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.