Goals
Important and urgent needs are rising more frequently than anyone could have predicted for organizations working to advance gender equity.
We understand that unanticipated crises don’t wait for funding cycles or traditional decision timelines. That’s why, in 2017, the Immediate Response Action Fund was designed to move quickly when a specific, unanticipated event, opportunity, or challenge threatens a gender equity organization’s ability to support its community.
With a simplified application process, quick turnaround, and priority on issues that impact marginalized genders, IRAF is the only rapid response grant program of its kind in the region.
Example of IRAF in Action: A grantee partner’s heating system unexpectedly failed, threatening the safety, comfort, and operations at their housing facility for formerly incarcerated women. An IRAF grant helped fund a new heating system so that their essential programming could continue with limited disruption.
For more examples, check out our list of grantee partners and continue reading below for applicant criteria to see if IRAF is the right fit for your organization.
IRAF grantees: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
Download our FY2024 IRAF Executive Summary.
An Important Note
IRAF grants are restricted funds tied to a specific, unanticipated event, opportunity, or challenge, not ongoing or repeatable support. We’re deeply aware that gender equity is systematically underfunded, which is why we are also committed to building out grantmaking programs that offer multi-year general operating funding. Learn more about how we’re doing that through programs like GEEP and GOF.
Our Process
01
The Fund will provide one-time small grants up to $10,000 for a grant period of up to 12 months. If approved, the grant will be processed in no more than 10 business days after receipt of application.
02
Priority will be given to organizations with an annual budget of less than $2 million and those who have not received funding from WOMEN’S WAY in 2025.
Criteria
Grant applications should meet the following criteria to be eligible for funding. If you have any questions about criteria, please get in touch so you can be sure that you qualify before applying.
- Urgent and Unanticipated: the specific event, opportunity, or challenge that your organization is responding to must be unanticipated and must require urgent action.
IRAF is designed for events, opportunities, or challenges like:- A heating system breaks, threatening the safety and comfort of transitional housing participants
- A new federal policy causes a sudden increase in demand for legal support for immigrants and refugees
- A change in state budget suddenly threatens a hotline that people facing intimate partner violence rely on
IRAF is not designed for:- Recurring or structural budget shortfalls
- Bridging an anticipated gap between grants or funding cycles
- Focus on WOMEN’S WAY Four Core Pillars: the proposal must be in response to an unexpected moment or opportunity to address the needs of women, girls, or gender expansive individuals in one of the following four areas:
- Advancing reproductive justice and sexual health
- Increasing safety against gender-based violence
- Promoting economic self-sufficiency & justice
- Developing the leadership of girls, young women, and gender expansive youth
- Demographic: the program/service that you are requesting IRAF funds to support must primarily serve women, girls, or gender expansive individuals
- Geographic: must provide services in one or more of the following counties – Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Camden, Burlington, Gloucester
- Opportunity for Intervention: grant funds must be able to have an immediate impact on the defined issue
- Organizations: must be a nonprofit organization that is determined to be a tax-exempt organization under sections 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code or have a fiscal sponsor. WOMEN’S WAY cannot grant to individuals. Organizations must affirm that they do not have any policies, programs, services, or advocacy that conflict with WOMEN’S WAY’s position on issues, specifically our belief that people should have access to the full range of reproductive health care, including abortion
For the latest report, including a list of IRAF grantees, click here.
Apply Now
IRAF applications are accepted on a rolling basis, and decisions will be communicated within 10 business days.
(Please note: Incomplete applications or applications with errors will likely cause a delay in our 10-business-day review process. To avoid this, please carefully review your application before submitting.)
To apply, please click below.
