Melinda French Gates’s $250 million Action for Women’s Health grant opportunity is closed. Pivotal launched the global open call in October 2024, and Lever for Change managed it. Registration ended December 3, 2024; completed applications were due January 10, 2025. More than 80 organizations were announced as awardees in November 2025.
What was Action for Women’s Health?
Action for Women’s Health was a $250 million global funding initiative launched by Pivotal, the organization founded by Melinda French Gates. The grants were funded by Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, while Lever for Change managed the application and review process. The call sought organizations improving women’s mental or physical health. Pivotal’s October 9, 2024 announcement described the awards as unrestricted operating grants.
The $250 million figure was the total funding announced for the opportunity, not the amount available to each applicant. Individual awards were to range from $1 million to $5 million.
Is the grant opportunity still open?
No. Lever for Change’s submission manager says there are no open calls and lists January 10, 2025, as the application deadline. The registration deadline was December 3, 2024, at 4 p.m. U.S. Central Time; completed online applications were due January 10, 2025, at 4 p.m. U.S. Central Time. Both dates have passed.
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Who was eligible to apply?
The call invited organizations from around the world that served women and had an established record of improving women’s mental or physical health. Applicants were expected to center equity in their approach and be positioned to scale their work. It was an organization-focused opportunity, not a personal grant program for individuals.
How were applications reviewed?
Lever for Change’s program page describes a review process that included administrative screening, participatory peer review, evaluation by an external panel of experts, and final due diligence. During participatory review, each applicant reviewed four peer applications using a rubric focused on impact, scalability, equity, and feasibility.
Who received funding?
Pivotal and Lever for Change announced more than 80 awardee organizations on November 12, 2025. Lever for Change reports that over 65 percent of awardees are community-based organizations working in their home countries. The portfolio includes work related to reproductive health services, culturally relevant mental health care, maternal and perinatal health, public health and education, and access to quality care.
Examples named on the official results page include Population Council, Jhpiego, and North Carolina A&T State University. The page’s awardee directory provides the full list and further information about recipients.
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What the results say about the program
Lever for Change reports that more than 4,000 organizations from 119 countries applied. The number of applicants and the breadth of the awardee portfolio show the scale of interest and the initiative’s international reach; those figures alone do not establish the program’s health outcomes or long-term impact.
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