Building an institutional foundation for the future—F1

WHLF flexible funding enabled NGO F1 to move beyond short-term project delivery and invest in the systems, skills, and structures needed for long-term sustainability. Through strategic planning, fundraising development, MEAL training, peer learning, and staff wellbeing initiatives, the organisation strengthened its ability to provide effective and inclusive support to women and vulnerable groups.

According to NGO F1:"The second phase of implementation confirmed an important principle: flexible funding is not only about financial resources — it is about trust in women’s rights organisations. WHLF allowed us to independently define our organisational priorities and complete processes that are often overlooked in project funding, including strategic planning, fundraising planning, and MEAL development.

“Instead of reactive donor-driven work, we now operate with an approved Strategic Plan. Instead of relying on a single donor, we now have a Fundraising Strategy and a diversified pipeline. Instead of treating monitoring and evaluation as a donor requirement, we have begun building our own culture of learning, accountability, and evidence-based programming. We also moved beyond receiving knowledge to facilitating learning for others, strengthening collaboration across the women’s rights ecosystem.

“For us, WHLF Phase 2 was not simply another project. It was an investment in our long-term institutional capacity, future sustainability, and ability to provide quality support to women and vulnerable groups. Flexible funding is trust transformed into an institutional foundation."