Women's Fund for Scotland

About this fund

The Women's Fund for Scotland (WFS) aims to promote systemic change in Scotland to empower women, and to help overcome the multiple disadvantages and discriminatory practices that females experience throughout their lives. WFS has a vision of a Scotland in which women participate equally at all levels of society, free from any barriers to full and equal engagement in political, institutional, economic, and cultural life, including freedom from the fear of sex-based violence. To date the Fund has distributed over £3.4 million in grants to over 700 community groups and local charities.

All members of the community will benefit from the empowerment the Fund brings to women.

Purpose of this fund

The Women’s Fund for Scotland (WFS) has £100,000 in total available to distribute in grants to projects across Scotland that support women’s development, self-sufficiency and social and economic equality. To this end, the grant programme will offer unrestricted grants to sustain existing work with women and girls or to support new work in line with its themes. The fund is seeking to support single-sex services and will not fund mixed-sex groups.

The Women’s Fund for Scotland makes grants across three themes, and applications must meet at least one of these themes. These themes are related to the previous six and allow more flexibility for groups to describe their work and the impact they wish to have:

Thrive – funding the potential of women and girls to thrive – through leadership, skills-building, innovation and creativity.
Heal – funding the spaces and support systems that women need to heal – from violence, from marginalisation and from injustice.
Rise – supporting women rising – together and on their own terms. Rising out of loneliness, of poverty and into a more equal Scotland. This could support movement building or collective work

WFS recognise that a project may meet more than one of the themes. However, it does not strengthen your application to meet as many of the themes as possible.  Therefore, stay focused and don't dilute your request by appearing to spread yourself across multiple areas if not appropriate.

Additional criteria

All applications will be considered according to WFS funding priorities. Applications which most clearly fit one or more of these will be prioritised. They are:

• Women’s organisations, especially those run by and for women. For the purposes of your application an organisation led, by and for women and girls means:

1. You will have the principal objective to work with women and girls
2. All of those accessing your services will be women or girls
3. The Board of Trustees (or similar) will be chaired by a woman and most of the members will be women
4. The leadership team (staff or volunteers) will be majority women

• Community-based organisations running projects with women and girls
• Projects supporting disadvantaged women and girls
• Projects empowering women and making a tangible difference to their lives
• Organisations supporting women to escape and recover from domestic, sexual, and sex-based violence
• Organisations using limited resources for maximum long-term impact and improving organisational sustainability

Organisations who have a proven track record of working with women and girls can apply for an unrestricted grant of up to £5,000.00.

For those organisations who choose to apply for project specific funding, please be reminded that you cannot submit a request for less than 25% of your total project cost. This means that your overall project budegt cannot exceed £20,000.00.

Applicants should give 3 SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-based) objectives relating to their work with women and girls. These objectives should relate to our investment themes and will form the basis for monitoring at the end of the grant. Priority will be given to organisations who can demonstrate previous achievements from their work and who have plans for longer term sustainability.

This fund has around £100,000.00 for grant distribution. Based on previous years, around 25% of organisations are awarded funding.

Who can apply?

All applicants must fit Foundation Scotland's funding criteria. Before progressing your application please visit our Common eligibility criteria

Properly constituted organisations may apply, including charities, social enterpises and unincorporated organisations.

Organisations with an annual turnover of less than £500,000 are eligible for funding. Please note if we are oversubscribed, we will give priority consideration to organisations with an annual turnover of £300,000 or less.

In addition, for the Women's Fund for Scotland applications will be prioritised for women’s organisations, especially those run by and for women and community-based organisations running projects with women and girls.

What can’t be funded?

At Foundation Scotland we have some standard exclusions that apply to all funds. Before progressing with your application please visit What can't be funded.

In addition, for the Women's Fund for Scotland we cannot process applications for:

• Uniformed, political, or religious organisations except where they are running a project which would otherwise be eligible, and which does not promote any religion or a political purpose. (For example, a project promoting women’s participation in the political process may be eligible where it is for women of all political persuasions.)
• Salary costs for new or existing permanent staff.
• Organisations with an annual turnover greater than £500,000
• Organisations paying less than the living wage of £10.90 per hour (as at 2022)
• Projects primarily targeted at girls under the age of 12
• Projects for mixed groups (i.e. males and females)
• Applications from individuals
• Activities that have already taken place; repayment of loans and debts; general fundraising appeals; trips abroad; activities that are the responsibility of statutory authorities.

Projects which are currently in receipt of a WFS award. You will need to wait for eight months from the date your grant was approved prior to re-applying.

How are decisions made?

Funding is allocated based on decisions by the Trustees of the Women’s Fund with support from Foundation Scotland.

For more information on how we assess and allocate funding please visit How funding decisions are made