Deadline:
Oct 31, 2026About the Global Fund for Community Foundations:
The GFCF is the only organisation working globally to build community philanthropy as an essential element of people-led development. Since 2006, GFCF has supported and connected organisations dedicated to people-led development, community philanthropy, and grassroots empowerment. It works with a growing global network of partners who believe that change must be led from the ground up.
Community philanthropy builds on assets that already exist within communities rather than depending only on what comes from outside. When local resources are brought to the table, a flatter power dynamic is created and traditional donor-beneficiary imbalances are challenged. This is an essential part of broader efforts to move away from top-heavy and top-down systems of international development toward a more equitable paradigm of people-based development.
The GFCF is part of the broader #ShiftThePower movement — an effort to redirect decision-making, resources, and agency to the community level.
What They Fund — Institutional Capacity, Not Programmes:
Grants are intended for developing the ORGANISATIONAL CAPACITIES of community philanthropy institutions, rather than supporting their programme areas. The goal is to increase organisational effectiveness so that these institutions can serve as trusted and effective grassroots grantmakers that harness both local and external resources. This is a critical distinction — GFCF does not fund project delivery. It funds the organisations that fund projects.
Eligible activities include: Testing new resource mobilisation strategies — experimenting with ways to generate local giving and local funds. Piloting participatory grantmaking models — developing community-driven approaches to distributing resources. Strengthening governance, communications, and sustainability — building organisational infrastructure. Conducting feasibility studies on local philanthropy — researching what community giving looks like in specific contexts. Building networks and peer learning — connecting with other community philanthropy practitioners globally.
Grant Details:
Grant size: USD $7,000 to $20,000. Size depends on annual budget, nature of activities, and whether the organisation is already known to GFCF. Grants are normally for an initial period of one year, with follow-on funding possible. Participation in learning networks or grantee convenings may be required as part of the grant agreement. The GFCF strikes a balance between consolidating relationships with longer-term grant partners and adding new organisations to the network. Annual grantmaking depends on resources mobilised from donors — approximately 30 local initiatives in 22 countries in a typical year.
Who Can Apply:
Community philanthropy organisations, community foundations, women's funds, environmental funds, national public foundations, grassroots grantmakers, and any other kinds of organisations that identify with the concept and practice of community philanthropy.
Geographic eligibility: Must be based in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, or Latin America and the Caribbean. Nepal falls under ASIA — fully eligible. Priority is given to countries where access to other funding opportunities is limited — Nepal as a low-income country would receive priority consideration. Applications from community philanthropy organisations representing disadvantaged communities in the Global North will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Key characteristics GFCF looks for: Serving a specific community — whether geographic, issue-based, or identity-based. Valuing the local community as a source of knowledge, assets, and relationships. Engaging in grantmaking as a deliberate strategy to devolve power and resources. Commitment to local resource mobilisation. Inclusive governance and participatory practices. Community ownership and community-led decision-making.
Application Process:
No fixed deadline — submissions accepted throughout the year depending on available resources and internal capacity. There is no annual open call, though the GFCF does hold periodic focused grant rounds for specific themes or regions.
Nepal Eligibility and Relevance:
Nepal is fully eligible under the Asia geographic category. Nepal as a low-income country with limited access to other community philanthropy funding would likely receive priority consideration.
Nepal's Community Philanthropy Landscape:
Nepal has a rich tradition of community giving and collective action that forms the foundation for community philanthropy, even though the term "community philanthropy" may not be widely used.
Nepal Organisations That Could Apply:
How GFCF Support Would Help Nepal:
Strengthening governance and sustainability of existing community giving structures. Testing new approaches to local resource mobilisation in Nepal's context. Building participatory grantmaking models at the local level. Connecting Nepal community philanthropy practitioners with the global #ShiftThePower network. Documenting Nepal's indigenous giving traditions as community philanthropy practice. Supporting the transition from informal giving circles to structured community foundations. Building evidence for community philanthropy as a development strategy in Nepal.
KEY DETAILS
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