Applications Now Open! Equality Fund CONNECT Grants 2026: Up to CAD $1 Million Per Year for Feminist Movement Collaborations
Applications are now open for the Equality Fund CONNECT Expression of Interest (EoI) 2026, a major funding opportunity designed to support collaborations that bring together feminist actors and allied movements to build collective power.
CONNECT is one of the Equality Fund’s grantmaking streams and focuses on supporting the relationships, infrastructure, trust, shared strategies and collective capacity needed for feminist, women’s rights and allied social justice movements to work together across issues, geographies and constituencies.
The Equality Fund is seeking to support collaborations that connect feminist actors with other allies working towards shared goals for gender equality and social justice. The funding stream is particularly focused on strengthening collaboration during a period of intensifying attacks on rights, democracy and social justice.
For this round, a total of CAD $4 million per year will be distributed among approximately five to seven selected collaborations. Individual grants may range from CAD $500,000 to CAD $1,000,000 per year, depending on the proposal and the financial management experience of the organization responsible for managing the grant.
The CONNECT Expression of Interest is open from 31 August 2026 until 16 September 2026 at 17:00 EDT (UTC-4).
About the Equality Fund
The Equality Fund is a global organization working to sustainably resource women’s rights organizations and feminist movements through global grantmaking, gender-lens investing, policy advocacy and feminist philanthropy.
Launched in 2019, the Equality Fund has disbursed more than $125 million to over 1,800 organizations in more than 100 countries. Its funding supports feminist organizations, funds and movements working from grassroots communities to regional and global levels.
The Equality Fund currently operates four funding programmes:
- Catalyze: Supporting individual women’s rights and feminist organizations.
- Activate: Supporting Feminist Funds.
- Prepare, Respond & Care: Supporting women’s rights and feminist organizations working in challenging political, humanitarian, conflict and post-conflict contexts.
- CONNECT: Supporting the relationships, infrastructure and collective capacity that enable feminist and allied liberatory movements to build power together.
The organization provides multi-year and flexible funding while seeking to build partnerships that extend beyond financial support through learning, exchanges, joint advocacy strategies and resource mobilization.
What Is the CONNECT Funding Stream?
CONNECT is a pilot funding stream developed in response to research on movement needs and the growing need for collective action.
The Equality Fund notes that anti-rights, anti-democracy, anti-gender and authoritarian movements have become increasingly coordinated. These challenges affect interconnected political, economic and social systems, meaning that no single movement can address their full scale alone.
CONNECT therefore seeks to reduce fragmentation created by traditional funding silos.
The programme supports collaborations between movements that may not have historically worked together but now seek to work equitably towards shared goals.
The pilot round focuses on strengthening:
- Relationships between movements
- Shared infrastructure
- Trust
- Collective capacity
- Shared strategies
- Collaboration across issues
- Collaboration across geographies
- Collaboration across constituencies
The ultimate objective is to help feminist, women’s rights and allied social justice movements build collective power and undertake coordinated action towards gender equality and social justice.
How Much Funding Is Available?
CONNECT will distribute a total of CAD $4 million per year during this round of grantmaking.
The Equality Fund expects to select approximately five to seven collaborations.
Each selected collaboration may receive a maximum total grant amount of between:
CAD $500,000 and CAD $1,000,000 per year
The amount awarded will depend on the specifics of the proposal and the financial management experience of the organization responsible for the financial aspects of the grant.
This is therefore a significant funding opportunity for established collaborations seeking substantial support for collective movement-building work.
Grant Duration
CONNECT grants will initially run for two years, with the possibility of additional years of funding.
The expected grant start date is:
1 February 2027
Applicants should ensure that their proposed collaboration, organizational arrangements and financial management systems are prepared to support a multi-year grant.
Who Can Apply?
CONNECT is intended to resource and strengthen collaborative work that enables feminist and allied liberatory movements to build power together.
The Equality Fund is specifically looking for collaborations that connect:
- Feminist actors
- Women’s rights movements
- Allied social justice movements
- Other relevant allies working towards shared goals
The funding opportunity recognizes that effective collaborations can involve different kinds of actors and take different forms depending on their context.
The application includes open-ended questions intended to allow movement actors and allies to explain what is most important to their collaboration and how they work together towards common objectives.
However, the following are not eligible for funding:
- Political parties
- Government bodies
- For-profit organizations
- Individuals
These actors may nevertheless engage in a collaboration’s activities on their own accord.
Lead Organization Requirements
Each collaboration must have an appropriate leadership structure for the application and grant process.
Collaborations can choose between:
A Single Lead Organization
One organization can serve as the sole lead and assume both the programme and financial responsibilities associated with the grant.
Separate Programmatic and Financial Lead Organizations
Alternatively, collaborations may identify two separate organizations to perform these functions.
In this arrangement, one organization acts as the Programmatic Lead, while another acts as the Financial Lead. The Financial Lead may include a fiscal sponsor.
The Equality Fund states that it will prioritize collaborations whose lead organization is based in the Global South or East.
This emphasis makes CONNECT particularly relevant to collaborations led by organizations working in regions that have historically faced unequal access to global funding.
Application Process
The CONNECT application process will take place in two stages:
- Expression of Interest (EoI)
- Advanced Application
The first stage is the Expression of Interest, which allows collaborations to submit information for consideration under the CONNECT funding stream.
The EoI submission period runs from:
31 August 2026 to 16 September 2026
The deadline is:
16 September 2026 at 17:00 EDT (UTC-4)
Applicants should carefully review the complete CONNECT guidelines and prepare their collaboration arrangements before submitting an Expression of Interest.
Why This Opportunity Matters
CONNECT represents an approach to funding that focuses not only on individual organizations but also on the infrastructure of collective action.
The programme recognizes that lasting systems change depends on strong individual movements as well as strong relationships between movements.
By supporting collaboration across different issues, geographies and constituencies, CONNECT aims to create opportunities for coordinated action that can influence multiple sectors and systems simultaneously.
The programme is grounded in feminist and intersectional principles and seeks to use trust-based, participatory and non-extractive grantmaking practices.
For feminist organizations and allied movements seeking to develop deeper partnerships and collective strategies, the CONNECT funding stream offers an opportunity to secure multi-year support for collaboration and movement-building.
Key Dates at a Glance
Funding stream: Equality Fund CONNECT
Application stage currently open: Expression of Interest
EoI opening date: 31 August 2026
EoI deadline: 16 September 2026
Closing time: 17:00 EDT (UTC-4)
Total funding available: CAD $4 million per year
Expected collaborations selected: Five to seven
Potential grant size: CAD $500,000–CAD $1,000,000 per year
Initial grant duration: Two years
Expected grant start date: 1 February 2027
Priority: Collaborations whose lead organization is based in the Global South or East
FIND OUT MORE HERE
Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities is not the funding provider or administrator. The Equality Fund is responsible for the CONNECT grantmaking process, eligibility requirements, selection process, funding decisions and grant conditions. Interested applicants should carefully review the official CONNECT Expression of Interest guidelines and verify all requirements before applying.
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Disclaimer: Global South Opportunities (GSO) does not take ownership or credit for the opportunities shared on this platform. All opportunities are sourced from official announcements and external sources for informational purposes only. Applicants are encouraged to verify all details, deadlines, and eligibility requirements from the official source before applying. Opportunities may be updated or changed by the providing organisations.
