Search for Common Ground SHE WINS Rapid Response Fund for women, peace, and security projects (Grants of up to $250,000)

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The SHE WINS Rapid Response Fund (RRF) is a global funding mechanism administered by Search for Common Ground. It is designed to respond to urgent needs in the current women, peace and security (WPS) landscape across 78 countries (listed below). The objective is to provide simple-to-access funds directly to a diverse range of women-led initiatives to respond to emerging crises, and seize new openings for the advancement of WPS outcomes in fragile and conflict affected contexts.

SHE WINS Rapid Response Fund Thematic areas:

Initiatives to eliminate barriers, including legal, structural and security-related barriers, to women’s increased, active and meaningful participation in political transitions, countering violent extremism (CVE), peace processes, and conflict prevention, transformation, or resolution processes.
Inclusive efforts to respond to emerging conflict, violent extremism, crises, or environmental disasters.
Advocacy initiatives and mobilization that may result in the advancement of the WPS agenda such as efforts to address structural barriers to meaningful participation in a formal or informal peace process.
Technical and logistical support to women peacebuilders, negotiators, mediators, advocates, and other stakeholders to participate more effectively in ceasefire negotiations, constitution reform, political dialogues, or peace or mediation processes, at the Track I or II levels.
Efforts to mitigate barriers to women’s access to decision-making spaces, catalyze women’s leadership, and elevate the voices of local women peacebuilders to shape the global, international, or national policy environments on peace and security.
Efforts to leverage and maximize new openings to promote the safety and protection of women and girls from violence as well as abuse and exploitation in fragile and conflict affected contexts.
Policy efforts designed to strengthen protections for women human rights defenders.
Initiatives to promote digital literacy and security for women peacebuilders and human rights defenders.
Efforts to strengthen legislation on GBV, including technology-facilitated GBV (TFGBV), and support legislation socialization and implementation.
Advocacy efforts to inform and improve policies addressing GBV, which may include but note solely focus on, TFGBV.
See the SHE WINS website here for examples of successful grant applications.

Funding Details

Small grants: Support for specific and time-bound WPS activities (within the next 6-12 months maximum), which may include: travel for key activities, one-off convenings, and material goods and services, including consultancies. Under this stream, funds will not be issued directly to the applicant. Rather, Search for Common Ground will procure the goods and services and then provide these as in-kind assistance to the (formal or informal) women’s groups.
- Amount: $500 to $24,999
- Timeframe: 3 months or less
Medium grants: Grants for quick-impact initiatives by registered local groups, which may include: emerging opportunities to advance WPS or projects in closing spaces to protect women’s rights and safety.
- Amount: $25,000 to $99,999
- Timeframe: 3-9 months
Large grants: Grants for longer-term efforts by larger formal organizations. We envision only a small number of awards under this stream.
- Amount: $100,000 to $250,000
- Timeframe: 9-12 months

Eligible Countries

Women-led groups based in the following countries can apply: Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Brazil, Burma, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte D’Ivoire, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, El Salvador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Libya, Malaysia, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Morocco, Mozambique, Nauru, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkmenistan, Togo, Tonga, Tuvalu, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Venezuela, the West Bank and Gaza, and Zimbabwe.

Eligibility Criteria for SHE WINS Rapid Response Fund

The SHE WINS RRF supports projects that allow women peacebuilders to respond swiftly to urgent changes in their environments. Funding is aimed primarily at local women-led or women-serving groups, with rare exceptions for international organizations. Applicants must either already possess a Unique Entity ID from SAM.gov or be willing to secure this registration.
Applicants may submit only one application at a time. If an application is unsuccessful, you can reapply with a different project that meets the criteria. However, cost extensions of past or existing projects are not eligible. If you have previously received RRF support and completed your project, you can apply again, provided it’s for a different initiative. Priority is given to highly strategic and impactful initiatives in the field of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), ensuring funds are distributed across a wide range of organizations and countries.
The RRF cannot fund projects involving or targeting security forces or those intended to support individuals (such as for emergency assistance or travel to conferences). Ineligible expenses include proselytizing activities, support for individuals, vehicle purchases, entertainment, and other costs specified in the full call for proposals.
Funds can be used to hire consultants, provide technical assistance to government agencies or strategic partners, and support projects with specific short-term gains. Local and women-led organizations are prioritized. In certain contexts, technical or logistical challenges may require funds to be administered through international NGOs (INGOs).

How To Apply for SHE WINS Rapid Response Fund

Applicants should email [email protected] with a completed application form (Arabic, English, Russian, Spanish, French).
Before starting, please read the full call for proposals (Arabic, English, Russian, Spanish, French).