Margaret McNamara Education Grants

What Margaret McNamara Education Grants does

Margaret McNamara Education Grants (MMEG) is a nonprofit public charity founded in 1981 and headquartered at the World Bank Group complex in Washington DC. The organization funds higher education for women from developing countries through five regional grant programs: US-Canada (up to $15,000), Trinity Washington University (up to $7,500), South Africa (up to $7,000), Latin America and Caribbean (up to $7,000), and France (up to $5,000). Eligibility requires applicants to be at least 25 years old, nationals of eligible developing countries, and enrolled in accredited in-person academic programs. Since inception, MMEG has supported 639 grantees from 81 countries with $5.6M in cumulative direct grant support.

MMEG is a volunteer-led and volunteer-run organization, governed by a Board of Directors with operational staff in the 11-50 employee range. Applications are accepted via a competitive annual cycle processed through the Embark online platform. Beyond grant disbursement, MMEG operates supporting programs including MMEG Talks panel events, an annual Photo Competition for grantees, and the MMEG Market — an International Arts & Crafts Market held at the World Bank Main Complex that generates earned revenue through vendor fees ($325-$600) plus a 15% sales commission.

MMEG is organized under Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code (Tax ID 52-1655741), making donations tax-deductible. The organization holds a Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid and is financed primarily through donations and charitable contributions, with supplemental revenue from the MMEG Market. Organizational revenue is not publicly disclosed. MMEG is a separate legal entity from the World Bank Group, which provides administrative hosting for its offices.

Name

Margaret McNamara Education Grants

Legal name

Margaret McNamara Education Grants

Website

https://mmeg.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MMEG is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1981 that funds higher education for women from developing countries through five regional grant programs (US-Canada, Trinity Washington University, South Africa, LAC, France), supported by donations and volunteer labor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Grants

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking Agencies & Education Program Grants Administration (EDADAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), International Student Funding & Mobility Grants Administration (EDADAHAL), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Women education grants
• Nonprofit education funding
• Developing country scholarships
• Higher education grants
• International student grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: MMEG is a nonprofit organization that funds its grant programs through donations and charitable contributions. As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, donations are tax-deductible in the United States.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Margaret McNamara Education Grants (MMEG) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1981 that provides financial grants to women from developing countries who are pursuing higher education. The organization administers five regional grant programs (US-Canada, South Africa, Latin America & Caribbean, Trinity Washington University, and France) awarding between $5,000 and $15,000 per grantee to cover tuition, books, and living expenses. Since its founding, MMEG has supported 639 grantees from 81 countries with $5.6 million in direct support.

Product overview

Margaret McNamara Education Grants is a nonprofit organization offering education grant programs to women from developing countries. The organization operates five regional grant programs (US-Canada, South Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, Trinity Washington University, and France), an annual International Arts & Crafts Market at the World Bank, MMEG Talks panel events, and an annual Photo Competition. The core product is the grant program which provides financial support ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• US-Canada Education Grant

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• World Bank GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMMEG is hosted at the World Bank Group headquarters in Washington DC. The organization maintains a close relationship with the World Bank Group as indicated by their physical co-location and address at the World Bank headquarters.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• P.E.O. Sisterhood: Provides thousands of scholarships annually for women pursuing higher education, with a comparable volunteer-led, donor-funded grantmaking model to MMEG.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW): AAUW is one of the largest U.S. nonprofits providing fellowships and grants specifically to women pursuing higher education, directly comparable to MMEG's mission and grant-making model.
• Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future: Awards fellowships to women from developing countries to pursue STEM PhD and post-doctoral research at leading universities, directly comparable in target population and academic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: Major funder of international education, women's empowerment, and developing-country scholarship programs, overlapping meaningfully with MMEG's mission at substantially greater scale.
• Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program: A large-scale scholarship program for students from Africa and developing countries to study at partner universities, comparable in targeting women and developing-country students but at materially larger scale.
• Open Society Foundations: A large private foundation funding higher education and scholarships for underrepresented groups, including international students, broadly comparable to MMEG's mission at a much larger scale.
• Institute of International Education (IIE): Administers the world's largest international scholarship and fellowship programs and manages Fulbright, offering a closely comparable international student grantmaking function at much larger scale.
• Carnegie Corporation of New York: Funds international higher education and women-focused scholarship programs, including for African and developing-country students, broadly comparable to MMEG's grantmaking focus.

Emerging players

• Almadrava Foundation: An emerging grantmaker providing scholarships for women from developing countries to pursue higher education, comparable in mission and target demographic to MMEG but at an earlier stage of scale.

Regional players

• Wynton Leary & Co. / Learn Africa (AUNEGE): Provides scholarships specifically for African women to study in Spain and France, comparable in targeting women from developing countries for higher education but focused on a different geographic corridor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mmeggrants
• Facebookfacebook.com/mmeg.grants
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/margaret-mcnamara-education-grants-mmeg-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Margaret McNamara Education Grants