Bulgarian Fund for Women

The Bulgarian Fund for Women’s major areas of expertise center on grantmaking for women’s rights, building the capacity of civil society organizations, and advancing gender equality and social justice in Bulgaria and the wider region. The organization has developed particular strengths in feminist philanthropy, intersectional advocacy, and supporting grassroots activism across diverse marginalized groups, including LGBTI+, rural women, migrants, and people with disabilities.

Mission

To support the human rights and social justice movements by advancing philanthropy aimed at achieving structural change.

Geographic Focus

Bulgaria

Programme Areas

Distinguishing Characteristics BFW is distinguished as the only indigenous feminist foundation in Bulgaria, independent from any family, corporate, or external donor governance. It leads with an intersectional approach, prioritizing social inclusion and innovative movement building. Its expertise includes developing local resources, nurturing coalitions, and collaborating with both national and European partners to address systemic barriers and deliver impactful, evidence-based programming. Key Strength or Contribution BFW’s key strength is its ability to combine grantmaking with deep local engagement—mobilizing knowledge, networks, and resources to empower underrepresented groups and drive public policy changes. Its contribution to society is seen in capacity building for women’s organizations, cross-sector advocacy, and fostering a resilient ecosystem for gender justice and democracy in Bulgaria. This independent and strategic approach amplifies the voices of the most vulnerable, catalyzes wider social movements, and sustains long-term feminist change.

Thematic Areas:

• Arts & Culture,
• Citizenship, Social Justice & Public Affairs,
• Civil society, Voluntarism & Non-Profit Sector,
• Employment/Workforce,
• Environment/Climate,
• Human/Civil Rights,
• Gender equality and women’s empowerment Prevention ofgender-based violence and discrimination LGBTI+ rightsadvocacy Intersectional movement building formarginalized groups

Activity Areas:

• Grantmaking: Providing core and project funding to women’s rights and gender justice organizations across Bulgaria.
• Capacity building: Offering training, mentoring, networking, and collective action platforms for grassroots leaders and organizations.
• Advocacy & research: Conducting research on the status of women’s rights and civil society, and leading advocacy to inform public policy and philanthropy.
• Awareness and movement building: Developing feminist campaigns, convening forums, and supporting collective movement action for gender equality and democracy.