Solidarity
Women’s Programme
With women for
a more inclusive society
Our goal is to support grassroots civil initiatives representing women’s perspectives in achieving safe and sustainable operation. In the process, we are building a supportive and inclusive community that is open to everyone who values the representation of women’s issues and interests.
WHY WOMEN?
We believe in the profound and positive change that stems from women’s empathy, shared experiences, stories, and common goals. We believe that mutual support and collaboration among women are a renewable source of energy – one that can transform not only individual lives but also entire communities and systems, thereby initiating sustainable social change. Strengthening women’s perspectives and increasing the effectiveness of women’s voices and interests contributes to creating a fairer, more cooperative, and humane world – making this mission a benefit to society as a whole.
By representing less visible, marginalised groups of women, we can highlight important social issues and problems. We also believe that if women and men are given the space to step out of their usual roles and engage in shared experiences, meaningful connections can form. These connections lead to new collaborations, which in turn help build a stronger network of solidarity.
For us, solidarity means not only empathy but also action.
Through participation in our program, both those receiving support and those offering it can experience their power – realizing that through donations, work, and involvement, they can have a direct impact on the world around them and contribute to positive social change. All of this comes with freedom: everyone can engage in ways that suit their own capabilities, resources, and life situations – participation is not an obligation but an opportunity where freedom and commitment go hand in hand.
WHY IS THE SOLIDARITY WOMEN’S PROGRAMME UNIQUE?
Women’s civil organizations are trying to survive in an increasingly constrained and underfunded environment. Their planning is often short-term, and uncertainty and burnout are widespread. Through the Roots and Wings Foundation’s Women’s Solidarity Program, we offer a new approach to fundraising and aim to expand access to resources for organizations working on women’s issues. We are working to involve new stakeholders and open up new types of funding opportunities. Our goal is to support organizations and communities that operate around less visible or marginalized women’s issues, helping them represent themselves and their goals more effectively.
Our guiding principle is that collaboration with us should be based on freedom and mutual trust. This applies to our work with both grantees and supporters. We consider the grantees to be the ones who best understand their own situations and are therefore best positioned to determine what their community needs. That’s why we let them decide how to use the support they receive. Our goal is to empower them to see that the key to change lies in their own hands. We offer resources to help them find their own paths and solutions. For donors, we aim to broaden the spectrum of opportunities for solidaristic action.
WHO DO WE SUPPORT AND HOW?
Organizations focusing on women’s issues differ in their themes, professional backgrounds, and areas of activity – and so do their needs and challenges. What they have in common is a strong need to connect with one another and to explore innovative operational models. Through our support tailored to women’s needs, we provide professional guidance and financial resources to organizations and groups working to represent women’s perspectives and interests. It is important to us that the supported causes are embedded in communities and based on the real needs of the target group represented by the organization or those who work within or alongside it. By building donor circles and organizing fundraising events, we help reshape how people think about giving. Our program provides support in four key areas:
- Helping those working in women’s groups and organizations to do their work in a safe and sustainable way;
- Ensuring that women’s perspectives and interests are represented in organizations whose primary focus or target group is not women;
- Supporting people working in women’s organizations with resources for personal regeneration, maintaining physical and mental resilience, and self-care;
- Creating spaces and platforms where organizations and individuals sensitive to women’s perspectives and in solidarity with women can connect with one another and find their own ideal form of collective action.
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR
In 2023, through the International Women’s Day Live Giving, we financially and professionally supported four organizations with contributions from nearly 145 donors. Their focus areas included: supporting women during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, empowering marginalized women and girls using sociodrama techniques, mental health support groups for women with incarcerated family members, building a community that supports women’s career transitions and entrepreneurship.
We also launched the first Hungarian women’s donor circle, NADE! – Women Giving Together. Over the course of a year, 13 participants regularly met, learned about women’s life situations, and donated to three important causes: a professional group using sociodrama to support young women and girls, a language course and women’s club to support migrant women’s integration, the expansion of postpartum support circles where women empower each other.
CURRENT ACTIVITIES
Alumni – Network-Building Program
Starting in April 2025, we are running a one-year network-building program with five invited organizations: Utcáról Lakásba AssocationThe Missing Link Foundation, More Than Just Birth Movement, Élmény Tár, and She for She.
We work with staff and volunteers from these organizations who are engaged in women-focused topics and activities. Together, we shape the goals of the program: stepping beyond their thematic or geographic “bubbles,” getting to know other professionals’ approaches and methods, learning from each other, and thinking collectively about sustainable ways to operate in today’s environment and how to become more visible in public discourse. The program provides a platform based on trust and professional collaboration, which participants co-create with the facilitation of the Women’s Solidarity Program.
