The Malala Fund

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $10.2 million (FY 2024-2025)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: Not publicly disclosed (nomination-based for ECN; application review for Girl Programme)
• Grant Range: $75,000 - $100,000 (Girl Programme)
• Geographic Focus: International - Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, Turkey

Contact Details

Website: malala.org

Email:

• General inquiries: info@malalafund.org
• Giving inquiries: giving@malalafund.org
• Media inquiries: carine@malalafund.org

Phone: +1 202-794-8744

Mailing Address:

• U.S.: P.O. Box 73767, Washington, D.C. 20009
• U.K.: 10 Ely Place, London, UK

U.K. Hotline: 0800 197 2814

Overview

Founded by Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai and her father Ziauddin, Malala Fund is an international non-profit organization established to champion every girl's right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education. With net assets of approximately $43 million as of March 2025, the organization has awarded $73 million through 560+ grants across 27 countries to date. In fiscal year 2024-2025, Malala Fund distributed $10.2 million in grants to 57 organizations across 10 countries. The fund's strategic approach centers on flexible, multi-year grants that respect and enhance partners' autonomy, with at least 20% of grants awarded to organizations governed or led by girls and young women. Under its 2025-2030 strategy, Malala Fund plans to distribute $50 million in grants, with 66% of recent funding going to young women-led organizations—more than triple their original target. The organization has reached more than 26 million students globally.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Education Champion Network (ECN)

• Multi-year grants (typically 3 years) to local advocates implementing ambitious projects
• Approximately $5 million annual investment in this program
• Nomination-based selection process led by in-country experts
• Supports civil society organizations advocating for policy change

Girl Programme

• Grants ranging from $75,000 - $100,000 USD
• Flexible use for general operating support or specific projects
• Duration: 12 months to 3 years
• Application-based (for eligible countries)

Education in Emergencies

• Crisis response grants for conflict and natural disaster situations
• Supports alternative and digital learning programs
• Recent examples include Afghanistan ($2.6 million in emergency grants) and Gaza

Global Advocacy Grants

• Funds organizations working on education, girls' rights, and gender equality
• Supports campaigns to influence global institutions and governments

Priority Areas

• Secondary education access and completion for girls aged 10-24
• Systemic barriers: Addressing poverty, child labor, early/forced marriage, gender-based violence, lack of resources
• Policy change: Local and national advocacy to change laws and practices preventing girls from attending school
• Youth-led initiatives: Prioritizing organizations governed or led by girls and young women
• Crisis response: Protecting education access during conflicts and disasters
• Budget transparency and accountability: Supporting education financing advocacy
• Re-enrollment programs: For married, pregnant girls and young mothers
• Gender-sensitive education: Training teachers and officials on violence prevention and inclusive practices

Geographic Focus

Current Priority Countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, Turkey

Focus on: Countries where adolescent girls face the greatest barriers to education and significant numbers are out of school or at risk of dropping out

What They Don't Fund

Not explicitly stated in public materials, but the fund focuses exclusively on girls' education (ages 10-24) and related systemic barriers. Organizations outside priority countries or not working on girls' secondary education would not be eligible.

Governance and Leadership

Key Leadership

Malala Yousafzai - Co-founder, Executive Chair, and U.K. Trustee Nobel laureate and global advocate for girls' education

Lena Alfi - Chief Executive Officer Transitioned from interim to permanent CEO in 2024. Alfi states: "My time at Malala Fund has taught me two powerful truths: girls will stop at nothing to learn, and we can never take their right to education for granted." On systemic change: "The barriers girls face are much more systemic. To solve the real problems keeping girls out of school, this requires global and national level advocacy."

U.S. Board

Mo Adefeso-Olateju - U.S. Board Chair Fellow at Brookings Institution's Center for Universal Education, leads the Network for Education Systems Transformation (NEST)

Pearl Uzokwe - U.S. Board Member and Governance Committee Chair Programme Director Africa Forward at Catalyst Now

U.K. Board of Trustees

Akhter Mateen - U.K. Board Chair Former Chief Auditor of Unilever with extensive international experience across multiple regions

Fayeeza Naqvi - U.K. Trustee Co-founder and chairman of the Aman Foundation, addressing health and education needs in Pakistan

Lucy Lake - U.K. Trustee Director of the Yidan Prize Foundation and advisor to philanthropies on strategy, leadership, and governance

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Girl Programme (Application-Based)

Malala Fund accepts applications from non-government organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), or movements in Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, or Tanzania.

Eligibility Requirements:

• Work must support girls and young women ages 10-24 unable to develop their agency due to systemic inequalities, discrimination, or oppression
• Applicants should identify as or be working towards becoming a feminist and/or women-led organization
• Organization must have been operational for at least one year
• Annual budget of less than $150,000 USD (applicants above this threshold will be considered but organizations below are prioritized)
• Organizations do not need to be formally registered except in India (FCRA registration required) and Pakistan (formal registration expected)

Application Method: Applications submitted through online portal (specific URL for Girl Programme applications was not accessible during research)

Education Champion Network (Nomination-Based)

This program does not accept direct applications. Every year, Malala Fund receives Education Champion nominations from a wide network of organizations and individuals, with recruitment led by in-country experts who provide national input and insight.

