Filling the middle stage funding gap for greater impact in global health
Apply for Funding
Applications for our Fall 2025 round are now open!
Click here to download our Fall 2025 Request for Proposals to learn more about what we are generally looking to fund and eligibility and selection criteria.
Please submit your application for funding for the Fall Round of 2025 here.
Submit your application by September 23rd 2025. We expect to communicate all decisions and award grants to successful applicants by December 2025. If you have very important timeline constraints, let us know in the comments at the bottom of the application form.
About us
We are a group of donors who support promising global health nonprofits during the critical "valley of death" growth phase where targeted funding can have immense impact.
There are many programs helping early-stage ventures start up. And later on, a select few highly-effective nonprofits attract substantial attention from major funders.
But between these stages lies a gap - a time when organizations lack the track record to attract major donations, yet have demonstrated initial success and have the capacity and willingness to scale.
We also expect our circle to typically fund interventions focused on those living in poverty (specifically those who live on less than $5 a day).
We seek to bridge this gap by identifying and propelling organizations poised to maximize impact for underserved populations. By coordinating funding during this inflection point, we help elevate the next generation of global health innovators.
What is a funding circle?
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A funding circle, at its most basic, is a collaboration among several funders who focus on a certain cause. For example, the Mental Health Funding Circle focuses on finding and funding the most impactful mental health interventions globally. Although the exact details differ from circle to circle, we typically hold monthly knowledge-exchange meetings, and two collaborative grantmaking rounds per year. In our circles, each funder makes their own independent decisions, which makes it distinct from a pooled fund. We keep our circles small enough for everyone to meet on a single Zoom call. We aim for our circles to be productive, impactful, informative, and fun.
What to expect
Twice per year, we hold three-part grant cycles:
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Application Review Meetings to examine materials and share impressions
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Discussion & Research Meetings to dig deeper on promising applicants
Final Decision Meetings to decide on grant recipients and donation amounts
Between cycles, we host expert calls and an annual strategy meeting.
Join the circle
Being part of a funding circle allows you to increase the impact of your giving in a collaborative, efficient and fulfilling way. You gain access to high-quality applications and a network of experienced funders united by their interest in high-impact global health solutions.
Members contribute at least $100,000 per year across grantees of their choosing, assuming sufficient applications meet their quality criteria. Guests can participate in a round by contributing a smaller amount. Funders exchange information and coordinate, but make their decisions independently, so this is not a pooled fund.
If this collaborative approach to high-impact grantmaking resonates with you, please consider joining us! You can express interest in joining the circle, or receiving post-round recommendations here: