In Spring 2024 Numun Fund, a Channel grantee partner and the first feminist tech fund working at several intersections including LGBTQI+ and women’s rights, made public some of the recipients of its first round of grants. Its “Seed, Grow and Sustain” grant program is the first of its kind.
The multi-year, flexible grant program first launched in July 2022 and consists of grants ranging between $5,000 USD-$100,000 USD. These grants seek to “seed, resource and sustain a thriving ecosystem of feminist activists who define, imagine and shape technology for the world we need.”
The program consists of three types of grants. Seed grants range from $5,000 USD-$10,000 USD and provide support and resources to emerging initiatives. Grow grants range from $10,000 USD-$50,000 USD aiding in the growth of groups that have at least 2 years of experience. Sustain grants range from $50,000 USD-$100,000 help sustain feminist tech organizations with flexible, general support funding.
Numun Fund received over 800 applications from groups in over 200 countries for the grant program. On March 8, 2024, Numun Fund announced its current grantee cohort of 43 groups from across the globe. Total funding for these “nodes” amounts to around $1.6 million USD.
Grantees were chosen in a participatory process with the support of a Grantmaking Design Circle, an “advisory group made up by activists and practitioners in feminist tech, human rights, women’s funds and intersectional feminist and social justice movements”, and a Community-led Selection Committee. Members of these groups included Jac sm Kee, Numun Fund Co-founder, Anasuya Sengupta, Numun Fund Co-founder, Nadine Moawad, feminist activist, and Salome Chagelishvili, feminist activist, among several others.
Of the 43 grantees, one is based in the Caribbean, eleven are based in Central & South America, three in Eastern Europe & Central Asia, one in the Pacific Islands, eight in South, East & Southeast Asia, one in Southwest Asia & North Africa, and eight in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Some of these grantees, or nodes, are highlighted below:
Caribbean: MARIJÀN (Haiti)
Central & South America: Confluencia de Mujeres (Colombia), Sursiendo (Mexico), Ciberfem Lab (Guatemala), Data Crítica, CoLibres (Mexico), Mujeres Activistas por el Software Libre (Venezuelan), Zineteca Luneta (Brazil), R.A.M [Redes Autónomas de Memoria] (Mexico), Navegando Libres Por La Red (Ecuador), AzMina (Brazil), and ONG Amaranta (Chile)
Eastern Europe & Central Asia: Sex Workers’ Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN), Fem-Utopia (Azerbaijan), and Kyrgyz Space Program (Kyrgystan)
Pacific Islands: Matavale Women’s Association
South, East & Southeast Asia: Rangeen Khidki Foundation, KRYSS Network, Equality Labs, CybHer (Malaysia), Barta (Bangladesh), Body & Data (Nepal), PurpleCode (Indonesia), and Channapatna Health Library (India)
Southwest Asia & North Africa: Wiki Gender
Sub-Saharan Africa: Feminists in Kenya, SHOAW Gambia, Marigold Initiative (Sierra Leone), HER Internet (Uganda), Kenyan National Deaf Women Peace Network, Hawa Feminist Coalition (Somalia), Women Doctors for Reproductive Justice (Rwanda), and Pollicy (Uganda)
