€2.7 Million Grant Opportunity: Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe Launches Call for Proposals to Strengthen Gender Equality Movements

Grassroots organizations and gender equality movements across Europe now have an exciting opportunity to secure funding through the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe’s Strengthening Movements Fund. The Alliance has officially launched a €2.7 million Call for Proposals aimed at supporting collaborative initiatives that strengthen movements working to advance gender equality throughout Europe.

At a time when gender equality organizations are facing growing challenges—including shrinking civic space, reduced funding, and coordinated anti-gender campaigns—this new funding initiative seeks to invest in long-term movement building rather than short-term projects. The fund recognizes that sustainable progress on gender equality depends on strong, connected, and resilient movements capable of working collectively across countries, identities, and sectors.

About the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe

The Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe is a philanthropic initiative established in 2021 to strengthen grassroots gender equality efforts across Europe. It brings together multiple private and philanthropic foundations that pool financial resources, knowledge, and networks to maximize their impact.

Rather than supporting isolated interventions, the Alliance invests in organizations and movements that address both the immediate needs of individuals and the systemic causes of inequality. Through grant-making, capacity strengthening, and awareness-raising, the Alliance seeks to create a more inclusive Europe where everyone has equal opportunities and can live free from discrimination and violence.

Since its establishment, the Alliance has:

• Awarded millions of euros in grants.
• Supported dozens of organizations.
• Reached beneficiaries across more than 35 countries.
• Strengthened grassroots initiatives promoting gender equality and social justice.

Why This Funding Opportunity Matters

Across Europe, gender equality movements continue to make significant contributions by advocating for women’s rights, LGBTQI+ rights, disability inclusion, migrant rights, and other forms of social justice. However, many organizations operate with limited resources while confronting increasingly organized opposition.

According to research commissioned by the Alliance, many grassroots organizations struggle because traditional funding models are often short-term, project-focused, and insufficient for building lasting movement capacity.

This new fund responds directly to those challenges by supporting initiatives that strengthen relationships, improve coordination, encourage shared learning, and build collective power among organizations working toward common goals.

Purpose of the Strengthening Movements Fund

The overall objective of the fund is to foster stronger collaboration and solidarity among European intersectional and grassroots gender equality movements.

Successful proposals should contribute to:

• Building stronger movement infrastructure.
• Encouraging collaboration between organizations.
• Sharing knowledge, resources, and best practices.
• Creating strategic alliances across different sectors.
• Promoting intersectional approaches to gender equality.
• Increasing long-term resilience and sustainability.
• Strengthening collective advocacy for policy and systemic change.

Rather than funding isolated projects, the programme prioritizes initiatives that create lasting benefits for entire movements.

Funding Available

The Alliance has allocated a total budget of €2.7 million for this call for proposals.

The funding is intended to support collaborative initiatives that strengthen movements over the long term and encourage trust-based partnerships rather than short-term transactional funding.

What Types of Projects Are Encouraged?

The call welcomes proposals that contribute to movement strengthening through activities such as:

• Building partnerships and coalitions.
• Leadership development.
• Cross-border collaboration.
• Community organizing.
• Strategic planning.
• Knowledge sharing.
• Collective advocacy.
• Network development.
• Capacity strengthening.
• Learning exchanges.
• Solidarity-building initiatives.
• Intersectional organizing.

Projects that connect gender equality movements with allied causes—including climate justice, anti-racism, disability rights, and other social justice movements—are also encouraged, recognizing that lasting change is often achieved through broad-based collaboration.

Who Should Apply?

The programme is designed for organizations and groups committed to advancing gender equality through collective action.

Potential applicants include:

• Grassroots organizations.
• Women’s rights organizations.
• Feminist organizations.
• LGBTQI+ organizations.
• Civil society organizations.
• Community networks.
• Coalitions and alliances.
• Women’s funds.
• Consortia.
• Movement-building initiatives.

The Alliance particularly values organizations that embrace diversity, inclusion, and intersectionality in their work.

Selection Priorities

Applications are expected to demonstrate:

1. Strong collaboration among partners.
2. Long-term vision for movement strengthening.
3. Clear plans for collective impact.
4. Inclusive and intersectional approaches.
5. Sustainable outcomes beyond the funding period.
6. Activities that strengthen trust, solidarity, and shared leadership.

The Alliance emphasizes that movement building is not simply about delivering projects—it is about transforming power, building relationships, and enabling organizations to work together more effectively over time.

Why Organizations Should Apply

Beyond financial support, this fund offers organizations an opportunity to become part of a broader ecosystem working toward transformative change across Europe.

Successful applicants will be able to:

• Strengthen long-term partnerships.
• Increase organizational resilience.
• Expand regional and international networks.
• Share innovative practices.
• Build stronger advocacy coalitions.
• Improve leadership capacity.
• Contribute to systemic change in gender equality.

Organizations that invest in collaboration today are more likely to achieve meaningful and sustainable impact in the future.

Application Deadline

Deadline: 30 September 2026. Applications must be submitted before the closing date through the official application process.

How to Apply

Interested organizations should carefully review the eligibility requirements, funding guidelines, and application instructions before preparing their proposals.

Apply here

Learn more about this opportunity on official website

Learn More About the Alliance here