Grant
Strategy
Grantees
Field
Partners
Grant
Application
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Spark supports grassroots
women’s organizations that take initiative in the face of
social, political and /or economic obstacles and have the
purpose and /or effect of empowering and increasing
opportunities for women within their own community.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How
do you identify what issues to support?
How
do you find potential grantees?
How
do you select which groups get grants?
Are
all of your grants international?

How do you identify what issues to support?
Due to our organizational capacity, Spark currently selects
grantees based on annual themes. For example in 2007 Spark
is granting to organizations that work in education and
microfinance. In 2008, Spark will select grantees who work
in the environment, civic leadership and violence
prevention. We will be identifying 2009 funding themes in
our Grants Committee meetings. If you are interested
learning more about our funding themes and helping us select
themes, we encourage you to attend a Grants Committee
meeting. Please email Shannon@sparksf.org to get a list of
upcoming committee meetings.

How do you find potential grantees?
Spark finds grantees in a number of ways. Some apply
directly, others we hear about through key community
partnerships and a number come directly from network
members’ suggestions.
Spark strives to make its grantmaking process as transparent
as possible. If you are interested in learning more about
potential grantees and helping us select grantees, we
encourage you to attend a Grants Committee meeting. Please
email Shannon@sparksf.org to get a list of upcoming
committee meetings.

How do you select which groups get grants?
There are three main criteria that organizations must meet
to be eligible for a grant from Spark. First, the
organization’s work must fit in with one of Spark’s funding
themes for the year. Second, the organization must also be
primarily founded by a woman or women and currently
primarily run by women. Finally, the organization must
demonstrate a strong commitment to women's equality and
human rights that is clearly reflected in its activities.
Spark gives priority to organizations that are just
beginning or need initial funding, which do not have access
to funds from larger donor agencies, are organized and led
by women from particularly marginalized populations, and/or
are located in a region or country that has extremely
limited funding resources.

Are all of your grants international?
Spark gives grants to organizations in the Bay Area and
abroad. It is our belief that the issues which impact
women’s human rights are universal. It is important to us
that through our grantmaking we educate the Spark community
by drawing the connection between these issues at home and
abroad.

Click here
to view the Spark grant application
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