Asia Gender Equality Fund 1.0

Asia Gender Equality Fund 1.0 is sponsored by AVPN (with support from Fondation CHANEL, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Target Foundation). This opportunity supports mission-aligned projects and measurable outcomes.

Asia Gender Equality Fund 1. 0 | AVPN AVPN Global Conference 2023 | 20 - 22 June 2023 AVPN is Asia’s largest platform for social impact, where over 700 resource providers, innovators and intermediaries from across 43 markets collaborate to mobilise capital.

Grounded in deep regional expertise and partnerships, AVPN is building a thriving ecosystem that accelerates measurable progress toward inclusive growth, empowering Asia to lead the way in global impact. AVPN has empowered its community to connect, learn, act, and lead in advancing social impact in Asia. Take a look at our interactive Annual Review to learn more about our work and impact.

A dedicated engagement experience for organisations that provide, deploy, or mobilise capital and resources for impact, who are seeking strategic support, stronger partnerships, and deeper collaboration across Asia. A flexible way for capital and resource providers to connect with the AVPN community and access opportunities, services, and experiences based on your organisation's needs.

For senior leaders seeking strategic relationships and leadership engagement across Asia's impact ecosystem. For organisations actively building the impact ecosystem through collaboration and knowledge sharing. For organisations exploring Asia's impact ecosystem through learning and connections.

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IN Incubator Asia Gender Equality Fund Advancing women’s economic empowerment in Asia through unrestricted funding The Asia Gender Equality Fund, is a transformative initiative catalysed by AVPN with support from Fondation CHANEL , Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation , The Target Foundation and members of AVPN’s Asia Gender Network which will invest in women’s economic empowerment across the Asia Pacific region .

The fund aims to make lasting change in the lives of women and girls in Asia, particularly those from under-served and marginalised communities. Women and girls continue to face staggering rates of fatalities linked to food insecurity, malnutrition, poverty and gender-based violence.

That’s why we’re committed to raise and deploy US $25 million within the next five years to support initiatives and solutions by non-profit organisations focused on improving economic outcomes for women and girls in Asia. We take a strategic approach and will work with organisations that have the greatest potential for impact and sustainability, so that we can transform key systems and make them more equitable and inclusive.

8 NPOs to Improve Economic Outcomes for Women and Girls in Asia AVPN has selected eight exceptional non-profit organisations (NPOs) across South Asia, South East Asia, North East Asia as the recipients of the Asia Gender Equality Fund.

The following NPOs have demonstrated a steadfast commitment to advancing gender equality, showcasing their dedication through intersectional solutions, including enhancing girls and women's education and skills, advocating for labour rights, addressing human trafficking, and enabling women from marginalised backgrounds to become self-reliant. What do our selected grantee say about the Asia Gender Equality Fund?

In this project, KSIF aims to provide tailored career development opportunities for "Career-disrupted Women." The objective is to maximize job opportunities for women by conducting all training and internship activities online. Through digital-based job training courses and internship opportunities, we believe that women in Korea and Indonesia will have access to women-friendly and decent jobs.

CEO and CSIO (Chief Social Impact Officer), KSIF Hello! I am Dolon Ganguly, Chief Functionary of Azad Foundation. In India, decline in women’s labour force participation has been a challenge for last several decades.

Data shows, the female labour force participation for women ages 15+ years has declined from 37% (2006) to 19% (2021). Under this context, AVPN’s support will help Azad to deepen its impact by continuing to bringing marginalised women in non-traditional livelihoods (NTL) and to work with men and women change agents to challenge gender division of labour at home and in public spaces.

These women entering decent jobs as chauffeurs or riders would have control over financial resources, greater decision making capacity in families and communities, freedom of mobility and would be able to lessen their burden of unpaid care work and lead violence-free lives. It will also support Azad’s efforts in advocating with the state towards building gender-inclusive infrastructures in public places.

APVN’s support will enable Azad to create impact in national and global policy-forums through influencing policies around women and work with a focus on NTL for women. It will also enable Azad to build the capacity and leadership skills of its staff members and ensure their well-being. We are grateful to AVPN for the possibilities that such a partnership brings in terms of scaling up the impact of our work.

Chief Functionary, Azad Foundation We are grateful to the Asia Gender Equality Fund, they will assist to facilitate training to women farmers’ association members on cropping, harvesting and markets, enable them to manage revolving funds, assist to prepare bankable documents, educate them on on-line transactions and linking them with banks and markets.

In Bangladesh, due to climate change induced salinity, women farmers are being expelled from their traditional cropping and fishing, becoming more vulnerable to poverty and violence. We, Badabon Sangho is women’s rights and women-led organisation, mobilizing and organising those women in the women farmers’ cooperative association.

It is a group-based approach and its members play strong roles not only women’s income generation but also to face abuse, sexual violence, hate speech and stigma. With support of the Asia Gender Equality Fund, we will be able to support 6,200 women throughout three years and members will receive training, coaching to be entrepreneurs, have access to bank and online transactions.

