Cherie Blair Foundation for Women

Cherie Blair Foundation for Women is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 1125751).

The Cherie Blair Foundation for Women exists to empower women in low and middle income countries to start, sustain and grow successful businesses, and to build fair and inclusive business environments. It develops projects with sustainable solutions to the challenges women entrepreneurs face through three programmes: Enterprise Development, Mentoring and Mobile Technology.

Priority Areas

The foundation is not a grant-making organisation and does not provide funding to individuals or organisations. Its work supports women entrepreneurs in low and middle income countries to start, sustain and grow businesses. It works with experienced entrepreneurship partners to deliver on-the-ground and online training, mentoring and networking, building business skills, financial literacy, confidence and access to resources such as finance, markets and networks. Its programmes include mobile learning, business-growth and finance training, leadership development and mentoring. It also researches barriers to women entrepreneurs and works with partners to influence policy and practice, seeking fairer and more inclusive business environments.

Geographic Focus

No geographic focus is stated; the annual report shows grants mainly in Guyana, Kenya, Nigeria, Pretoria and South Africa.

The foundation does not offer grants. An organisation that meets the requirements can apply online to become a mentee referral partner for Mentoring Women in Business.

Deadlines: Mentee referral partner applications: apply by June for a November cohort, or by January for a May cohort.

Application windows:

• Mentee referral partnerships
  • Apply by June if interested in starting with a November cohort.
  • Apply by January if interested in starting with a May cohort.

Who can apply:

• Mentee referral partnerships
  • Non-profit organisation, social enterprise or public sector organisation that has been in operation for at least one year
  • Strong track record of working directly with women entrepreneurs
  • Running other programmes or initiatives to support women entrepreneurs, such as accelerators or incubators, training, workshops, networking and professional development schemes, to which our Mentoring programme would serve as an add-on
  • Commitment to promoting the opportunity to women who fit the mentee criteria, without regard to other factors including (but not limited to) sexual orientation, marital or civil union status, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, pregnancy, maternity leave or trade union membership
  • Commitment to hitting agreed targets by following up with nominees throughout the recruitment process to ensure application forms and online training are completed
  • Adherence to our partnership guidelines and code of conduct

What the charity says:

• Partner organisations must be non-profit, social enterprise or public sector organisations operating for at least one year.
• Partners should have a strong track record of working directly with women entrepreneurs.
• Partners should already run programmes or initiatives supporting women entrepreneurs, to which the mentoring programme can be an add-on.
• Partners are expected to follow up with nominees to meet agreed recruitment targets and ensure application forms and online training are completed.