The Africa Portfolio Grant: Shifting Power to the Grassroots
Building the permanent machinery of gender justice across 55 African Union member states. Flexible core support and project-specific funding for organisations led by women & girls, Vulnerable Groups, and people with disabilities.
Applications Open January 2027
This page is a preview of the Africa Portfolio Grant. Detailed application instructions, timelines, and forms will be published when the portal opens.
Applications Open To Organisations Led By & Serving:
Rationale & Justification
The Africa Portfolio Grant is not a general fund. It is a targeted instrument designed to correct historical imbalances. Our funding is ring-fenced for organisations led by and serving three specific communities. Below is the strategic justification for this focus.
Women & Girls
Women and girls form the backbone of African economies, contributing substantially to food production and the informal sector. Yet they remain systemically excluded from land ownership, formal financial systems, and high-level political decision-making. Investing in women yields documented development returns; evidence from the UN and World Bank shows that women reinvest a significantly larger share of their income into family health, education, and nutrition than men do.
The legal landscape in many African countries remains hostile to women's autonomy. From gaps in laws against domestic violence to the persistence of female genital mutilation and child marriage, threats are both institutional and intimate. RFLD prioritises this community not as victims but as primary architects of social change. True democratic participation cannot exist when half the population faces persistent violence or coercion.
This funding stream targets the structural barriers to gender equality. We move beyond empowerment projects that place the burden on individual women to succeed against the odds, and fund feminist organising that challenges the systems of inequality themselves. By supporting women-led organisations, we invest in the legal advocacy, shelter infrastructure, and educational pipelines that dismantle persistent marginalisation.
Vulnerable Groups
Vulnerable Groups in Africa face a wave of state-sponsored discrimination and legislative persecution. In many African countries, members of these communities face restrictive laws and social marginalisation, with consequences ranging from imprisonment to severe social exclusion. The protection of the rights of Vulnerable Groups is an early indicator of broader civic space — where these rights are trampled, wider democratic freedoms tend to follow.
These communities face unique, intersected vulnerabilities that general human rights funding often overlooks — denied basic healthcare due to stigma, expelled from educational institutions, and frequently targeted by violence that goes uninvestigated. RFLD views the protection of the rights of Vulnerable Groups not as a niche issue but as a fundamental test of the continental human rights framework. We fund these groups because they operate in hostile environments with almost no domestic resource mobilisation options.
The mental health crisis within these communities is acute, driven by social isolation and persistent security threats. This grant portfolio provides flexible core support to run safe houses, cover emergency legal defence, and maintain secure digital communication networks. By funding organisations led by Vulnerable Groups, we help ensure there are organised, resilient bodies documenting abuses, challenging discriminatory laws, and providing community care that the state refuses to offer.
People with Disabilities
People with disabilities in Africa face a double burden of exclusion — often invisible in national development plans and sidelined within civil society movements. Our funding is grounded in the principle of "Nothing About Us Without Us." For too long, interventions for people with disabilities have been charitable rather than rights-based. RFLD disrupts this by funding organisations led by people with disabilities themselves.
The intersection of gender and disability is particularly critical. Women and girls with disabilities face significantly higher risk of sexual violence yet face immense barriers to accessing justice or reproductive healthcare. Courthouses lack ramps, information is rarely available in Braille or sign language, and medical staff are often untrained in consent protocols for people with disabilities. This grant supports the advocacy needed to make justice and health systems inclusive.
In contexts of climate change and conflict, people with disabilities are disproportionately affected — often last to be evacuated and last to receive relief. By strengthening organisations led by people with disabilities, we build community resilience. This funding empowers these groups to demand a seat at the table, ensuring that national budgets allocate resources for inclusive education, accessible transport, and assistive technologies.
RFLD's Six Programme Fields
All grant proposals must align with at least one of RFLD's strategic programme fields.
Our Theory of Change
We do not simply fund projects. We invest in shifts in power dynamics that make many of today's projects unnecessary over time.