Evidence of this financial resilience and gender equality model would be documented and shared for further advocacy. Executive Director, Badabon Sangho Nepal Country Director, dZi Foundation Kenan's WE INSPIRE program empowers women in Northern Thailand through health, digital literacy, finance, and business acumen. We support income generation through small business development and employment.

With the AVPN Gender Fund, Kenan will shift its role to build the capacity of local civil society and government partners through a series of trainings, community of practice, fostering knowledge exchange and network expansion.

This will also enable us to scale up the We Inspire model to reach new communities and build the evidence and investment case to channel partnerships and funding to rural areas across Thailand to promote inclusive economic growth. Head of Social Inclusion, Kenan Foundation In Cambodia, women from underdeveloped regions are economically marginalized due to poverty, gender inequality, and low capacity to resist economic shocks.

Our work globally shows that poverty is a primary driver that makes women vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation. Women need sustainable access to income-generating activities, skills development, and a robust network of safe employment opportunities. Communities need counseling, access to markets and support with sustainable micro-enterprises.

AVPN's generous funding will support Nomi Network in refining and enhancing our deeply engaging Cambodia Women's Workforce Development Program to reach more women to provide social, emotional, and economic empowerment. AVPN's support will continue to allow us to be a learning organization, build our capacity from within Cambodia and strengthen the Network of local partnerships.

Thank you AVPN for trusting in us to achieve our vision to empower women to rewrite the narratives for future generations and steps towards preventing trafficking and exploitation of vulnerable women. Director of International Programs, Nomi Network Who is eligible to apply? Registered Non-Profit Organisation / Charity / Intermediary (Non-Profit) working with impact organisations within the focus area of this fund.

Operates in at least one of the 12 target markets, which are: Japan, South Korea, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and India.

(For India, the NPO would have to be FCRA-registered) Should NOT be the following: Religious organisation (e.g. church, synagogue, mosque etc.) Consortium (only single application is allowed) Included in the US or EU sanctions list, nor blacklisted by any UN or international agency Non-profit impact organisations working towards the economic empowerment of women with interventions which would include but not restricted to: Providing decent work opportunities for women Enabling and supporting women's entrepreneurship Vocational & life skills acquisition Access to affordable child/elderly/disability care Non-profit Intermediaries that are working on galvanising systems-change efforts in advancing women’s economic empowerment through approaches such as, but not limited to: Supporting the organisational development, capability and effectiveness that would help impact organisations scale and unlock additional funding Providing strategic guidance, expertise and infrastructure to empower impact organisations to innovate, pilot and test initiatives within the focus area Enabling connections between impact organisations and the funding community Field-building through coordination and between local and regional stakeholders aimed at collectively advancing women’s economic empowerment in Asia Track record of financial accounts (audited accounts preferred, if available) Track record of default, tax payment.

Has an annual operating revenue of over USD 250K (includes other grant funding) Minimum grant ask of USD 100K and maximum USD 500K Grant application timeline 19th January 2023 (this session has ended) 9th March 2023 (view session recording here ) Open Call for Application Closing Date for Application Application will be closed at 23.

59 SGT (GMT+8) Selection and Announcement of Grantees Frequently Asked Questions What is the Asia Gender Equality Fund?

The Asia Gender Equality Pooled Fund is a transformative initiative catalysed by AVPN with support from the Fondation Chanel, The Gates Foundation, Target Foundation and members of the Asian Gender Network, that aims to make lasting change in the lives of women and girls in Asia, particularly those from under-served and marginalised communities.

Through this fund, AVPN aims to raise and deploy USD $25 million within the next five years to provide unrestricted funding towards initiatives and solutions by non-profit organisations focused on improving economic outcomes for women and girls in Asia. What is unrestricted funding? Funding that is not restricted and can be used for core support (indirect, overhead costs).

However, organisations need to demonstrate how receiving the funding can further their mission aligned to the funds’ thematic areas. Since the nature of the grant is unrestricted, do we still need to outline the specific interventions towards women’s economic empowerment in our application?

Even though the fund is unrestricted in nature, the grantees will have to demonstrate how the unrestricted funds will support their organisation’s work in aligning with the thematic area of the fund. What does core support mean? Some examples of core support include: Infrastructure support activities i.e. investing in fundraising capacity Organisational capacity building What grant size can the applicants ask for?

Non-Profit organisations can apply for grants ranging from USD 100K and USD 500K. What are the target markets for the fund? For this round, the Asia Gender Equality Fund is focused on the following markets; Japan, South Korea, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and India.

Does the Impact Organisation (IO) have to be registered in the target market, or simply have interventions in the target market? The Non-Profit organisation can be registered in any country, as long as they have operations in the priority markets of the fund. Would it be possible if we apply for this grant and co-fund/apply for other awards?

Yes, additional funding from other sources are allowed to scale your organisation. ORGANISATIONAL ELIGIBILITY Can social enterprises/INGOs/UN agencies apply for the fund? For this round, the fund will only be supporting non-profit organisations.

