Published May 2026

By Lucy Martin

This paper argues that Feminist Funds, and in particular the Urgent Action Sister Funds, offer vital alternative frameworks, approaches, and tools that can reduce the protection gap and strengthen the global protection ecosystem. The Urgent Action Sister Funds are a unique global consortium of four independent and interdependent Feminist Funds who work collaboratively towards their shared mission “to sustain feminist activism worldwide” (Urgent Action Funds, 2025). Addressing a critical gap in academic research on Feminist Funds, this paper draws on more than 30 global interviews with staff, board members, and movement advisors from the Urgent Action Sister Funds, alongside a review of internal documents and observations of practice.