Our grantmaking is grounded in a Theory of Change that views inequality not as an accident but as the result of deliberate structural design. To dismantle these structures, we cannot simply treat symptoms; we must shift the power dynamics that sustain them. Sustainable development and gender justice in Africa will be achieved when feminist movements reach critical mass, operating at the intersection of law, culture, and economics.
Our model operates on three concentric circles of influence. First, the Individual Agent: we invest in the safety and capacity of leaders — women, non-binary people, and people with disabilities — who are often the first targets of backlash. By securing their physical safety (Upendo) and technical skills (Agojie), we ensure they remain in the fight. Second, the Institutional Fortress: we strengthen grassroots organisations to become sustainable institutions that can manage resources, generate data, and withstand political shocks. This is where core support funding is critical.
Third, the Systemic Shift: when robust institutions form coalitions (Sisonke) and engage in high-level advocacy (Alafia), they shift laws and norms. Legal change without cultural change is hollow, and cultural change without legal protection is precarious. Our Theory of Change therefore mandates a dual approach: targeting the hard power of the state (legislation, budgets) and the soft power of communities (religious norms, media narratives). We recognise that this process is non-linear. Regression happens. Backlash is often a sign of impact. Our model embraces this complexity, allowing for iterative strategies that adapt to rapidly changing contexts across African civil society.
Intersectionality in Action
Beyond our six programme fields, RFLD prioritises cross-cutting themes that address the complexity of oppression. We are looking for proposals that integrate these concepts:
The Five Grant Products
Select a grant tier to view full eligibility and strategic details. Preview only — applications open January 2027.
January 2027
Feminist MEL
Moving beyond headcounts to Outcome Harvesting and stories of significant change.
RFLD employs a Feminist Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) approach. We have moved away from audit cultures that reduce complex social change to checkboxes or beneficiary counts. Instead we prioritise Outcome Harvesting and Most Significant Change methodologies. In the fight for gender justice, silence can itself be a metric of success — a secure shelter that is not raided, a digital network that remains unbreached.
Our definition of impact is multi-dimensional. We look for shifts in definition: Are local communities beginning to define "security" or "family" in more inclusive ways? We look for shifts in behaviour: Are traditional leaders publicly denouncing FGM? Are law enforcement officers following new protocols for the protection of Vulnerable Groups? We look for shifts in engagement: Are people with disabilities merely present in meetings, or are they setting the agenda? We also view failure differently. In volatile contexts, a failed campaign is often a rich source of intelligence. If a strategic litigation case is lost in court, the ruling provides a roadmap for the next challenge.
Our reporting processes are designed to capture learning rather than punish grantees. We ask: What did we learn about the opposition? What unexpected allies emerged? Data sovereignty is central to our MEL strategy — the data collected by grantees belongs to them. We support them to analyse their own data to inform their advocacy, rather than extracting it solely for donor reports. By equipping partners to track their own impact, we help build their authority in the eyes of governments and international bodies.
Decolonising Grantmaking
We believe that those closest to the pain should be closest to the power. Our funding model flips the traditional donor-recipient dynamic. We provide flexible, multi-year core support because we trust feminist movements to know where resources are most needed.
- Simplified reporting requirements focused on learning, not policing.
- Funding for overheads, staff wellbeing, and institutional survival.
- Participatory grantmaking where activists help decide who gets funded.
Trust-Based
We invest in relationships, transparency, and mutual accountability.
Sustainable
Building the permanent machinery of social justice infrastructure.
Secure
Prioritising the digital and physical safety of defenders.
Amplified
Connecting local voices to continental and global policy arenas.
Pan-African Reach
RFLD's reach extends across the 55 member states of the African Union, working with partners across regional economic communities to support context-specific interventions.
Risk Management & Safeguarding
Supporting organisations across 55 African Union member states requires a sophisticated architecture of trust and security.
