Applications for our 2024 project selection round are now closed
Our 2025 project selection round will open up in late October 2024
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What is a Project Circle?
A project circle is essentially a team dedicated to you, made up of your organisation and Giving Women members.
It usually consists of you (the Project Owner), members of your team, and 3-5 Giving Women members who volunteer their time, experiences and skills to support you in the areas for which you have asked for help in your application form.
How does it work?
- If your project is selected, you will have the chance present your organisation, project, challenges and the help you seek from Giving Women to our members, during what we call a Project Evening.
- Giving Women members can then volunteer to join your Project Circle.
- We will run on-boarding sessions for the Project Circles to help with kick-off.
- Each Project Circle has an assigned Coordinator
- Meetings are conducted via Zoom.
- A Project Circle lasts anywhere from 12-18 months.
How can a Project Circle support you?
Sounding Board & Mentorship
We provide an opportunity for the project owners to articulate concerns and challenges that they are facing in a safe and caring space. We then accompany them in a process to define how they can address these concerns and challenges
Organisational & Strategic Development
Projects we work with are often at a cross-roads where they need to re-evaluate their strategic direction and strengthen their organisational structures. We help in this process which helps them to grow and become more sustainable.
Communications & Marketing
Often, lean and under-resourced projects lack a clear communications and marketing strategy which is essential for them to articulate their mission and thus attract funding opportunities. We help them craft this strategy by asking the necessary difficult and pertinent questions resulting in clear and concise communications.
Monitoring & Evaluation
Core to any social impact driven organisation is a strong monitoring and evaluation process. We encourage the projects to go through tried and tested processes to help them develop a robust monitoring and evaluation process essential for donor reporting and assessment of the project’s impact.
Fundraising Strategy
Giving Women does not provide funding or fundraising services to any of the projects we support. We do, however, help our projects to optimise their fundraising strategies and activities to become grant ready.
Governance Structures
Good governance supports the efficiency and sustainability of an organisation. We come in and evaluate their current structures, helping to identify what is not working and where needed, restructuring and reactivating the governing board.
Apply now to become a 2024 Project Circle
Apply now to become a 2024 Project Circle
Are you eligible?
Check our selection criteria
Your Project
- Your project has a direct impact on the lives of women and/or girls in need.
- Your project has been implemented for a minimum of 12 months and aims at financial sustainability.
- Possible project themes include empowerment of women and/girls through education & training & technology, livelihood creation, improved access to health and other innovative projects.
- Your project is looking for input or support from GW in the areas mentioned above
Your Organisation
- Your organisation has been legally registered for a minimum of two years.
- Your organisation is non-denominational and non-political
- Your organisation is open to a constructive debate around your challenges as well as your medium and long-term vision and strategy.
- Availability of your founder/director from the selection process through to the end of the Project Cirlcle’s life-cycle.
Ready to apply?
Our 2025 Project Selection Cycle will open up in late October
Please visit us then. Kindly note, that we are not able to accept project applications before late October. In the meantime, we encourage you to familiarise yourself with our Project Selection Process document and criteria. Owing to high demand, we can only consider projects that fully meet our criteria.
How to apply
-
Check your eligibility
Ensure that your project meets our selection criteria, -
Submit a one-page motivation letter when we open up our 2025 cycle in late October
Provide a description of your project and how you would like Giving Women members to support you.
Please use the link below to access our application form.
What next? If accepted by our Selection Committee, we will invite you to send in a detailed application. We will contact you by dd month year
Please remember that we assist you to become grant ready, Giving Women is not a funding organisation nor do we do any fund-raising. See the ways in which we can help you.