The Alliance is a philanthropic initiative.
We are the first and only collaborative fund dedicated to supporting progress for gender equality in Europe.
Our purpose
Our vision is an inclusive Europe where gender equality is achieved for all.
Our mission is to support and strengthen the grassroots gender equality movement in Europe. Through grant-making, capacity strengthening, and awareness raising, the Alliance improves gender equality for all by transforming harmful gender norms and addressing the structural barriers that reinforce inequality and exclusion.
Our north star is to help build a well-resourced, inclusive, and impactful gender equality movement in Europe.
What we believe in
We believe that all individuals should be treated with respect and be able to achieve their full potential, independent of their gender and background. To achieve gender equality in all areas of life, we aim to address the multiple injustices that shape the lives of women, girls, trans, nonbinary and gender nonconforming people.
We trust our grantee partners to do what best serves their communities, because they are closer to the issues they are working on than we are. We build trust, respecting the visions, knowledge, and leadership of marginalised women, girls, trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people.
Collaboration is at the heart of our approach as a pooled fund, as no individual, organisation, or donor can solve all structural issues alone. Alliance members align on funding objectives and collectively steer our work. We also seek to build positive, long-term partnerships with and among grassroots organisations, feminist movements, communities with lived experience of inequality, gender equality experts, as well as other donors.
We aim to be open and transparent about our goals, decisions, investments, and the impact of our work. We always seek to hold ourselves accountable for our actions and their effect on our partners and their wider communities.
We strive to continuously improve our work. We listen, learn, pilot new ideas, and adapt our own practices by actively seeking feedback on how we can do better from our grantee partners – and then implementing it. We also foster peer learning among our members and grantees, creating safe and brave spaces for them to share insights and strengthen their impact.
We acknowledge that inequality is rooted in systems of oppression that have historically disadvantaged people based on their gender and identity. Through our funding to those who have been most affected, we work to challenge issues of discrimination, injustice, and exclusion across all aspects of life.
Our resources support organisations that empower individuals while also addressing the systems and norms that uphold gender inequality. By using gender-transformative approaches, our grantee partners address root causes and drive lasting change.
We make sure that our resources reach grassroots activists and organisations who are best positioned to create long-lasting change. Our role is to support their efforts, amplify their voices, and foster connections between them to strengthen their impact.
We understand that people are affected by gender inequality differently based on various aspects of their identity and background – whether it be gender, sexuality, migration background, race, income, disability, or other factors – without hierarchy. We are committed to ensuring that no one is left behind. Our intersectional approach to grant making uplifts women and marginalised people with diverse needs and addresses multiple challenges simultaneously.
We are committed to upholding the fundamental human rights of all individuals. Given that we focus on gender equality, we are especially committed to:
Reproductive rights
We believe in reproductive healthcare for all. Reproductive rights – including access to contraception, abortion, fertility treatments, and gender care – are fundamental human rights and a pillar of democracy where individuals live free, safe, and self-determined lives.
Trans rights
Equality for all gender identities and expressions is central to human rights. We also support organisations working with and for trans, non-binary, and gender non-conforming people, championing their rights and amplifying their voices to ensure their inclusion and protection.
Members
The Alliance is a philanthropic initiative that brings together specialised and generalist funders.
Chaired by the Fondation CHANEL, the current members are the Bodossaki Foundation, Fondation RAJA-Danièle Marcovici, JPMorgan Chase, King Baudouin Foundation and L’Oréal Fund for Women. Members provide the strategic orientation.
Sub funds
Economic Opportunities Sub-Fund
With economic opportunities, women and marginalised groups gain the power to shape their futures. This sub-fund supports efforts to remove barriers, create pathways, and expand choices so everyone can thrive.
JPMorgan Chase exclusively partners with the Alliance on the Economic Opportunities Fund.
Movement Building Sub-Fund
A strong feminist movement is key to building gender-equal societies. By fostering connection, collaboration, and solidarity, this sub-fund strengthens collective power to drive lasting change.
Opportunity and Emergency Grants
When gender equality organisations are well-resourced, they can seize opportunities, withstand crises, and sustain progress. This sub-fund provides timely support where it’s needed most.
Advisors
The Alliance values the expertise of gender equality professionals who contribute to our work as advisors on key strategic decisions. Our current advisors are:
- Caroline Brac de la Perrière, Director of Mediterranean Women’s Fund
- Jana Stardelova, Grants and Engagement Manager at Ariadne
- Sana Afouaiz, Founder and CEO of Womenpreneur Initiative
- Sotiris Laganopoulos, Sector officer for civil society at EEA & Norway Grants
- Xenia Kellner, Cofounder of Young Feminists Europe
Team
Hosted by the Network of European Foundations, the Alliance is supported by a programme team that coordinates the collaborative fund and implements operational activities.
Nadège Lharaig,
Lead, Senior Program Manager
Nadège has been leading the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe since 2021. She brings more than a decade of experience in grant making, programme management, strategy, fundraising and advocacy. Her topics of expertise include gender-based violence, economic justice and ecofeminism.
Maria Cipriani,
Program Officer
As Programme Officer, Maria supports the implementation of the Alliance’s grant making and capacity strengthening activities. Prior to joining the Alliance, she worked in civil society organisations focused on gender equality and peacebuilding.
Iva Petkovic,
Senior Communications
and Learning Manager
Iva oversees the Alliance’s communications and learning initiatives. Previously, she held roles in communications and project management within human rights organisations and a foundation in Brussels, while also volunteering for a gender equality campaign.
With these insights, an idea began to take shape: the creation of the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe. This mission gained urgency in early 2020 with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated existing inequalities and disproportionately impacted women and marginalised groups.
Momentum grew quickly. Bodossaki Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Fondation de France and Fondation RAJA-Danièle Marcovici joined the collaborative in the following two years, helping to launch an Economic Opportunities Fund to further expand the Alliance’s impact.
Origin story
As movements like #MeToo brought global attention to women’s rights, it became clear that more needed to be done to turn visibility into lasting change. In 2019, Fondation CHANEL launched a consultation with civil society, activists, women’s funds, and experts to better understand what was needed. The results revealed a bleak reality: grassroots, women-led organisations were doing vital work but were chronically underfunded and overstretched.
In 2021, two foundations – the L’Oréal Fund for Women and the King Baudouin Foundation – joined Fondation CHANEL to officially launch the Alliance with its first COVID Solidarity Fund, supporting gender equality organisations on the frontlines of the crisis.
Origin story
As movements like #MeToo brought global attention to women’s rights, it became clear that more needed to be done to turn visibility into lasting change. In 2019, Fondation CHANEL launched a consultation with civil society, activists, women’s funds, and experts to better understand what was needed. The results revealed a bleak reality: grassroots, women-led organisations were doing vital work but were chronically underfunded and overstretched.
With these insights, an idea began to take shape: the creation of the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe. This mission gained urgency in early 2020 with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which exacerbated existing inequalities and disproportionately impacted women and marginalised groups.
In 2021, two foundations – the L’Oréal Fund for Women and the King Baudouin Foundation – joined Fondation CHANEL to officially launch the Alliance with its first COVID Solidarity Fund, supporting gender equality organisations on the frontlines of the crisis.
Momentum grew quickly. Bodossaki Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, Fondation de France and Fondation RAJA-Danièle Marcovici joined the collaborative in the following two years, helping to launch an Economic Opportunities Fund to further expand the Alliance’s impact.
Join us
We are building an open, collaborative, and long-term alliance of donors and foundations.
Join us to accelerate the scale and pace of progress for an inclusive Europe where gender equality is achieved for all.