Operating across the African Union's 55 member states, many with closing civic spaces, requires a sophisticated architecture of risk management and safeguarding. RFLD adheres to a strict Do No Harm principle. We recognise that the very act of receiving foreign funding can place a grassroots organisation at risk of state scrutiny or community backlash.
Digital and Data Safeguarding: We apply strong encryption to grantee communications. Our application portals support anonymisation where necessary, and we can structure funding channels appropriately for organisations working in legally hostile environments. We do not demand visibility or logo placement if it compromises partner safety.
Financial Risk Management: While we are flexible, we are not lax. We have zero tolerance for fraud, corruption, or diversion of funds. We distinguish between fraud (theft) and operational risk (loss due to crisis). If funds are lost because a safe house was raided, that is a protection issue, not a compliance failure. We work with grantees to build robust internal controls that protect them from both internal mismanagement and external extortion.
Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA): We hold ourselves and our grantees to high ethical standards. Every grant agreement includes PSEA clauses. We provide templates and training to help small community-based organisations establish their own safeguarding focal points and reporting mechanisms. A movement fighting for rights cannot violate rights within its own ranks. We maintain a confidential reporting channel and conduct spot-checks to ensure that the communities we serve — survivors of violence, children, people with disabilities — are never put at risk by our interventions.
Process & Compliance
Languages
Applications accepted in French, English, or Portuguese.
Submission
Applications accepted exclusively through the RFLD online portal from January 2027. No email submissions.
Reporting (Smaller Grants)
Upendo & Agojie: Interim report at 50% of the timeline, final report at 100%.
Reporting (Larger Grants)
Sisonke, Alafia & Dada: Quarterly financial reports, semi-annual narrative reports, annual audited reports.
The Grantee Journey
Apply
Submit via secure portal
Review
Participatory selection
Due Diligence
Capacity assessment
Co-Creation
Refining strategy together
Funding
Direct disbursement
Post-Award: The RFLD Accelerator Model
Receiving an RFLD grant is more than a financial transaction; it is entry into a pan-African ecosystem of support. Money alone does not build movements — solidarity, skills, and systems do. Here is the journey our partners embark upon after selection.
Notification & Timeline
Following the January 2027 application window, RFLD will conduct a multi-stage participatory review process, engaging regional feminist advisors to ensure context-specific selection.
All applicants — successful or not — will receive communication on the outcome. Selected partners will enter a Co-Creation Phase, where indicators and budgets are refined together before the first tranche is disbursed.
Detailed timelines for each cohort will be published with the January 2027 call opening.
Financial Capacity Training
We do not police; we prepare. Every RFLD grantee takes part in a Financial Health & Compliance module. This is not about restricting autonomy — it is about building audit-readiness.
Small organisations often struggle to secure large bilateral funding (GIZ, Sida, EU) due to compliance gaps. Our training covers internal controls, multi-currency management, procurement integrity, and fraud prevention, with templates for timesheets and asset registers.
By the end of the grant cycle, partners have a strengthened institutional backbone capable of managing complex multi-year funding from other donors.
The Cohort Experience
Isolation is a risk factor. RFLD grantees are inducted into a thematic Peer Learning Cohort. A group working on abortion rights in Kenya will be connected with a group doing similar work in Benin.
We facilitate solidarity circles and periodic "Fail Fairs" — safe spaces where activists share what did not work, fostering a culture of learning over perfection.
The network can mobilise mutual support when partners face risks. We also provide interpretation support to bridge the anglophone / francophone / lusophone divide, building a truly pan-African feminist consciousness.
Strategic Philanthropy for
Feminist Infrastructure
RFLD is uniquely positioned as an intermediary between international philanthropy and African feminist movements — with particular strength in underfunded francophone and lusophone corridors.
