Melinda French Gates launches $250 million fund for women’s health
Melinda French Gates’ new fund is designed to improve women’s physical and mental health around the world.
She announced it warning that women’s health was being neglected worldwide, with many women facing barriers to accessing basic care.
The Action for Women’s Health fund is being delivered through her organisation Pivotal. Groups that address women’s health are invited to apply for “flexible funding” of between $1 million and $5 million each. The invitation is open irrespective of location or size.
To be eligible, projects “should centre equity in their approach and be poised to scale their work to strengthen the health of more women”.
The $250 million funding is the first part of a planned $1 billion in grants over two years that French Gates is planning to make to advance women’s health internationally.
In 2019 she made a personal commitment to donate $1 billion to help expand women’s power and influence over the next 10 years.
WATCH: Pivotal launches $250 million global open call, Action for Women’s Health
Action for Women’s Health will be managed by Lever for Change, a nonprofit affiliate of the John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation.
Application deadline
There are two stages to the application process. Interested organisations must register to apply before 4 p.m. U.S. Central Time on Tuesday 3 December 2024. Complete applications are due before 4 p.m. U.S. Central Time on Friday 10 January 2025.
The successful Action for Women’s Health Open Call recipients will be announced by the end of 2025.
