses || 🗓️ August 4, 2025 || 💬 EN

🎯 One-year full-time fellowships for early-career African women lawyers (max 5 years post-qualification) to work on gender justice with leading legal organizations. Includes mentorship, training, strategic litigation, and outreach. Must be licensed to practice law in the host country (some exceptions apply for regional orgs). Runs Jan–Dec 2026.

Henry Arnhold Fellowship – Mulago Foundation

🌍 Global || 🔍 Climate & Conservation

💸 USD 100,000 unrestricted grant || 🗓️ August 28, 2025 || 💬 EN

🎯 One-year fellowship for founders with bold conservation or climate solutions ready to scale. Includes two in-person retreats, a $100K upfront grant, and a year of hands-on coaching. Must be full-time leaders (usually CEO or ED) of an operational nonprofit or for-profit initiative. Applications are brief and recommendations are strongly encouraged.

📘 New: “Getting the Money We Need” – A 101 Guide on Fundraising for Small

Grassroots Organisations

Over the past year — through your survey responses, voice notes, emails, 1:1 calls, comments, and DMs — one thing became clear:
There’s a real need for simple, accessible, and actually enjoyable resources to understand the complex world of fundraising and funding ecosystems.

That’s why we created Getting the Money We Need — a free guide made for and with grassroots organisations, activists, and collectives in the Global South.

It’s full of tools, templates, and plain-language explanations to help you build a wide and realistic funding strategy.

👉 Available now in English
🌍 Spanish and French translations coming soon!

We’d love to know what you think — whether you’ve read it, used it, or have feedback, questions, or suggestions.
Leave us a comment below or get in touch by email.
Thanks for being here 💌