International Project Grants

$3,000–10,000

September 3, 2024
Application opens.

November 15, 2024, by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Deadline for online submission of application.

April 15, 2025
Notification of decisions emailed to applicants. AAUW is not able to honor requests for earlier notification.

July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026
Grant year

When a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the date will be observed on the following business day.

To be eligible for an International Project Grant, the applicant must meet the following requirements:

• The applicant must have successfully completed an AAUW International Fellowship, all reporting requirements for the fellowship, and the academic program for which they received the fellowship by June 30, 2023.
• The applicant must have citizenship in a country other than the United States. Women holding dual citizenship in the U.S. and another country or who are permanent residents of the U.S., or who pursue either of those during the grant year are not eligible.
• The project must be implemented in the applicant’s home country and have a direct, positive impact on women and girls.
• The applicant must be the primary director of the project and be responsible for the project, with control over programmatic, administrative, fiscal and editorial decisions.
• International Project Grants are not available for the development of written work for academic credit or for research that will be used for a degree thesis or dissertation.
• Members of the AAUW Board of Directors, committees, panels, task forces and staff, including current interns, are not eligible to apply for AAUW’s fellowships and grants. A person holding a current award is eligible for election or appointment to boards, committees, panels, and task forces.

The panel meets once a year to review applications for funding. Awards are based on the criteria outlined here. The panel’s recommendations are subject to final approval by AAUW. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis according to funds available in a given fiscal year.

To ensure a fair and objective review process, AAUW does not comment on the deliberations of the awards panels. AAUW does not provide evaluations of applications. No provisions exist for reconsideration of grant proposals. Applications and supporting documents become the sole property of AAUW and will neither be returned nor held for another year.

The following criteria apply to the selection of International Project Grants:

• Relevance of the proposed project to the mission of AAUW.
• Applicant shows commitment to the social advancement and economic empowerment of women and girls in their home country as demonstrated by their previous work and proposed project.
• Strength of project rationale — the project meets a demonstrable, documented local need.
• Clarity and creativity of the project design — the project (1) has clear and specific outcomes, (2) is original and/or innovative in its approach to achieving those outcomes, (3) reflects community/target group participation in the development and design of the project, and (4) is ready for implementation.
• Sustainability/impact of the project—the project has potential for long-term sustainability beyond the grant period.
• Proposed project organization is well represented by women in leadership positions and project management.
• Feasibility of the project — (1) proposed activities will logically lead to desired outcomes and achievement of goals and (2) the project time frame is realistic. There is adequate support from collaborative organizations and community partners.
• The project director is qualified to direct the project and the organization has the capacity to carry out the project.
• There is collaborative support from organizations/community partners.
• Strength of the evaluation plan — (1) specific evaluation methods are proposed to measure short-term, medium-term, and long-term results; (2) proposed evaluation methods are logical measures of projected outcomes; and (3) resources are adequate to support the proposed evaluation methods.
• The fiscal resources are adequate to support the achievement of goals — the project director/alumna and, if applicable, project organization have a track record of sound fiscal management of outside resources, the budget is adequate, and the expenses are authorized.

Funds are available for, but not limited to project-expense related categories, including:

• Postage, mailing, shipping.
• Photocopying, duplicating.
• Office supplies.
• Audiovisual materials.
• Project-related telephone costs.
• Professional fees or honoraria for professional speakers or consultants.
• Meals, food, beverages, or lodging for meetings, trainings, camps or related activities.
• Temporary/hourly clerical help.
• Lease of equipment or facilities (does not include permanent office space).
• Advertising, publicity and graphic design.
• Purchase of equipment.
• Transportation. (Amount cannot exceed 1/3 of grant request; $.545 per mile for auto expenses.)

Funds are not available for:

• Salaries or stipends for primary director, project directors, or permanent positions, or to reimburse employees.
• Tuition.
• Education scholarships, grants, or other payments for students and participants.
• Building funds, construction or renovations.
• Travel expenses (unless directly related to project activities).
• Overhead or general operating expenses for any organization or nonprofit organization.
• Personal expenses (shelter, vehicle, insurance).
• Previous expenditures, deficits or loans (in existence at time of grant award).
• Creating or providing grants to other organizations.
• Copyright or attorney fees.
• Fundraising activities.

AAUW regards the acceptance of a grant as a contract requiring fulfillment of the following terms:

• All grant recipients are required to sign a contract accepting the award. Applicants should retain these instructions, as they will become part of the grant contract if the applicant is awarded a grant.
• Grant awards are distributed in two equal stipends. Stipend disbursements are made payable to grantees only, not organizations or institutions.
• The grantee must be the primary director of the project and be responsible for the project, with control over programmatic, administrative, fiscal, and editorial decisions.
• The grantee must live in their home country full time throughout the grant year.
• The primary director of the project cannot be paid with International Project Grant funds for work on the project, and the employer cannot be reimbursed.
• Projects may be awarded only once. Former applicants may propose new activities for future grants but cannot reapply for the same project for which they received funding in the past.
• Grantees must pursue the proposed project during the grant year. The project must be a yearlong project.
• Any change in the proposed project must have the prior written approval of AAUW. AAUW must be notified promptly of any changes in the status of an application resulting from acceptance of another award.
• Receipt of a grant is contingent upon the successful completion of the AAUW International Fellowship and upon obtaining the degree for which the fellowship was awarded.
• The determination of whether there is a tax obligation associated with the receipt of an AAUW award is the sole responsibility of the applicant. Specific questions regarding income tax matters should be addressed with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the applicant’s financial aid office or a personal tax adviser. AAUW cannot provide tax advice. AAUW is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity founded for educational purposes.

Start the application process by clicking the Apply Now button below to access the application and create an account through our vendor site. Complete all required components in the following areas:

• Start
• Background
• Proposal
  • Recommendations & Review
    • Two recommendations are required. AAUW does not accept references from dossier services, such as Parchment or Interfolio. They must be from: 
      • An organization or individual in the applicant’s community who can attest to the applicant’s qualifications and ability to carry out the project as proposed. 
      • A colleague who is well acquainted with the applicant’s current academic and/or professional work. 

*A certified English translation is required for all components provided in a foreign language. Translations must bear a mark of certification or official signature that the translation is true and complete.