IGNITE launches call for proposals: Investing in civil society
organizations through feminist grantmaking

IGNITE launched a closed call for proposals in December 2023, inviting eligible CSOs working
in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria to submit
proposals to obtain grants ranging from USD 5,000 to USD 80,000, for a duration of 12 to 19
months.

Feminist and women-led CSOs had the opportunity to apply for funding to establish themselves
and grow; implement new projects or scale up existing programming; and/or conduct research
and advocacy.

In preparation for the call for proposals, the consortium commissioned a consultancy firm to carry
out an in-depth context analysis and mapping of CSOs in the target countries. The consultants conducted interviews with representatives of civil society organizations, donors, and key players in the field of education in each country, in order to identify CSOs best positioned to both meet the objectives of the IGNITE project and benefit most from the grantmaking component.

Focus Group Discussions were also conducted with Adolescent Girls to ensure their voices are being heard from the early design stage of the Call for proposals. This exercise was essential to understand the ecosystem within which CSOs operate. CSOs were identified based on their involvement in key areas such as education, and the protection and promotion of girls’ and women’s rights and empowerment. Particular attention was paid to the feminist mission and the advancement of girls’ and women’s rights. This selection ensured that the organizations invited to the call for proposals were aligned with the project’s objectives and feminist principles and therefore able to make a significant contribution to the
achievement of our project’ goal. 86 civil society organizations, including grassroots and community-based civil society organizations, have applied, showcasing the demand for further investment in funding for
feminist and women rights-based organizations.