Decision Timeline

Not publicly disclosed. Due to high application volume for the Girl Programme, Malala Fund only responds to candidates selected to advance in the grantmaking process.

Success Rates

Success rates and application numbers are not publicly disclosed.

Reapplication Policy

Not explicitly stated in public materials.

Application Success Factors

Based on publicly available information about funded organizations and strategic priorities:

Alignment with Strategic Priorities: Recent grants (2024-2025) totaling $4.8 million to 21 organizations demonstrate clear focus areas:

• Nigeria: Education budget transparency tools, re-enrollment of married and pregnant girls, monitoring of school projects
• Pakistan: Infrastructure restoration, reducing hidden costs, gender-responsive budget accountability (recipients: Tabadlab, Youth Tube, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi)
• Brazil: Addressing menstrual poverty, inclusive education advocacy, student-led gender and racial equity initiatives
• Ethiopia: Safe Schools Declaration implementation, safe spaces, violence prevention training
• Tanzania: Child marriage prevention advocacy, re-entry policies for young mothers, gender-sensitive teacher training

Youth Leadership Priority: 66% of recent funding ($3.17 million) went to young women-led organizations, demonstrating strong preference for youth-led initiatives. CEO Lena Alfi emphasizes: "Our new strategic plan is designed to match girls' determination and resilience, follow their lead, fund their work and unite people, organizations and governments around a shared agenda for girls' secondary education."

Local Expertise and Grassroots Approach: The fund prioritizes local leaders who understand community needs. As stated in their materials: "The network invests in local leaders who best understand the needs of girls in their community, the barriers that keep them out of school and how to overcome these obstacles."

Systemic Change Focus: Successful grantees demonstrate ability to create policy-level change, not just direct services. CEO Lena Alfi notes: "They made sure policies and budgets actually improved girls' ability to learn, from ensuring adolescent mothers in Tanzania can return to school to increasing funding for teacher salaries and safe transportation in Pakistan."

Budget Size: Organizations with annual budgets under $150,000 USD are prioritized, reflecting commitment to supporting grassroots organizations.

Multi-Year Commitment: The fund values flexible, multi-year grants that allow partners autonomy in resource allocation rather than restrictive project funding.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic eligibility is strict: Ensure your organization operates in one of the priority countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania, Turkey)
• Youth leadership is highly valued: Organizations led by girls and young women receive priority, with 66% of recent funding allocated to this category
• Focus on systemic change over direct services: Demonstrate how your work influences policies, budgets, and systems—not just individual service delivery
• Smaller organizations are prioritized: Annual budgets under $150,000 USD receive preference in Girl Programme funding
• Feminist approach required: Applicants should identify as or be working toward becoming feminist and/or women-led organizations
• Flexible use of funds: Malala Fund offers general operating support, not just project-specific funding, respecting partner autonomy
• For Education Champion Network: Build relationships with in-country experts and sector organizations as this is nomination-based, not open application
• Crisis response capacity: The fund responds to emergencies affecting girls' education, so organizations with rapid response capabilities may find opportunities during crises

References

• Malala Fund Official Website: malala.org (accessed January 2026)
• Malala Fund Grantmaking Page: https://malala.org/grantmaking (accessed January 2026)
• Malala Fund Annual Report FY 2024-2025 (April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025): https://assets.ctfassets.net/0oan5gk9rgbh/4oqRdy5ZA0tHwYYwnBC4Bh/7e08fcb081be3ba7401fa346b878faf8/Malala_Fund_2025_AnnualReport.pdf
• Malala Fund Education Champion Network: https://malala.org/champions (accessed January 2026)
• Cause IQ - The Malala Fund Profile: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/the-malala-fund,811397590/ (accessed January 2026)
• "Get to know Malala Fund's CEO Lena Alfi": https://malala.org/news-and-voices/get-to-know-malala-funds-ceo-lena-alfi (accessed January 2026)
• "The leaders who give me hope — and how our new strategy backs them": https://malala.org/news-and-voices/the-leaders-who-give-me-hope-and-how-our-new-strategy-backs-them (accessed January 2026)
• "Malala Fund announces new grants to tackle girls' education emergency in Pakistan": https://malala.org/news-and-voices/malala-fund-announces-new-grants-to-tackle-girls-education-emergency-in (accessed January 2026)
• fundsforNGOs: "The Malala Fund Girls Programme": https://www2.fundsforngos.org/latest-funds-for-ngos/the-malala-fund-girls-programme/ (accessed January 2026)
• ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - The Malala Fund: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/811397590 (accessed January 2026)