The Weyerhaeuser Family Foundation's goal of the International Initiative is to advance opportunity, equity, and wellbeing for women and girls in developing countries by helping them overcome hardship, reach their full potential, and help their families and communities to flourish. 

The Foundation funds programs that deliver or promote: 

• Economic opportunity: Skill building, entrepreneurial and employment training, and access to capital and markets. 

• Education: High-quality and relevant education in an environment in which girls feel safe and encouraged. 

• Health: The physical and psychological well-being of girls, and women, and their children. 

Program Requirements 

In order to be considered, programs must meet all of the following requirements:

• Be a new program for the organization currently in development or within its first year (from the date of application submission) of implementation. The Foundation will consider funding the replication of an existing program in new regions or countries.

• Propose program goals and outcome metrics that relate specifically to increasing opportunity and well-being of women and girls. Grantees will be required to report on the program’s success by providing metrics on qualitative and quantitative outcomes. 

• Include an evaluation plan through which one can measure not only outputs but also the magnitude of change in the lives of the beneficiaries as a result of the program.

Program Priorities The Foundation favors programs that have one or more of the following characteristics: 

• Community-informed: Actively engage and seek input from the communities served, thus ensuring activities are culturally responsive and appropriate to the needs of women and girls in that local context. 

• Women-led: At a local level, women are taking leadership roles in the planning and implementation of the program. 

• Address Systematic Barriers: In addition to helping individuals, where possible, the program seeks to address systemic (e.g., family, social, cultural) obstacles faced by beneficiaries. 

• Address Psychological and Emotional Barriers: In addition to providing technical assistance and education, the program helps beneficiaries overcome limiting beliefs and increase their agency and resilience. 

• Contribute to Environmental Sustainability: Seek to maintain or improve the quality of water, land, air, and biodiversity in the program design and implementation.

Grant Size

• The average grant size for the International Initiative is $30,000 or less. 

• The Foundation will not consider a grant request that is greater than 15% of an organization’s current annual operating budget.

Multi-Year Funding

The Foundation intends to support new programs for up to three years. While the Foundation will not commit funds for the second or third year without an annual review, it is the Foundation’s intent to continue funding successful programs. Because programs will not be funded for more than three years, you are encouraged to plan for the long-term sustainability of the program. 

Organizations requesting second- or third-year funding for programs approved the previous year must continue to submit an abbreviated Stage 1 Application March 1. Organizations seeking second- or third-year funding and have submitted a Stage 1 Application, will automatically be requested to submit a Stage 2 Application. Organizations seeking third-year funding must also have submitted a grant report for the fiscal year of funding by the required due date stated in the Grant Agreement to be considered for funding.

Restrictions 

The Foundation will not consider proposals for: 

• Relief and rescue programs. 

• Ongoing programs or general operating support. 

• Projects whose purpose is to create specific media, film, photography, or books. 

• Capital projects, including land acquisition or the construction of buildings. 

• Grants or scholarships to individuals. 

• Programs that attempt to change behavior by education of the general public. 

• Camps or cultural exchange programs. 

• Lobbying is prohibited by the Internal Revenue Code. 

• Conferences. 

• Endowments. 

• Start-up costs for new organizations. 

• Research projects.

The Foundation requires that letters of inquiry (LOIs) and applications be completed via our online application system.

-May 1st: Letter of inquiry opens.

-June 15th: Letter of inquiry deadline.