Delivery at Scale
- Partnership reach into a network of 670 member organisations
- Five distinct grant products spanning $25K to $500K
- 85% of funds delivered to field activities (2025 Annual Report)
Local Expertise
- Offices in Benin, Senegal, Ghana, and The Gambia
- Member organisations across 55 African countries
- Reach extending across the 55 AU member states
Risk Mitigation
- Portfolio approach diversifies risk across five grant products
- Structured vetting for each grant tier
- Safeguarding and PSEA frameworks built into every agreement
Compliance & Credibility
- NGOsource 501(c)(3) Equivalency Determination (certified 2026)
- ACHPR Observer Status (African Union)
- Annual external audits
Strategic Focus
- Deep focus on underfunded francophone regions
- Intersectional — women & girls, Vulnerable Groups, people with disabilities
- Trusted by GIZ/BMZ, Sida, Packard, AmplifyChange, FJS, Expertise France
Governance & Credibility
RFLD operates with the standards of international compliance that enable seamless cross-border philanthropy.
- NGOsource Equivalency DeterminationCertified US public charity equivalent. US foundations can make tax-deductible grants directly without expenditure responsibility obligations.
- ACHPR Observer StatusFormal recognition by the African Commission on Human & Peoples' Rights. RFLD sits as a Member of the Working Group of the ACHPR Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders.
- GIZ / BMZ SEA-T CohortSelected in 2025 after institutional audit as one of 12 African feminist organisations in the SEA-T programme. RFLD holds the 2026 Presidency of the SEA-T Advisory Council.
Institutional Donor Base
RFLD's current institutional donor relationships include:
- GIZ / BMZ (SEA-T programme)
- Sida (NAFASI Consortium; CHARM Africa)
- David & Lucile Packard Foundation
- AmplifyChange
- Foundation for a Just Society (FJS)
- Expertise France
Partnership Opportunities
Indicative partnership tiers. Actual agreements are structured with each donor based on priorities and due diligence.
Unrestricted Operating Support
$500K – $2MProvides maximum flexibility for RFLD to deploy rapid-response grants and build permanent feminist infrastructure.
- Lowest transaction costs for donor
- Highest impact-to-dollar efficiency
- Annual impact reports, site visits on request
Restricted Grantmaking Fund
$250K – $1MCreate a named fund (e.g., thematic or geographic) aligned with the donor's priorities.
- RFLD handles due diligence on sub-grantees
- Periodic reports on funded organisations
- Recognition in RFLD communications where appropriate
Co-Funding Partnerships
$100K – $500KMatch funds with other donors for high-impact joint convenings or emergency-response pools.
- Leverage other funders' complementary investments
- Collective learning opportunities
- Shared external evaluations where agreed
Capacity-Building Investment
$50K – $250KSupport RFLD's own infrastructure: digital portals, staff training, and financial systems.
- Strengthen long-term organisational sustainability
- Build the capacity of African philanthropy infrastructure
- Enable RFLD to serve more grassroots organisations
Transparency & Compliance
RFLD recognises that institutional donors require rigorous transparency and accountability. Our operations are structured to meet the compliance needs of major international foundations and bilateral donors, so your investment is secure, traceable, and impactful. The Due Diligence Package offers a transparent window into our financial health, governance, and programmatic track record.
We provide partners with recent independently audited financial statements, evidencing fiscal responsibility. Our governance is overseen by a pan-African Board operating under a Conflict of Interest policy and Board Charter. We maintain strict internal controls, including anti-fraud, anti-corruption, and whistleblower policies that protect the integrity of funds.
For US-based foundations and donor-advised funds, RFLD holds the NGOsource Equivalency Determination. This certifies our status as the equivalent of a US public charity, so US foundations can make tax-deductible grants directly without requiring expenditure responsibility. This streamlines grantmaking and reduces administrative burden.
Beyond financial compliance, our package includes the current RFLD Strategic Plan (2023-2028), organisational chart, and our safeguarding and PSEA frameworks. We invite prospective partners to review our full documentation suite, which evidences both our legal standing and our commitment to ethical, trust-based, and compliant feminist philanthropy.
Partner With Us
Contact the partnerships team to request the Due Diligence Package or schedule a briefing.
partnerships@rflgd.org Africa Director — Agueh Dossi Download Investment Prospectus