VGIF is an international women’s fund based in the United States and governed by an international Board of Directors. They provide grants globally to fund locally generated projects that advance the rights of women and girls; projects that help improve the lives of women and girls by advancing women’s rights and social justice.
VGIF was founded in 1969 and has funded over 515 projects in 93 countries, focusing on issues ranging from education and health to economic empowerment and human rights.
VGIF recently established a larger office with increased responsibilities, while the Board of Directors moved from being a working board to becoming a governance board. VGIF is engaged in a significant capacity building effort to further expand its grantmaking program and to strengthen its grantee support and oversight efforts. Currently, in collaboration with the Board of Directors and its committees, the work of VGIF is conducted by five staff members, with a cadre of local and international volunteers and several interns.
VGIF provides grants globally to fund locally generated projects that advance the rights of women and girls.
Over 45 years supporting women in developing countries including:
History
The Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund (VGIF) was founded in 1969 by eleven members of the International Federation of University Women.
Initially, the Fund assisted women college graduates — particularly in low per capita income countries — to identify and implement solutions to a variety of problems confronting their nations. Grants of small amounts of money were awarded in aid for educational projects and other community development projects affecting the condition of women and girls. Within a decade, the Fund broadened its original purpose and began to encompass projects beyond those narrowly aimed at university women and to utilize a variety of conduits for aid.
