GIRL RISING-GLOBAL EDUCATION FUND
INVEST IN LOCAL SOLUTIONS FOR QUALITY EDUCATION AND GENDER EQUITY
The Girl Rising Global Education Fund (GR-GEF) is a six-year venture philanthropy fund, 2019-2024) through which we seek out, invest in and join forces with local leaders who have innovative, culturally relevant ideas on how to advance gender equity and education quality for girls and boys living in poverty.
We first introduced this model in India and Kenya as a four-year fund (2019-2022). Due to the unique circumstances of COVID19 and the resulting shifts made by local leaders in their visions and programs, we extended the fund an additional two years (2019-2024). We also expanded the fund to include grantees in Guatemala.
LOCAL LEADERS - LOCAL SOLUTIONS
To source the most impactful investments, we collaborate with experienced local and global advisors to find those who are leading and innovating locally. We then select local leaders to work with based on specific criteria and extensive due diligence. We invest in and support these innovators through GR-GEF multi-year grants as well as with Girl Rising educational resources, mentoring and networking. Our selection criteria identifies leaders who are interested in incorporating and can benefit from Girl Rising’s curriculum, media and educational tools and training in their ongoing work. We collaborate with grantees to advance their work upon exit from the fund. Along the way, we track milestones and impact goals developed with each local leader which we regularly share with investors.
Why is this work so important?
Quality education transforms lives for children living in poverty. Yet, systems are overwhelmed with overflowing classrooms and ill-equipped teachers. And too often, schools themselves reinforce harmful gender norms for girls. Funding to support local, early-stage ideas that address these problems is sorely lacking, and one-off grants are not sufficiently reliable to nurture and grow promising, innovative ideas.
That’s where GR-GEF comes in. Local innovators need multi-disciplinary support, including how to address gender norms and tell their stories of impact.
MEET THE GR-GEF GRANTEES
Big Picture Learning Kenya
Founded in 2018 by Carol Owala, a talented educator with extensive experience leading programs in under-served communities of Nairobi.
Milaan Foundation, India
Milaan's signature Girl Icon program encourages rural girls to succeed in school while building life skills, agency, and well-being.
Sunflower Trust,
Kenya
Founded in 2016 by Rukia Nesbit as an after-school program for at-risk girls to help improve their literacy and comprehension as well as leadership skills.
EPRODEP,
Guatemala
EPRODEP leads academics, arts programs, and social-emotional skills development for young people in Ciudad Quetzal through alternative schooling
Metis,
Kenya
Metis transforms education by supporting local leadership and innovation. Through their Fellowship program, Metis scales new education initiatives
Amigos de Santa Cruz, Guatemala
Led by Indigenous women, AdSC leads educational programming, incoming-generating activities, and life skills curriculum including sexual health.
Slam Out Loud,
India
SoL brings arts education into learning spaces, uses poetry, theatre, visual arts and storytelling to build essential skills and mindsets
Support these innovative organizations that are leading transformational change.
Meg Porfido - Co-Chair
Lee Strongwater - Co-Chair
Jesus Chavez
Liz Berry Gips
Moira Cullen Kotowski
Boli Medappa
Eliza Woloson
Claudia Zeisberger
