As human rights funding shrinks, feminist movements struggle to sustain their work while meeting donor demands. Trust-based funding offers an alternative, but access remains unequal. How can feminist funding literacy help organizations secure resources without compromising their mission?
In a time of shrinking human rights funding, feminist movements are faced with navigating their commitments to their donors and ensuring at the same time that their own funds remain sufficient. Having a solid knowledge about funding practices is, therefore, essential for feminist organisations to survive the current funding crises. In short, without a critical feminist funding literacy, only a few feminist movements will be able to continue their work. Although someone could argue that in times of crises trying out new funding models presents a risk, the same funding crises should be a signal that the conventional distribution of money may have run its course. Trust-based funding is one approach used by feminist organisations like the Black Feminist Fund and medica mondiale. For more than 30 years, medica mondiale together with its partner organisations, strengthens women and girls in conflict areas and supports them in coping with violence and trauma.
Collective responsibility through trust-based funding
Trust-based funding shifts power from funders to grantees, emphasizing long-term, flexible support with minimal administrative burdens. For funders, trust-based funding can lead to a more collaborative relationships with grantees and multi-year support. It enables quicker adaptation to emerging challenges, fosters innovation, and strengthens organizational sustainability. Nevertheless, this trust needs to be developed through common processes and overall goals. This implies exchange. A feminist alternative to classic reporting mechanisms can be oral reporting, or other forms of follow up. “I think the focus of the grant making and reporting should be on mutual trust building measures, not excessive paper work”. Without the extensive administrative burdens, grantees can focus on their mission rather than excessive paperwork. For grantees, trust-based funding, therefore, provides greater flexibility, autonomy, and long-term stability. However, trust-based funding does not automatically erase historical responsibilities of Global North funding institutions.
“We can’t afford having feminist organisations that are burnt out, that are just constantly running for the reporting deadline while their life is threatened. Feminist organisations working with survivors of sexualized violence are already facing enough societal burdens in their work. Many feminist organisations additionally have to spend much time on reporting back to their donors. It is not only writing the reports but also translating what's happening into the matrixes and use a certain reporting language. Instead, this time could be invested in advocacy. It is necessary that we allow flexibility and autonomy when redistributing funds especially when working with feminist organisations in conflict settings. I see a responsibility for organisations based in the Global North to prevent feminist burnout.”,
says Shila Block from the German NGO medica mondiale. At first, it might seem easier to stick to conventional funding practices that are driven by quantitative indicators and measurable output. However, trust-based funding is movement-centred as it recognises the immaterial work of feminist movements in a more qualitative way.
Shila Block is responsible for Feminist Action in Internationale Programs at the NGO medica mondiale. Previously, Shila was a Carlo Schmid Fellow at UN Women and served as a German Youth Observer for the 62nd CSW as well as a National Gender Youth Activist for the Generation Equality Forum.
Shila Block on LinkedIn
medica mondiale: LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube
Financing feminist ownership
Feminist activists around the world are at the forefront fighting systematic inequalities. In many cases this means that they are experiencing violence from other communities but also from the state. Therefore, measures and expenditures around physical protection, mental health and movement building needs to be mirrored in budget plans. One example how medica mondiale operates as an intermediary is channelling funds for facility and housing projects. Shila Block explains:
“For many of our partners, feminist work is dangerous and criminalised. It is important that feminists are safe.A house of one's own makes the work of feminists safer and independent. Through an ongoing participatory process all members of our Ugandan partner organization collaboratively developed the design for a house tailored to their needs. We hope to start the construction phase hitting the ground soon. Once realized, such a space could reduce costs by eliminating rent and offering independence during political and economic uncertainty. Feminist ownership becomes a model of significance where feminist organisations create their own space of advocacy, healing and safety.”
Critical Feminist Funding Literacy
Unfortunately, the shrinking funds for human rights work results in an increasing competition around funds. Instead of strengthening solidarity and cooperation between feminist organisations, the shortage of financial resources leads to prioritizing those who already have more knowledge where to get money from. The gatekeeping of funds has already been a huge barrier for grassroots movements and new emerging organisations. The current funding cuts will only make this situation worse.
“There is a responsibility of those who are distributing the funds to not gatekeep certain funding streams and only give access to a few organisations. At the same time, I see a collective responsibility to increase feminist funding literacy. This does not only include knowing where to apply for funds. But also, being aware which funds are good for my project and what funding could harm my organisation due to its regulatory conditions.”
To ensure that feminist organisations remain resilient, funding institutions need to invest more resources into their feminist funding literacy. The funding landscape is complex and spiked with power hierarchies that harm the most marginalised. When funders claim to be movement-centred, feminist funding literacy should be one key cornerstone of their programmes.
The interview was conducted as part of a CSW69 side event on Feminist Funding conceptualised by Miriam Mona Mukalazi as a consultant for the Heinrich Böll Foundation. The focus of the CSW69 is the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995).
This article first appeared here: www.boell.de