EXPLORERS
Our “Explorers” call targets organizations and communities working for social causes that don’t primarily focus on women or girls, but are committed to integrating women’s perspectives into their work.
By doing so, they can contribute to improving the situation of women and girls they work with, helping their voices be heard, and promoting gender equality. Our call invites them to participate in a professional experiment. We are looking for committed, curious, and open-minded partners who want to reflect on how women’s perspectives can be most relevantly included in their work. As part of the call, participants will develop an idea to improve the status of women and choose tools for implementing it. Applications are open until April 24, and work with the selected partners will begin in the second half of the year.
NADE! – Women Giving Together
The donor circle launched in 2022 continued in fall 2024. This year, 25 women are meeting monthly to get to know one another and jointly decide who to support with nearly 3 million HUF in collected donations.
At the same time, they are building a community where they share personal experiences on important women’s issues and learn together about women’s perspectives and advocacy.
This process helps them make informed and committed decisions about their donations.
Anyone can contribute as a donor at any time, and new participants can join the circle itself in early 2026.
Interested in joining one of our programs as a participant, professional, or supporter? Get in touch with our colleague, Dóri Szegő, at dori.szego@gy-sz.hu!
OUR MEDIA APPEARANCES (in Hungarian)
Alternative Ways of Donating and Community Programs
We were guests on Tilos Radio’s show “Honey, Where’s My Dinner?”, where György Hámori and Barbara Máté spoke about the new forms of donating and community programs introduced and successfully spread by our organization in Hungary since 2014.
Women Start at a Disadvantage in Entrepreneurship—Supportive Female Communities Are Essential
A report on our grantee, Női Váltó (Women’s Shift)
The Női Váltó Foundation was one of the presenting organizations at our Women’s Day Live Crowdfunding Night on March 8, 2023. They raised funds to continue and strengthen their online magazine and make its operations more sustainable.
“The Hardest Part Isn’t Being in Prison—It’s Going Home Afterwards”
A report on our grantee, FECSKE Support Group
FECSKE was another featured organization at our March 8, 2023 Women’s Day Live Crowdfunding Night. They organize support groups for the family members—primarily wives, girlfriends, and mothers—of incarcerated individuals.
“We Want a Society Where It’s Good to Be a Mother”
A report on our grantee, EMMA Association
The EMMA Association was also among the featured organizations at our March 8, 2023 Women’s Day Live Crowdfunding Night. They work toward creating the conditions for sustainable motherhood and making the world a more livable place for mothers.
“Here I Don’t Feel Rejected”
A report on our grantee, Sajátszínház – SzívHangok Társulat (SzívHangok Troupe)
SzívHangok Troupe was a featured organization at our March 8, 2023 Women’s Day Live Crowdfunding Night. They sought support to hold a three-session sociodrama group for teenage girls in the village of Szomolya. They sought support to hold a three-session sociodrama group for teenage girls in the village of Szomolya.
Leading as a Woman: “Children Automatically Undermine Salary Negotiations”
For 10 years, the Roots and Wings Foundation has worked to support and strengthen local communities. Over the years, we’ve had the chance to work with many inspiring individuals—three of whom are featured in this nlc article. These exceptional women leaders serve as role models through their stories and work.
“A Woman Can Stand Up for Herself and Her Wellbeing More Strongly If She Has a Supportive Female Network” Get to Know the Women’s Solidarity Program
This is the latest initiative from our foundation, aimed at enhancing the visibility and influence of women’s interests, values, and narratives in Hungarian society. We believe that strengthening women’s perspectives and rights benefits society as a whole. When women thrive, everyone benefits.
An Amazing Achievement: 100 People Raised Millions in Less Than Three Hours!
Video from the Women’s Day Live Crowdfunding Night
On March 8, 2023, our foundation organized a Live Crowdfunding Night for Women’s Day, where over 100 people donated a total of 4.8 million HUF to support the teams of the EMMA Association, the SzívHangok Troupe, the Női Váltó Foundation, and FECSKE.
Twelve Hungarian Women Joined Forces—The Result: 1.5 Million Forints in Donations!
Video about NADE!
NADE! is Hungary’s first women’s giving circle, where 12 women spent 10 months getting to know each other and the situation of Hungarian women while donating monthly to a shared fund. They jointly decided how to distribute the 1.5 million HUF among three women-led initiatives, based on their own values and perspectives.
WHAT OUR GRANTEES SAY
OUR GRANTEES
If you’d like to learn more about the program or are interested in collaborating, please contact our colleague, Dóri Szegő!
