Aims/priorities: The Rise Fund aims to achieve the following outcomes:
- Women and girls will be supported by women’s and girls’ organisations led by and for Black and racially minoritised women, ensuring women and girls can be safe, healthy and equal.
- Women’s and girls’ organisations will be empowered and strengthened, meaning that they will be in a stronger position to survive, thrive and grow into the future.
The funding is for organisational development work relating to areas such as strategy, governance, leadership, alliances and partnerships, funding, demonstrating impact and systems and processes.
This means organisations will be able to report one or more of these changes:
- A clearer strategy.
- More effective governance.
- More effective leadership.
- A stronger voice within the women’s movement.
- Stronger alliances with other women’s organisations.
- More able to attract funding from other sources.
- More able to demonstrate the impact of their work.
- More effective systems and processes.
Who can apply? Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations run by, for and with Black and minoritised women and girls in the UK, including:
- Registered charity
- Community Interest Company (CIC) limited by guarantee.
- Company limited by guarantee.
- Constituted community organisation.
- Charitable incorporated organisation (CIO)/Scottish charitable incorporated organisation (SCIO).
- Industrial and provident community benefit society
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Have the principal objective of working with and for Black and minoritised women and/or girls.
- Have Black and minoritised women and/or girls as the majority of their beneficiaries both now and in the future.
- Have at least 75% of their senior management team and trustees/governing body as Black and minoritised women and/or girls.
- Ensure their activities are charitable, legal and for the benefit of Black and minoritised women and/or girls.
- Have an income of between £30,000 and £300,000 from their last set of annual accounts.
- Have unrestricted reserves of no more than 12 months expenditure.
- Have a written governing document, e.g. a constitution or set of rules.
- Have a governing body with at least three unrelated members.
- Have a UK-based bank or building society account in the name of the organisation, with at least two unrelated signatories.
- Have an appropriate safeguarding policy in place (every organisation that delivers charitable activities has a duty to safeguard volunteers, staff members, participants and donors).
- Deliver all their work in one or more of the four UK Nations: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Priority will be given to organisations led by and for Black and racially minoritised women, which are also:
- Operating in the top 20% of the most disadvantaged areas in the UK-based on the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD);
- Based in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland;
- Led by and for disabled women and girls;
- Led by and for LGBTQ+ women and girls.
Organisations which meet more than one of the above priorities will be given higher priority than those that meet one priority.
Rosa is especially keen to fund organisations which are created from and connected to the communities they serve, designing their services based on direct, lived experience and involving their beneficiaries in decision-making.
In addition, organisations that have not previously been funded by Rise Fund will be prioritised.
Grant amount: Two-year grants of between £10,000 (£5,000 per year) and £40,000 (£20,000 per year) are available.
The grant will be paid in two instalments:
- 50% of the grant will be paid in December 2025, after receipt of the signed grant agreement.
- 50% of the grant will be paid in December 2026.
The grant should be spent by December 2027.
Application process: Guidance notes and the online forms can be found on Rosa's website.
The application process has two steps:
- Registration form and eligibility check.
- Application form.
Rosa will be hosting ‘How to Apply’ webinars to help applicants develop their applications:
- 5 June (12:00 to 13:00)
- 10 June (16:30 to 17:30)
The registration links can be found on Rosa's website.
Contact Rosa for further information.
Deadline: Applications are now open with a deadline of 23 June 2025 (16:00).
Contact information: Email: grants@rosauk.org