If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.

-Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, 24th President of Liberia and first elected female head of state in Africa

Previous Giving Joy grant winners

Key Dates

We have 2 annual grant cycles:

Spring Grant Round: 1 January - 30 April

Anticipated award date: Fall 2024

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Fall Grant Round: 1 June - 30 September

Anticipated award date: March 2025

Applications received after the due date will be considered for the subsequent grant round.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

  • How can I submit a grant request?

  • We ONLY accept online applications that are accessible on this website. We DO NOT consider unsolicited proposals or funding requests received via email.

  • Who can apply for a Giving Joy grant?

  • Women ages 18 and up.  

  • Do I have to own a business to apply?

  • No. You can use the grant to start a new business, or expand your existing business. You can also use the grant to start or expand a nonprofit, non-governmental organization (NGO), charity, or propose a specific activity or project you would like to implement.         

  • Are the grants limited to a certain geography?

  • No. You can apply for a grant from any country or state or territory in the world.

  • Are the grants limited to a specific field (like health)?

  • Absolutely not. You can propose activities in any field, trade, occupation, or craft. However, your business/organization/idea must focus on women, girls and/or families. And all activities must be LEGAL!

  • What is the duration of the grant?

  • The grant period is six months.  

  • Can I submit an application in a language other than English?

  • Yes, grant application are accepted in any language that can be translated with Google translate.

  • What is important to emphasize in the grant application?

  • Make sure you fill out ALL fields of the online application form. An incomplete application will not be considered.

  • Your proposed grant activities MUST have a social benefit to your community and MUST go beyond financial aspects of your business. The more social impact you can illustrate through your idea – the better and the greater your chances of winning the grant.

  • We will NOT support activities related to the purchase of merchandise, stock, advertisements, or marketing for personal use.

  • Be as specific as possible, particularly regarding how you will use the grant funds. For example, if you plan on using the grant for a community event, a training, scholarships, etc. please include a detailed list of the activity you will develop including estimated costs, what the event will include, who is the target audience, and how the event will impact women, girls, and families.

  • Include, as much as possible, qualitative information related to the grant impact (ex. training for 10 women, each women will train an additional 10 women, ultimately impacting 20 families and 50 children in the community).

  • My application isn’t going through. I am getting an error in the Mailing Address field. What do I do?

  • The Mailing Address field is NOT mandatory. You can leave it empty. That usually resolves the problem. If that does not work, we recommend to clear your browser and restart your computer.

  • I didn’t get a confirmation email after I submitted my application. How do I know it went through?

  • Confirmation emails are generated automated after your submit your application. Please check your spam or junk mail for the confirmation email. If you still do not see an email, please email info@givingjoygrants.org for confirmation.

  • How do we score your application?

We score your application based on the following four criteria:

  • The degree of alignment with Giving Joy Mission

  • Your proposed grant activities are innovative, creative and will have a positive impact on women, their families and communities

  • The effective use of grant funding for your proposed activities

  • The grant impact is clearly outlined, well articulated, and measurable

What happens after I submit the application? How am I shortlisted?

  • Once you submit your online application, Giving Joy reviews the applications for compliance. A representative from Giving Joy may reach out to you for additional information and/or to clarify your answers. We may also ask for photos of you and your business/organization.

  • Giving Joy staff then evaluate applications based on the following criteria:

    o   Proposed grant activities align with the Giving Joy activities

    o   Innovative use of grant funding to achieve activities

    o   Demonstrated grant impact to the applicant, her family, and community (multiplied impact)

  • Based on these scoring criteria Giving Joy will shortlist between 5-10 applications per grant round.

  • Due to the volume of applications we receive, we can only inform those who are shortlisted.

  • If you DO NOT hear from Giving Joy, your application is deemed unsuccessful. We apologize in advance.  

How do you decide who wins the grant?

Giving Joy Board Members evaluate each shortlisted applicant using the same scoring criteria to identify the initial shortlist. Board members may reach out to individual applicants for additional information and clarification.

Can I apply multiple times for a Giving Joy grant?

Applicants may only apply once per cycle. Once awarded a grant, applicants CANNOT apply again. Applicants who do not receive a grant may apply again in future cycles.

What happens if I win a grant?

  • Giving Joy will notify applicants on an individual basis (via email) if their application was successful. Grants will range from US$250 to US$500 and are awarded in installments upon completion of specific deliverables. The award amount will be determined by Giving Joy based on proposed activities and availability of funding.

  • Giving Joy will organize a meeting with each awardee to discuss the terms and conditions of the grants, and to review the grant agreement, deliverables, and guidelines.

  • Once the grant agreement is signed, grant recipients have up to six months to implement their proposed project.