Women's Fund Asia

What Women's Fund Asia does

Women's Fund Asia (WFA) is a regional feminist philanthropic fund founded in 2004 as the South Asia Women's Fund and headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, with a regional office in Delhi, India. It operates as a company limited by guarantee and operates through a wholly-owned Australian subsidiary, Women's Fund Asia Limited (WFAL), registered in 2020 to manage regional risk and crises. WFA mobilizes resources from approximately 26 institutional donors, foundations (Ford, Gates, Oak, Fondation Chanel, Global Fund for Women, Comic Relief), and government agencies (Netherlands MFA, Australian DFAT, Swedish Sida, Government of Canada), then distributes them through six thematic grantmaking programmes: Strengthening Feminist Movements (individual grants up to USD 8,000; organizational grants USD 15,000–30,000), Leading from the South (EUR 48,600–446,800 over 2–3 years), Kaagapay Solidarity Fund for crisis response, Linking & Learning travel and convening grants, the Legal Fellowship Programme (USD 6,000 over 10 months), and the Bhoomi Youth Leadership Initiative with Foundation for a Just Society.

WFA's core activities are responsive grantmaking, linking and learning, resource advocacy, and institutional strengthening, delivered via open applications, invitation-only windows, and network referrals. Since inception, the organization has committed over USD 30 million to more than 1,600 initiatives led by women, girls, trans, and intersex people across 22 countries and territories in South, Southeast, and East Asia. Geographic reach expanded 5X, donor partners grew from 1 to 14, grantee partners grew 11X, and average annual disbursement grew 12X over the 20-year period through 2024. The organization is governed by a Board chaired across Philippines and Malaysia jurisdictions and led by Executive Director Anisha Chugh, with a staff of approximately 25–30.

WFA monetizes exclusively through donor grants rather than commercial activity, with grant sizes ranging from USD 1,500 (national travel) up to EUR 446,800 (Leading from the South macro-level grants), and multi-year core funding commitments that cover operational costs, staff salaries, advocacy, and crisis response. The technical platform is non-proprietary: WFA operates a website (womensfundasia.org), active social channels, email newsletters, and an annual report cycle rather than any technology product. Its core differentiation rests on 20 years of relational trust with grassroots feminist movements, governance positions across Prospera, HRFN, AFM, RISE, A-I-R, and the First Response Fund, and co-founding role in the multi-regional Leading from the South consortium alongside AWDF, FMS, and FIMI.

Name

Women's Fund Asia

Legal name

Women's Fund Asia

Website

https://womensfundasia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Women's Fund Asia is a Colombo-headquartered regional feminist philanthropic fund that channels donor grants to women, girls, trans, and intersex-led organizations across 22 Asian countries, having committed over USD 30 million to 1,600+ initiatives since 2004.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Feminist Grantmaking and Gender Justice Philanthropy

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trust Funds & Multi-Donor Pooled Funds (BPADAOAE), Gender Lens / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Funds (FSANAJAM)

Keywords

• Feminist grantmaking
• Gender justice funding
• Women's philanthropy
• Human rights grants
• Nonprofit fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

Colombo

HQ country

Sri Lanka

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Grants: WFA operates as a feminist fund that mobilizes resources from institutional donors, foundations, government agencies, and private philanthropists to support gender justice movements. Their revenue comes entirely from external funding as they are a grantmaking organization rather than a revenue-generating entity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Women's Fund Asia is a regional feminist fund that mobilises and distributes philanthropic resources to grassroots, community-led groups and movements led by women, girls, trans, and intersex people across 22 countries and territories in South, Southeast, and East Asia. Through six grantmaking programmes (Strengthening Feminist Movements, Leading from the South, Kaagapay Solidarity Fund, Linking and Learning, Legal Fellowship Programme, and Bhoomi Youth Leadership Initiative), WFA provides core flexible grants, crisis response funds, travel and convening grants, and capacity-strengthening support.

