With great pleasure, today the Kosovo Women’s Network (KWN) announced that, for the first time, the Kosovo Women’s Fund (KWF) will proudly provide “core” support to KWN member organisations.  

What is core support? 

Core support, also sometimes referred to as general budget support, organizational support, or unrestricted or untied funding, is a form of flexible funding given to enable an organisation to realize its overall strategy and aims. It differs from funding provided through a project, which must be used only for specific, set objectives and activities (often referred to as ‘tied funding’ because it is ‘tied’ to a certain activity and cannot be used for other purposes). Rather than making an organisation follow a donor’s procedures and priorities, core support usually allows the organisation to use its own preferred procedures for auditing, procurement, and reporting. Core supports focuses on the results achieved. Thus, core support contributes to any costs that an organisation has, towards realizing its strategic aims.  

Why core support? 

There are several reasons why KWN believes core support is important:  

• KWN trusts activists: We believe that women’s rights activists are best placed to know their communities’ needs and priorities. Therefore, they should make decisions on how to spend funds. 
• Focused on priorities: We believe core support rightfully provides member organisations with more control over how funds are used, ensuring that funds reach thematic areas, geographic regions, and groups most in need.  
• Sustainability and capacity-building: Core support allows organisations to strengthen their internal capacities and enhance their staff’s capacities. This enables them to enact more long-term changes in their communities, rather than ad hoc activities. It also enables them to build their organisational capacities and systems for the future, towards more sustainable work. 
• Flexibility: Core support provides member organisations with the flexibility to pursue their own priorities and reduces the administrative workload associated with specific donor requirements. Core support can adapt quicky and easily to shifting situations.  
• Mission-driven, independence: Core support enables organisations to strategize independently and be less donor-driven. 

• Deeper impact: Our research shows that core support allows women’s rights civil society organisations to focus on impact, rather than mere survival. The time spent seeking to secure fragmented funds for basic operations, and reporting on the use of various piecemeal funds, takes time away from their important work towards social change. Ensuring basic costs and needs are covered enables organisations to focus on making impactful changes. 

Considering the benefits that core support brings activists, women’s rights organisations, and feminist movements, KWN has continually advocated for funders to allocate more funds for core support. KWN has long wanted to provide core support to its members but has struggled given its own funding limitations. Now, through the generous support of the Sigrid Rausing Trust ( >€78,000), KWN plans to distribute at least €78,000 to eight or more KWN member organisations this November.  

KWN members can submit applications until 4 October 2021, following the guidelines on the KWN website. Funding decisions will be made by KWF Grants Review Committee, elected by KWN members. 

Please click HERE to access the documents required for applying.