Global Fund For Women

We advance the rights of women and girls worldwide by increasing the resources for and investing in women-led organizations and women’s collective leadership for change. We envision a just, equitable and sustainable world in which women and girls have resources, voice, choice and opportunities to realize their human rights. The Global Fund for Women was founded in Palo Alto California by three bold women: Anne Firth Murray, Founding President, Frances Kissling, and Laura Lederer. The three were convinced that women’s human rights and dignity were essential to the advancement of global agendas for social, economic, and political change. Frustrated by traditional philanthropy’s lack of interest in funding women’s groups and human rights, they forged a new path, founding an organization that would fund women-led organizations directly. Musimbi Kanyoro joined the organization in 2011 – a pivotal time when we embarked on a new strategic direction to support women’s leadership and women-led solutions. In 2012 Global Fund surpassed the $100 million mark in grantmaking. In 2013, our 25th anniversary year, Global Fund refocused its programmatic emphasis by adding a stronger component of learning, monitoring and evaluation. In March 2014, Global Fund for Women and the International Museum of Women – IMOW – merged to create a bold force for women’s human rights. The merger brings together IMOW’s skills in awareness raising, online advocacy and digital story-telling with Global Fund on-the-ground relationships and grant-making activities with women leaders and women’s rights organizations around the world.

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