If you are a legally registered non-profit organisation, and meeting the eligibility criteria of the fund, you will be eligible to apply. For this fund, you are required to verify your organisation’s Non-Profit Status by retrieving a validation token from the TechSoup Global Network , and submitting this token to us through the Non-Profit Verification Form . Refer to the Verification Form for further instructions.

Can a nonprofit organisation apply in collaboration with other entities, such as for-profit or social enterprises? Partnerships are a key criteria when we assess your application.

While only a single entity can apply for the fund, we encourage applicants to demonstrate how they have built or have plans of building strong strategic partnerships with governments, impact organisations, CSOs, intermediaries etc, as long as the jurisdiction in which they operate allows for such partnerships. How do you define small and medium organisation?

We recognise that the definition of small and medium organisations is different in different markets, therefore this will be taken into consideration when your applications are being reviewed. At a minimum, we are looking for organisations that are at least two years in operations, with an operating budget of approx USD 250K and will be able to provide audited financial statements of the last two years.

I am an intermediary working in supporting non-profit organisations that are working at improving women’s economic empowerment. Can I apply? If you are a legally registered non-profit intermediary with operations in the target markets of the fund, you are eligible to apply.

In your application, you will be required to state how you are working with other organisations that you support and how their work is contributing towards improving women’s economic empowerment in the target markets. Additionally you will be asked to articulate how the funds will aid in your efforts to continue to build and grow these organisations.

Are big international non-governmental organisations, like UN agencies eligible to apply? If your organisation is a registered Non-Profit organisation, then you will be eligible to apply. Please evaluate if your organisation fulfils this criteria before proceeding to apply for this fund.

What types of documentation do you accept as proof of non-profit or charities? Legal documentation verified by national authorities of your country is accepted as proof. What is the duration of implementation?

How much is the allowable support cost? If approved, what are the reporting requirements? The grant period ranges from one to three years.

If you are chosen as a recipient of the grant, we will work with you to determine any necessary reporting requirements and milestones and provide assistance as needed. What is the grant duration for the Fund? The fund aims to provide single and multi-year funding for up to three years.

This will be determined based on the needs, scaleup plans, and internal deliberation of the application. What are the various sub thematics which the fund looks at ? Non-Profit Impact Organisations working at the forefront of women’s economic empowerment with sub thematics which could include but not limited to the following: .

Providing decent work opportunities for women Enabling and supporting Women’s Entrepreneurship Vocational & Life Skills Acquisition Access to affordable child/elderly care Non-profit Intermediaries that are working on galvanising systems-change efforts in advancing women’s economic empowerment through approaches such as, but not limited to: Supporting the organisational development, capability and effectiveness that would help impact organisations scale and unlock additional funding.

Providing strategic guidance, expertise and infrastructure to empower impact organisations to innovate, pilot and test initiatives within the focus area. Enabling connections between impact organisations and the funding community. Field-building through coordination and between local and regional stakeholders aimed at collectively advancing women’s economic empowerment in Asia.

Who are the target beneficiaries of the fund? Women and girls from the following target markets-Japan, South Korea, China, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and India. When does the call for applications open?

The call for applications will be open from 21 February, 2023 and closes on 31 March, 2023 23. 59 SGT (GMT+8). How do I apply for the fund?

Before applying, you are required to verify your organisation’s Non-Profit Status by retrieving a validation token from the TechSoup Global Network , and submitting this token to us through the Non-Profit Verification Form . Refer to the Verification Form for further instructions. You can apply for the fund via the Application Portal .

New Users on the Application Portal Register for a new Account Here . Login to your account, and create a Business Account. Click on the Asia Gender Equality Fund: Apply for the fund Fill up the form as complete as possible.

Existing Users on Application Portal Login to your existing account Here . If you forget your password, you may reset it by clicking the “Forgotten your Password” link. Click on the Asia Gender Equality Fund: Apply for the fund Fill up the form as complete as possible.

While applying, do I need to create an individual account or an organisation account on the portal? Please create an organisation account on the portal. How can we send documents and attachments?

Is there a special email address for sending the required documents? You will be able to upload all necessary documents through the online application portal. How will the application be assessed?

Applications are evaluated by internal and external reviewers within the AVPN member community representing different markets and bringing in technical expertise within Gender as well.

The applications will be assessed along the following lines Whether the project will improve women’s economic empowerment through the proposed solution Whether the project will tackle the issue it seeks to address in a new and creative way How the project will impact women if successful and the extent of the impact on their economic empowerment and growth If successful, the expected outcomes of the project in 5 years and whether the project can serve as a model for other communities Whether the project has a well-developed, realistic plan of execution; Whether you have identified the right partners for implementation.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION / IP What happens to the Intellectual Property (“IP”) in my submission/ products /services? Please note that AVPN will not be taking any ownership or responsibility for your intellectual property. Hence, it is advised that you avoid including any confidential or proprietary information in your application.

The application portal, EnQuire™, is powered by our digital partner Tactiv. The Eligibility Review is powered by our Due Diligence Partner TechSoup.