This is the question addressed in AWID’s latest report. Between 2021 and 2023, 1,174 feminist and women’s rights organizations in 128 countries shared their experiences by responding to the survey “Where is the money for feminist organizations? .” Their message is clear: the funding that supports their struggles is becoming increasingly scarce.
When feminist organizations hit a budget glass ceiling
The survey data highlights the persistence of a budgetary glass ceiling. In 2023, the median annual budget for feminist organizations was only $22,000. Nearly six out of ten organizations operate on less than $30,000 per year, and nearly a third on $5,000 or less. Some have no budget at all, either because they lack access to funds or because they want to preserve their independence from institutional funders.
Only 15% of the organizations surveyed report having a sufficient budget to carry out their activities. 83% believe that the lack of external funding hinders the achievement of their strategic objectives.
The disparities are particularly marked between regions. Organizations in the Global South remain significantly underfunded compared to those in the North. Even within the feminist movement, disparities persist: local and national structures are the most vulnerable, with more than 80% of them reporting a lack of resources.
This divide reveals a key issue: the need to consider the distribution of resources not only in terms of the size of organizations, but above all in terms of what each one really needs to take action and achieve its objectives.
Feminist organizations rely on their own resources
71% of organizations receive external funding, often from a variety of sources. No single donor covers more than 30% of their total budget. Feminist groups are forced to be creative: they multiply small sources of support, but also the administrative procedures that accompany them. Many generate their own resources, material or immaterial, outside institutional channels, mainly through volunteer work and membership fees.
Behind the figures, another reality emerges: that of unregistered organizations, which are often the most vulnerable and marginalized. 17% of the organizations responding to AWID’s survey are not officially registered, either by strategic choice or because the political context makes the procedure costly, risky, or even impossible. In many countries, registration exposes organizations to surveillance or repression by the authorities. The lack of legal status prevents them from applying for most funding opportunities: 57% of them have an annual budget of less than $5,000, and nearly a third have no budget at all.
In the face of these obstacles, feminist funds and a few donors stand out: they support groups where they are, including those that operate without a formal structure. This is particularly the case with the French Development Agency ( ) in the context of its funding of Féministes en Action, which enabled it to support 25 feminist organizations without legal status during its first phase.
Supporting our movements differently: avenues and levers for feminist organizations
To cope with growing budgetary constraints, feminist organizations are being called upon to rethink the way they operate in order to ensure their sustainability:
– Create spaces for reflection and solidarity to imagine new models of sustainability, promote collaboration between movements, and address internal power dynamics that sometimes hinder the pooling of resources.
– Fully claim their place in the redistribution of public and philanthropic funds. Forging strategic alliances with partners who share their values can help them obtain fairer, more flexible funding that is better suited to their realities.
– Change the language: resources are not limited to money. Time, labor, knowledge, care, and relationships are also essential forms of feminist wealth.
➡️ You can find the full report in the Resources tab on our website. Please note that this report is only available in English. Several tools are available to facilitate fundraising, which you can find here.