Call for Proposals: LiftUpPhilanthropy Fund Program 2025

Call for Proposals: LiftUpPhilanthropy Fund Program 2025

Deadline: 30-Jun-25

WINGS set up the newly expanded LiftUpPhilanthropy Fund (LUP Fund) dedicated to catalysing positive change within philanthropy worldwide.

They aim to leverage the network’s collective intelligence and financial resources to strengthen philanthropy support ecosystems, foster an enabling environment for philanthropy, and elevate Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially on climate change.

Objectives
The main objective of the LUP Fund is to catalyse positive change within philanthropic organisations that are part of WINGS membership by providing financial support todevelop PSEs to create capacity and unlock domestic resources,
improve the enabling environment, to ensure favourable sector regulations for philanthropy to meet its potential, and
promote coordinated action among philanthropic organisations and other stakeholders to avoid duplication, leverage contributions, and reduce the gaps for effective development cooperation.

Lots
WINGS aims to provide financial support to members for projects covering three different thematic lots.

Lot 1: Ecosystem buildingThe ecosystem building Lot will support initiatives focused on strengthening the PSE in target countries and regions. Under this lot, collaborative actions and outcomes that impact the field will be prioritised.
The 2025 key priorities are:Evidencing the impact of PSEs and Philanthropy Support Organisations (PSOs), to strengthen philanthropy and giving, and increase investment into the ecosystem, for example through research and data generation. Evidence on PSOs impact in harnessing and growing local/domestic resources is of particular strategic relevance.
Work with diverse actors and sectors to grow philanthropy in target countries, such as corporates, families, or diaspora giving; pilot and/or model new and innovative ways to grow resourcing for civil society such as through strengthening new giving vehicles including through community and intermediary philanthropy.

Lot 2: Enabling environmentThis lot will fund projects aimed at improving the enabling environment (better regulations, cultural changes, etc.), prioritising impact where philanthropic freedom is most at risk, PSOs’ advocacy capacity and influence, and unlocking local and international investments to improve the enabling environment in targeted countries.
The 2025 key priorities are:Developing and strengthening relationships with governments to improve the enabling and partnership environments for philanthropy
Improving rights to cross-border funding, addressing shrinking civic space, legal, regulatory or administrative barriers, positive public policy and funding transparency, and participation in public dialogue and engagement with broader society

Lot 3: Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for the SDGsThe Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships for the SDGs Lot will be focused on initiatives aiming to increase foundations’ engagement in concrete multi-stakeholder action around the SDGs (i.e. engagement by PSOs’ members and foundations). At least 50% of the resources available for this lot will be dedicated to actions focused on addressing climate change.

The 2025 key priorities are:Establishing baseline data and evidence to inform successful multi-stakeholder partnership-building conditions and infrastructure aimed at delivering on the SDGs, such as studies for blended finance mechanism.
Enhance capacity building and knowledge sharing among various stakeholders of MSPs, such as the public sector and philanthropy, including through training programmes, resource hubs, and platforms for MSPs.
Supporting initiatives such as MSPs and coordination mechanisms at the local or national level, including preliminary phases.

Funding Information
The total budget allocation for the 2025 call for proposals, co-funded by the EU, is EUR 350,000, distributed as follows:Lot 1 – Ecosystem building: EUR 100,000
Lot 2 – Enabling environment EUR 50,000
Lot 3 – Multi-stakeholder partnerships for the SDGs EUR 200,000
Duration
Maximum of 14 months – any project funded through this Call for Proposals should start by November 2025 and shall be completed at the latest by December 2026.

Eligible Activities
The list below provides examples of eligible activities for each lot

Lot 1 – Ecosystem building indicative eligible activities are:Workshops, focus groups and peer-to-peer exchange meetings
Events and conferences to deepen connections between stakeholders
Targeted research and data generation
Communications outputs, including case studies
Support to develop new services or programmes within existing PSOs, new collaborative initiatives between PSOs, or to create new PSOs, giving mechanisms etc

Lot 2 – Enabling environment indicative eligible activities include:Partnership initiatives and/or initiatives that connect members with global and/or regional experts
Surge support and backstopping in case of crackdowns
Campaigns, petitions, public deliberations, etc., that promote a more enabling environment for philanthropy
Communication campaigns aimed at reframing narratives about philanthropy
Legal assistance, including advisory services on rights, direct legal services, strategic litigation, national and international advocacy (i.e., analysing gaps and the impact of legislative measures, negotiating with governments), support to registration, statutes and other administrative formalities

Lot 3 – Multi-stakeholder partnerships for the SDGs indicative eligible activities include:Coordination mechanisms at the local, national or regional level to foster multi-stakeholder partnerships around the SDGs that involve philanthropy
Seed funding for multi-stakeholder partnerships, coordination and pooled funds pilots
Promotion of collective action of philanthropy actors for multi-stakeholder partnerships

Geographic Focus
Actions financed through this Call for Proposals must be implemented in one or more of the project’s target countries within one of the three LEAP4Dev target regions (Africa, Latin America, Asia).

Eligibility Criteria
Eligible organisations shall meet the following requirements:Be a legal body

Be a WINGS Member in good standing at the moment of submission of their proposal Be registered in a country included in LEAP4Dev target countries

Be able to receive the funds in its bank account, provide account statements and have a financial management system in place to ensure clear and adequate reporting procedures.

Not having received one or more funding grants from the WINGS LUP Fund for a total amount of more than EUR 60,000, including the grant for which the organisation is applying.

For more information, visit WINGS.