Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism (UAF)

Background

Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism is a feminist grantmaking organization that provides funding, up to $8,000, for women and trans/LGBT individuals around the world. UAF was founded in 1997 as a grantmaking organization for women and transgender and “nonbinary” people. ¹

In September 2023, UAF changed its name from Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights to Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism. The group claimed that it did so because the group “wanted a more inclusive name that aligns with our values and the current context and scope of our work.” The group also said, “Trans and non-binary activists are essential members of feminist movements and are leading some of the most transformative organizing worldwide.” The group also claimed that much of its work was not done through the work of human rights but was done “on a range of ever-creative strategies to demand equity and center care in the face of systemic injustice and overlapping crises – from armed conflict and climate disaster to the erosion of democracy and human rights.” ²

Activities

Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism operates in the United States as well as Canada, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East, the Balkans, and the Caucasus. It has three other independent “Sister Funds:” UAF-Africa, UAF-Latin America & the Caribbean, UAF-Asia & Pacific. It has provided “funding and resources to feminist activists as well as “trans and non-binary frontline activists” in over 160 countries.  ³

In June 2024, the group was referenced in an article written Solidaire Network executive director Rajasvini Bhansali for Inside Philanthropy, claiming that UAF provided “rapid support for urgent safety priorities” of left-of-center protestors. Bhanasali  grouped it alongside Solidaire’s own Janisha R. Gabriel Movement Protection Fund as well as Piper Fund’s Right to Protest Fund and the Emergent Fund as “great models and places to contribute” for those interested in helping groups that “protect front-line organizers.” ⁴

Issue Stances

In March 2021, UAF published a statement declaring its solidarity with Asian-Americans. The group released the statement after the murder of eight people at three Asian-owned spas in the Atlanta area, declaring the cause to be “the xenophobic rhetoric of politicians and policymakers, including former President Trump” and “a long history of systemic white supremacist misogyny.” The fund further charged that “Law enforcement’s unacceptable response only serves to perpetuate a culture of impunity for white male violence.” ⁵

In 2021, UAF created a new fund called the Feminist Innovation Fund. The purpose of the new fund was to fund those working in the intersection of women’s rights and climate change. The group claimed, “In the first year of the Feminist Innovation Fund, we received 100 applications, and made 24 grants, awarding $448,000 in 17 countries. 14 of the grants were awarded to groups who had never before received a grant from Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism, while 10 went to repeat partners. 16 of the organizations were less than 5 years old, and 15 of the organizations had budgets below $50,000. The majority of grants supported Indigenous women, girls, and rural women, helping with movement building, convenings and trainings, and activism around natural disasters, land grabbing, and challenging government policies.” ⁶

In July 2022, UAF made an appeal for donations after the U.S. Supreme Court returned the powers of abortion regulation to the states claiming the Dobbs v. Jackson decision would have “serious consequences for reproductive rights and women’s human rights, as well as potential repercussions for precedents and ongoing legal battles concerning marriage equality, birth control access, transgender rights, and other civil rights in the United States.” The group claimed that it would use the money to support pro-abortion activists and help women get abortions. ⁷

In January 2024, UAF claimed that the Russian government’s crackdown on LGBT people was expanding internationally. The group urged funders to give the group money to support those fighting the Russian government. ⁸

In November 2024, UAF published a blog post calling Israel’s invasion of the Gaza Strip a “genocide,” and it announced support for feminist activists in Palestine and Lebanon. The group declared, “Since October 2023, we’ve made 55 grants, providing over $330,000 to feminist activists in and outside Palestine, as well as 39 grants, totaling nearly $250,000, to activists in Lebanon.” UAF called for, “an immediate and permanent ceasefire and arms embargo as well as an end to occupation, apartheid, and injustice.” ⁹

Finances

According to UAF’s 2024 tax returns, the group reported $13,733,607 in revenue, $19,168,597 in expenses, and $21,863,789 in net assets. ¹⁰ In 2024, UAF awarded 632 grants worth $6,660,273 to activists in 45 countries. ¹¹

In 2022, the Rockefeller Foundation awarded UAF $250,000. ¹²

On December 2020, UAF claimed that it had accepted a $20 million grant from MacKenzie Scott. The group claimed the grant was unrestricted and that “it aligns with our own Sister Fund principles of philanthropy, which center and build upon trust and care.” ¹³

Leadership

As of its 2024 tax return, Kate Kroeger was the executive director of Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights, having held the role since 2012. ¹⁴ Previously, she was director at American Jewish World Service, a program officer at NetAid, and a program manager at SYDA Foundation. Kroeger holds a master’s degree from the University of Oxford and B.A. from McGill University. ¹⁵