The Survivor-Led Activism Fund
Global Fund for Children's Survivor-Led Activism Fund is a participatory fund created to support efforts contributing to the prevention of sexual abuse and violence against children in Europe.
The Survivor-Led Activism Fund
Global Fund for Children’s Survivor-Led Activism Fund will be designed by survivors and will primarily support survivor-led initiatives that contribute to the prevention of sexual abuse and violence against children in Europe. It will provide financial, wellbeing, and capacity support to both individual survivor activists and survivor-led organizations or groups engaging in activism.
The Fund is a pilot project, and we are committed to learning with and from survivors and continuously improving over time.
In its first year, the Survivor-Led Activism Fund will provide:
- Opportunity grants to support survivor-led initiatives across Europe
- Core flexible funding for survivor-led activism for individuals and groups in three pilot countries: France, Romania, and Spain
Call for Applications (2026)
Global Fund for Children is inviting survivors and victims and survivor-led or survivor-driven groups in Spain, France, and Romania to apply for the Survivor-Led Activism Fund (SAF). This two-year, flexible funding supports activism to end child sexual abuse and child sexual violence, including work focused on changing laws and systems, activism for better support for survivors, public awareness and education, survivor-led research and intersectional activism.
Funding is available for individual survivor activists as well as survivor-led and survivor-driven groups, with awards of up to £26,000 for individuals and £52,000 for groups over two years.
Click below to access the full call for applications in English, Spanish, French, and Romanian:
The Fund will be designed and led by a Regional Strategy Group
The Fund has a deep commitment to survivor leadership and will be guided and co-designed by a group of survivors who have experienced child sexual abuse and/or violence. This group, working together to shape the fund, will be known as the Regional Strategy Group (RSG). Composed of 9-12 survivors, the RSG will help make key decisions, define the Fund’s values, review applications, and ensure survivor voices guide every step of the process.
After a careful selection process, in September 2025, GFC began working with a Regional Strategy Group, with people from Spain, France, and Romania.
Key Terms and Essential Information
What do we mean by Child Sexual Abuse and Violence?
At present, we understand child sexual abuse and violence (CSA/V) to refer broadly to any sexual violence experienced by a person under the age of 18. This may include experiences of grooming, trafficking, exploitation, sexual assault, sexual abuse, or abuse of power. It may include violence that happens in families, institutions, communities, or online spaces, and can be committed by adults or by peers.
This is a preliminary definition and we will work with the Regional Strategy Group (RSG) to build a collective understanding of child sexual abuse and violence. We recognize that definitions of survivorship and child sexual abuse/violence are complex and personal. There is no one way to identify as a survivor.
At Global Fund for Children, we use the term “survivor” to refer to individuals who have experienced sexual abuse or sexual violence during childhood or adolescence. We recognize that different people relate to different words. The term survivor is used here to acknowledge the harm experienced, while also honoring each person’s strength, resilience, and right to healing.
What do we mean by "survivor - led"?
We define “survivor-led” to mean initiatives where survivors of child sexual abuse or violence have decision-making power over the design, direction, and delivery of the work.
We do not ask for personal disclosures of your experience. Instead, we ask you to describe how your work is survivor-led in your own words.
Why are we prioritizing survivor leadership?
Survivors of child sexual abuse and violence bring experience, deep insight, and clarity to the work of ending violence. Survivor leadership is grounded in an understanding of the realities of harm and the root causes of the issue.
We believe that survivors are experts in what change is needed and change is most possible when those affected lead the way.
If I apply or receive funding, who will know I am a survivor?
If you apply for funding, some staff members and consultants for Global Fund for Children will know you are a survivor. We will share our confidentiality policy with you if you are selected to receive a grant.
If you are invited to be part of public materials (such as photos, interviews, or communications about the Fund), it is always completely voluntary and entirely your choice. It is not a requirement to receive funding. You can choose to stay anonymous, use a pseudonym, or not participate at all, and we will fully respect whatever feels right for you.
