Our Approach - Girls First Fund

Our Theory of Change

The Girls First Fund is currently operating in six focus countries, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Dominican Republic, India, Nepal, Niger, and Uganda. Over the next two years we plan to expand to additional geographies in the global south. We support our partners through funding, mentoring and capacity building, connecting, and influencing. In addition to flexible multi-year funding, we accompany grantees on their journey and connect them to existing resources and advocacy opportunities enabling them to influence policies and systems to end child marriage.

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Our Grantmaking Principles

The Girls First Fund is fully committed to both funding this work and ensuring that the work is successfully carried out. We support our grantee-partners by adopting the following principles:

Provide flexible, long-term support

We give grantee-partners the resources and the peace of mind they need to implement lasting solutions through multi-year core support.

Fund historically-neglected groups

We are committed to reaching underfunded, new, and emerging groups, particularly girl- and women-led groups.

Share evidence

We share success stories and learnings on what’s working to improve the lives of girls. We also take a hard look at what’s not working, so we can make changes to increase our impact.

Reduce barriers

We develop creative ways to reduce barriers to funding for those working in the most marginalized communities, without sophisticated systems and processes in place to attract traditional funders.

Keep girls and grantees at the center of our work

We involve girls and grantee-partners in the design of our fund’s strategy, seeking their critical insights to inform the grantmaking strategy of the future.

Support advocacy efforts and movement building

We connect grantee-partners with national, regional, and international actors, so that they can influence policy and lead, shape, and participate in movements.

Where We Work

We Have an Ambitious Vision.

Our Theory of Change

Our Grantmaking Principles

Where We Work