Deadline:
Apr 16, 2026Background and Organizational History:
American Women for International Understanding (AWIU) is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded nearly fifty years ago with a mission to strengthen the work of women across the world through grants, delegations, and educational initiatives. At its inception, AWIU issued grants to individual women to travel to the United States for study. Since 2008, the organization's grant programme has shifted focus to issuing micro-grants to women's groups or groups which enhance the wellbeing of women within low and middle income countries. Since 1991, AWIU has awarded a total of $593,879 in micro-grants across more than 100 countries worldwide, demonstrating a nearly three-decade track record of supporting grassroots women's initiatives in the developing world. In addition to the Global Micro-Grants programme, AWIU also administers the International Women of Courage (IWOC) Alumnae Impact Grant, through which $562,500 has been awarded between 2008 and 2025 to recognize and support courageous women leaders globally.
Programme Overview — Global Micro-Grants:
The AWIU Global Micro-Grants programme provides small grants to grassroots women's groups in low and middle income countries for short-term, concrete projects. These projects typically support the advancement of women in three core areas: education and training, health and welfare, and entrepreneurship and economic development. The programme is designed to fund practical, time-limited projects with measurable outcomes that have the potential to create a multiplier effect — meaning the benefits extend beyond the immediate project to positively impact the broader community. Each grant is up to USD $3,000. AWIU offers micro-grants for specific small projects to non-profit organizations around the world, with each application carefully reviewed and considered within AWIU's budgetary limitations.
Grant Criteria and Preferences:
AWIU gives preference to projects that meet the following criteria. The project should be women-led, meaning women are in leadership roles in designing and implementing the initiative. The project should be concrete in nature — with clear, specific activities rather than vague or abstract goals. The project should be time-limited — designed to be completed within a defined short-term period rather than ongoing indefinitely. The project should be focused on one of three categories: education and training, health and welfare, or entrepreneurial development. The project should have a quantifiable outcome — with specific, measurable results that can be reported. The project should have a potential multiplier effect — meaning its benefits can spread beyond the immediate beneficiaries to positively impact the wider community. The total grant request should not exceed USD $3,000. The application must include two verifiable references.
Nepal's Eligibility:
Nepal is classified by the World Bank as a low-income country and qualifies as a low and middle income country (LMIC) under AWIU's eligibility criteria. Nepali grassroots women's groups and non-profit organizations focused on women's empowerment are fully eligible to apply. Nepal's development context — with significant needs in women's education, maternal and reproductive health, vocational skill training, and women's entrepreneurship — aligns strongly with AWIU's three core funding areas. Past AWIU micro-grants have supported projects in over 100 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, and Nepali organizations working at the grassroots level on women's issues are well-positioned to apply.
Project Categories:
Applications must fit within one of three categories. The first is Entrepreneurship — projects that support women's economic independence through business development, income generation, market access, cooperative formation, financial literacy, or enterprise skills. The second is Education and Training — projects that provide women and girls with access to education, vocational training, literacy programmes, skill development, or capacity building. The third is Health and Welfare — projects that address women's health needs, maternal health, reproductive health, nutrition, mental health, sanitation, or general welfare and wellbeing.
Application Process:
The 2026 Global Micro-Grants application opens on March 16, 2026 and closes on April 16, 2026 or when 200 applications have been received, whichever comes first. This means that early submission is strongly encouraged, as the application window may close before the stated deadline if the volume cap is reached. Applications are submitted online through the AWIU grant application page at https://awiu.org/grant-application/. Applicants can preview the application form on the AWIU website before the application window opens. AWIU does not accept requests for funding outside of the annual Grant Cycle — unsolicited proposals or requests submitted at other times of the year will not be considered.
What Makes a Strong Application:
Based on AWIU's stated criteria, the strongest applications will clearly describe a specific, concrete project (not a general organizational funding request), demonstrate women's leadership in both design and implementation, present realistic and measurable outcomes with specific numbers, explain how the project's impact will extend beyond the direct beneficiaries (multiplier effect), fit within the $3,000 budget ceiling with a clear breakdown of costs, be time-limited with a defined start and end date, and include two verifiable references who can speak to the organization's credibility and capacity.
About AWIU:
AWIU's mission extends beyond grants to include international delegations that bring American women into direct contact with women leaders in other countries, youth opportunities including the Passport to the Future programme and Career Opportunities in International Relations (COIR), and annual celebrations of International Women of Courage (IWOC) alumnae in partnership with the U.S. State Department. AWIU also presents its own awards including the AWIU Internationalism Award and the Bernice Behrens Founder's Award. The organization holds Candid (formerly GuideStar) Silver Seal of Transparency status, demonstrating commitment to accountability and openness.
KEY DETAILS
APPLICATION WINDOW:
THREE PROJECT CATEGORIES:
NOT ELIGIBLE:
CONTACT:
American Women for International Understanding (AWIU)
1308 E Colorado Blvd #165, Pasadena, CA 91106, USA
Phone: 202-643-1196
Email: info@awiu.org
Website: https://awiu.org
LINKS:
SOCIAL MEDIA:
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