Pivotal and Lever for Change have announced over 80 organizations as recipients of funding through Action for Women’s Health, a $250 million global initiative aimed at improving women’s mental and physical health worldwide. Each award ranges from $1 million to $5 million, supporting organizations that deliver health solutions for women across all stages of life. The majority of the awardees—over 65 percent—are community-based organizations operating in their home countries, including regions such as West Africa, Central America, and Melanesia.
Despite representing half of the global population, women face significant inequities in nearly every aspect of health. Women’s health has historically been underfunded and under-researched, and existing solutions often fail to reach those who need them most. Action for Women’s Health was created by Melinda French Gates as part of her $1 billion commitment in 2024 to advancing women’s power globally. The program is funded by Pivotal, her group of impact-focused organizations, and managed by Lever for Change, known for identifying high-impact solutions to pressing global challenges.
Melinda French Gates emphasized that women cannot thrive without access to good health. She highlighted that the funded organizations have demonstrated that progress is possible and effective solutions exist. The grants will enable these organizations to expand their lifesaving work, scale their impact, and reach millions more women globally.
The awardee organizations adopt approaches tailored to local contexts, community needs, and lived experiences. Their initiatives include providing reproductive health services in rural areas, offering culturally relevant mental health care in the U.S., improving maternal and perinatal health, advancing public health and education, and ensuring access to quality health care. Many of these organizations had previously lacked access to major funding streams, despite the critical importance of their work.
Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change, noted that the most effective agents for change are those closest to the challenges. She underscored that the awardees bring community-informed ideas to address urgent health inequities. The initiative also serves as a call to funders, partners, and advocates to invest boldly, listen carefully, and act urgently to support women’s health.
The open call attracted over 4,000 applications from 119 countries. Applications underwent multiple stages of review, including administrative screening, participatory evaluation, and assessment by an external panel of experts in health, gender, and philanthropy. After due diligence, Pivotal and Lever for Change selected the final awardees, with grants administered through a donor-advised fund supported by Pivotal at National Philanthropic Trust.
More details about the initiative and the list of awardees are available on the Lever for Change website.
