Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres (FCAM) is a feminist organization that works toward a Central America where girls, women, and trans and non-binary people actively participate in the construction of favorable environments for their lives, the lives of others, and their communities.

FCAM is the first and only feminist fund in Central America, which since 2003 raises funds to support the financial, political, fiscal and emotional sustainability of groups, organizations, human right defenders, networks, and movements that work for the human rights of women and their communities.

What inspires them 

They work to build a world in which Central American women, in all their diversity, have their rights guaranteed, related to personal security, physical and emotional well-being, and economic, social, and environmental justice. They also strive for them to participate as leaders in the decisions that affect their lives and their communities.

Who they work for 

Their Partner Organizations – the groups, organizations, and networks that we support – are activists and human rights defenders. The roles they play expose them to high rates of violence, and they generally are not able to access traditional sources of funding. They are girls, adolescents, and young women. They are immigrant women, domestic workers, and textile factory workers. They are sex workers, lesbians, bisexual women, and transgender women. They are rural women, indigenous women, and women of African descent. And they are women living with HIV and women with disabilities. They are women that belong to traditionally marginalized groups.

FCAM does not finance the activities of political parties, religious groups, or personal endeavors.

What makes them different 

Building close, collaborative relationships based in mutual respect with their Partner Organizations, allies in joint initiatives, and donors is a top priority.

They provide their Partner Organizations with flexible, multi-year general financial support, and they are the ones who define their agendas, priorities, and the way they want to do things. They also provide opportunities for learning and institutional capacity building. They also facilitate the chance for organizations to get to know each other, find what they have in common, and work together in alliances.

They develop joint initiatives with other funds and organizations around the world, which allow them to not only access resources in ways they normally would not be able to in Central America, but they also expand the reach and impact of their work, contributing to the defense of women’s rights on a global level.

Their donors are friends and allies with whom with have a shared mission. They have accompanied their growth and development, and currently there are more than thirty who are supporting their work. This accompaniment shows the trust and credibility they have with them, as well as recognition that their strategy of supporting the strengthening of women’s movements is a successful and necessary one.