Product overview

Women's Fund Asia operates as a regional feminist fund providing responsive grantmaking across Asia through six thematic programmes: Strengthening Feminist Movements (core flexible funding), Leading from the South (multi-regional consortium), Kaagapay Solidarity Fund (crisis response), Linking & Learning (travel and convening grants), Legal Fellowship Programme (supporting women lawyers), and Bhoomi Youth Leadership Initiative (youth leadership). The organisation's work spans 22 countries across South, Southeast, and East Asia, disbursing over USD 30 million to support gender justice movements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strengthening Feminist Movements (SFM) Core flexible grantmaking programme providing individual grants up to USD 8,000 and organisational grants of USD 15,000-30,000 to women, girls, trans, and intersex rights activists, groups, and networks working at local, subnational, and national levels across South, Southeast, and East Asia.
• Leading from the South (LFS) Multi-regional consortium grantmaking programme led by four women's funds from Africa, Asia, and Latin America (AWDF, FMS, FIMI, and WFA). Provides 2-3 year grants ranging from EUR 48,600 (Frontline Defenders) to EUR 206,600 (Amplifying Voices) to EUR 446,800 (Promoting Regional Feminist Agenda) for grassroots feminist organisations in the Global South.
• Kaagapay Solidarity Fund for Feminist Resilience Crisis response fund providing rapid emergency support to women, girls, trans, and intersex-led organisations facing acute crises. Currently open only to WFA partners by invitation.
• Linking and Learning Grants Travel and convening grants supporting individual activists and groups for movement building, networking, and participation in regional and global advocacy spaces. Travel grants up to USD 5,000 (international), USD 3,000 (regional), and USD 1,500 (national); convening space grants up to USD 10,000 per event.
• Legal Fellowship Programme Fellowship programme providing USD 6,000 over 10 months to enhance the capacity of early and mid-career women, trans, and intersex lawyers across Asia to advance legal work grounded in human rights principles.
• Bhoomi Youth Leadership Initiative Partnership initiative with Foundation for a Just Society (FJS) addressing leadership development for young Dalit and Oppressed-Caste women and queer-transgender communities in South Asia, strengthening leadership and organisational skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over USD 30 million committed to 1600+ initiatives since 2004
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Foundation for a Just Society (FJS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Bhoomi Youth Leadership Initiative addressing leadership development among young Dalit and Oppressed-Caste women and queer-transgender communities in South Asia. WFA and FJS co-manage this initiative designed to strengthen leadership and organizational skills.
• African Women's Development Fund (AWDF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and partner in Leading from the South (LFS) consortium, the first and only consortium of women's funds entirely led by women from the Global South. Since 2016, jointly channelled approximately USD 90 million to support 1,500 organizations in 85 countries.
• Fondo de Mujeres del Sur (FMS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and partner in Leading from the South consortium alongside AWDF, FIMI-AYNI and WFA. Jointly manages multi-regional feminist funding program advancing gender justice across Global South.
• International Indigenous Women's Forum / AYNI Fund (FIMI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder and partner in Leading from the South consortium. FIMI represents indigenous women globally and contributes expertise on indigenous rights within the feminist funding partnership.
• Prospera - The International Network of Women's FundscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA is a member of Prospera, the international network of women's funds from Asia & Pacific region. Active participant in collective feminist funding initiatives and knowledge sharing.
• Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA is a member of the HRFN Steering Committee, contributing to global conversations on human rights funding and resource mobilization.
• Alliance for Feminist Movements (AFM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA serves as Co-Chair of the Steering Group of the Alliance for Feminist Movements, working to advance feminist movement funding and coordination globally.
• Resilience Fund for Women in Global Value ChainsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA is a member of the Advisory Board of the Resilience Fund for Women in Global Value Chains, supporting women workers in vulnerable economic sectors.
• Reimagining Industry to support Equality (RISE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA is a member of the Steering Committee of RISE, working to transform industries for gender equality.
• Sex Work Donor CollaborativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA serves on the Steering Committee of the Sex Work Donor Collaborative, advocating for sex workers' rights and resources.
• Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA is a member of AVPN, engaging with Asian philanthropy networks to advance gender justice funding.
• Pacific Feminist FundmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA helped launch the Pacific Feminist Fund, the first fund dedicated to women's and gender-diverse organizations in the Pacific region.
• First Response Fund (FRF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFA joined the FRF Design Group to conceptualize and set up this fund along with 11 other women's funds. Launched March 8, 2025, resourced by Government of Canada with 10 million CAD to resourced humanitarian responses led by women's rights organizations.
• Amplify-Invest-Reach (A-I-R)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched in 2022, A-I-R is a partnership between four women's funds in Asia and the Pacific (Pacific Feminist Fund, Urgent Action Fund Asia and the Pacific, Women's Fund Asia, Women's Fund Fiji) with Australian Government DFAT. AUD 10 million five-year investment to build feminist movements.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• CREA: India/South Asia-based feminist organization working on gender, sexuality, and rights. Comparable in focus region and thematic areas, but with more direct program delivery and less pure grantmaking than WFA.
• Pacific Feminist Fund: Newly launched Pacific-focused feminist fund, spun out of the A-I-R partnership that WFA helped convene. Comparable mission but earlier-stage and narrower geographic scope than WFA.

Direct peers

• Mama Cash: Amsterdam-based international feminist fund supporting women's, girls', and trans movements globally. Comparable as a pioneering feminist grantmaker with a similar trust-based, multi-region grantmaking approach.
• Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights Asia and the Pacific: Rapid-response feminist fund covering Asia and the Pacific, jointly part of the A-I-R partnership with WFA. Closely comparable in mission, geography, and grantmaking model, and a direct collaborator in pooled consortia.
• International Indigenous Women's Forum / AYNI Fund (FIMI): Global indigenous women's fund and LFS co-founder. Comparable in feminist grantmaking, focus on rights of marginalized communities, and consortium coordination alongside WFA.
• African Women's Development Fund (AWDF): Pan-African feminist fund and co-founder of the Leading from the South consortium alongside WFA. Direct comparable in regional fund structure, donor mix, and consortium grantmaking model.
• Fondo de Mujeres del Sur (FMS): Latin American feminist fund and co-founder of the Leading from the South consortium. Highly comparable in consortium-led grantmaking model, though operating in a different region.
• Global Fund for Women: One of the world's leading feminist foundations funding gender justice organizations globally. Direct peer in grantmaking model, donor mix, and movement-building approach, and an existing donor/ally of WFA.
• Foundation for a Just Society (FJS): Private foundation advancing gender, racial, and economic justice, including the Bhoomi Youth Leadership Initiative co-managed with WFA. Comparable as a strategic grantmaking partner for feminist movements in Asia.

Regional players

• Women's Fund Fiji: Fiji-based feminist fund and A-I-R consortium partner with WFA. Comparable model but operates in a single Pacific country rather than the broader Asian region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WF_Asia
• Facebookfacebook.com/wfasia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wfasia
• Instagraminstagram.com/wfasia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Women's Fund Asia