Giving Joy Grants STRENGTHEN, INSPIRE and propel WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP WORLDWIDE
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Our mission in 2025 is to award at least 12 new microgrants to hit the big 1-0-0 milestone since Giving Joy was founded in 2018!
THe Challenge Women Face
In 2024, no country has achieved gender equality. One in three countries has made no progress since 2015, and in 18 countries, including Venezuela, Afghanistan, and South Africa, women’s rights have deteriorated. At the current rate, it will take 131 years (!!!) to achieve gender equality worldwide (Source: World Economic Forum Global Gender Gap Report 2023)
Our solution—MICRO GRANTS, MACRO IMPACT, GLOBAL REACH
Micro Grants. We believe that all women should have the opportunity to sustain themselves and achieve gender equality. Giving Joy awards one-time, micro grants of up to $500.00 (five hundred US Dollars) to women-led initiatives—giving women entrepreneurs critical resources to start businesses, acquire skills, sustain operations, improve ideas, and advance gender equality worldwide.
“The Giving Joy grant is more than a financial contribution — it’s a catalyst for systemic change. It enables women to lead, girls to dream bigger, and communities to reimagine what’s possible when inclusion, education, and joy come together.” Giving Joy Grant Winner Sally Hassona, Founder – Impact Academy Egypt
Macro Impact. The benefits of these micro-grants cascade through communities. They strengthen skills, expand access to resources, create jobs and income, and raise awareness to women’s issues. Grant activities translate into increased opportunities and services for everyone touched by the recipient’s endeavor.
Known as the “multiplier effect,” it means that every dollar you donate to Giving Joy has an exponentially positive impact that goes beyond the individual grant recipient and overflows across women and communities.
After the award, grantees join an exclusive online community where they can share resources, seek advice, and offer support—embodying the true spirit of Giving Joy, where women uplift and empower one another.
In 2024, Giving Joy awarded 15 micro grants that directly ignited the power of approximately 640 women. The grants created a ripple effect that has impacted over 24,000 people in 2024 alone. Each grant amplifies positive change, transforming entire communities.
* Averages calculated from all 15 grants awarded in 2024. The figures above are estimated based on grantee reporting and planned activities
Global Reach. Since we started in late 2018, Giving Joy has awarded 94 grants to women-led initiatives in Afghanistan, Argentina, Botswana, Brazil, Colombia, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ecuador, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam and Zimbabwe and within the US states of California, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Virginia, Washington State, and Wisconsin.
Our mission in 2025 is to award at least 12 new microgrants to hit the big 1-0-0 milestone since Giving Joy was founded in 2018!
Why Giving Joy?
Why Giving Joy?
Giving Joy stands out as an organization that consistently transforms your contributions into a multiplied impact on women, families, and communities worldwide.
What distinguishes us from the rest?
Giving Joy takes a hands-on approach to philanthropy. We directly engage with our grant recipients, fostering personal connections through regular communication. These relationships enable us to monitor use of funds and tailored coaching and mentorship throughout and beyond the grant period.
In contrast to larger organizations, our small and nimble structure ensures that every dollar donated goes directly to funding grants rather than getting lost in bureaucratic overhead.
Our international board members, each possessing deep experience in international development, synergize with Giving Joy's agile structure to ensure a rapid turnaround of grants. A testament to this efficiency is our accomplishment of awarding grants to Afghan women entrepreneurs within an impressive 2-month timeframe after the Taliban assumed control of the country in 2021.
Every application round sees Giving Joy receiving approximately 8000 applications from 70 different countries. This influx is a clear indicator of the unmet demand for micro grants, which serve as catalysts for initiating or expanding businesses, fostering business skills, and raising awareness about women's issues on a global scale.
Current global Grant Recipients
During our Winter and Spring 2025 calls for applications, focused on North and South America (January) and Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa (April), Giving Joy received thousands of inspiring proposals from across the globe. Each application reflected the strength, vision, and determination of women working to make a living, support their families, and uplift their communities. After careful review, we proudly awarded 6 microgrants to women and organizations creating lasting impact - supporting women prisoners, single mothers, farmers, migrants, and more. Meet our newest grant winners and discover how they’re turning hope into action, one project at a time.
Our Corporate Sponsors
