Our grantmaking programme
The WAFF Fund.
The West Africa Feminist Fund (WAFF) is RFLD's flagship regranting mechanism — built to close the persistent funding gap for grassroots feminist organising in francophone West Africa. It provides flexible support to registered women's rights organisations, feminist collectives, youth-led groups, and LGBTQI+ organisations in our region of focus.
Active regranting programme
West Africa Feminist Fund (WAFF)
Flexible funding for feminist movements in francophone West Africa.
WAFF funding supports institutional strengthening, programme delivery, and rapid advocacy by feminist organisations that are often excluded from institutional donor pipelines because of language, size, or political positioning. Calls for proposals are issued periodically. We announce them on this page and through our network channels.
Deployed in 2025
€250,000
Regranted to grassroots feminist organisations
Organisations supported
10
2025 cohort · francophone West Africa
RFLD total delivery 2025
$1.77M
85% reached the field · audited annually
Explore the WAFF Fund
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Figures verified in the 2025 Annual Report. WAFF Fund criteria, past grantees, and application timelines are published at rflgd.org/waff-fund.
Who can apply
Eligibility at a glance.
RFLD's grants and funding opportunities are built around the specific ecosystem we serve: francophone West African feminist movements. The eligibility criteria below apply to the WAFF Fund and to future calls for proposals we issue on behalf of partners.
Geographic
WAFF priority region.
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- Côte d'Ivoire
- Guinea
- Mali
- Niger
- Senegal
- Togo
Organisational
We fund organisations grounded in feminist practice.
- Registered women's rights organisations
- Feminist collectives
- Youth-led feminist groups
- LGBTQI+ organisations operating in feminist frameworks
- Unregistered movements (on a case-by-case basis with fiscal host)
- Individual women human rights defenders (rare, need-based)
Thematic
Issue areas aligned with RFLD's mission.
- Sexual and reproductive health & rights (SRHR)
- Gender-based violence prevention & response
- Women's economic justice & empowerment
- Climate justice & environmental rights
- Digital rights & online safety
- Civic participation & political leadership
What we fund
Priority focus areas.
Our grantmaking sits at the intersection of feminist practice, rights advocacy, and movement-building. The areas below are where RFLD's strategy concentrates resources.
Gender justice
Advancing women's rights, gender equity, and institutional reform across West Africa.
Civic space
Protecting the freedom of women-led associations to operate, organise, and speak publicly.
Economic justice
Women's economic autonomy, labour rights, and inclusive economic participation.
Climate justice
Environmental rights, climate adaptation, and resource governance for rural women.
Health rights
Sexual and reproductive health, access to care, and ending FGM and early marriage.
Civic participation
Democratic engagement, electoral participation, and political leadership by women.
How applications move through RFLD
The process.
When a call is open, applications follow this four-stage process. We're transparent about timelines because we know organisations plan around them.
01
Screening
Eligibility check and document completeness review by the Programmes team. Typically within 10 business days of the call deadline.
02
Expert review
Detailed scoring by a panel that includes regional feminist practitioners and thematic experts. Usually 3-4 weeks.
03
Due diligence
Reference checks, financial verification, and organisational background. Proportionate to grant size.
04
Decision
Final approval by the WAFF Fund Grants Committee. Applicants are notified of outcome — success or decline — with written feedback.
Review criteria · Weighted scoring
How we evaluate applications.
RFLD uses a weighted scoring framework to make grant decisions transparent and consistent across applications. The weights below apply to most calls; specific calls may adjust them with the adjustment communicated in the call for proposals.
25%
Strategic alignment
Fit with RFLD's mission, thematic priorities, and the specific call's objectives.
25%
Project quality
Clarity of objectives, realistic budget and timeline, and credible theory of change.
20%
Organisational capacity
Financial management, governance, and track record appropriate to the grant scale.
20%
Impact potential
Reach, depth of change for intended participants, and contribution to systemic shifts.
10%
Risk awareness
Realistic identification of safety, operational, and political risks — with mitigation.
What to prepare
Documents required.
When a call is open, applications require the following documents. Specific calls may add requirements; these will always be listed in the call for proposals. Templates are available on request to programs@rflgd.org.
Standard application package
Prepare the following in either French or English. Partial applications are not reviewed.
- Official registration certificate (or fiscal host arrangement for unregistered movements)
- Most recent annual financial statement (audited where available; management accounts accepted for smaller organisations)
- Project proposal (using the RFLD template for the specific call)
- Detailed budget (Excel format, using the RFLD template)
- CVs of key project staff (including project lead and finance lead)
- Two letters of reference from partner organisations or former donors
- Safeguarding policy (or commitment to adopt one with RFLD support within the grant period)