How charities and crowdfunding are helping women’s football

How women’s football is funded

There is a huge disparity in how women’s football is funded compared to men’s football. This year the prize money for the Women’s World Cup is up by 300% but that is still only a third of what the men were awarded for the World Cup in 2022. FIFA said it is aiming for parity between the men’s and women’s tournaments by 2027. Four years is a long time to wait, but fortunately there are a lot of football charities that keep women’s football going. Read on to find out how women’s football is funded.

FA investment

In 2015 the FA announced further investment into women’s football. This was part of a two-year scheme aimed to get 40,000 women and girls aged 14 and over to start, and continue, playing football. The initiative was spearheaded by the FA, Sport England, Premier League and Football League Trust and was the first time that all four organisations worked on a project of this kind.  Since then these organisations have continued to support women’s football.

Sponsorships

Brand sponsorships are a huge part of how Women’s Football teams get their funding. A number of brands have already signed up to sponsor the Women’s World Cup 2023. These include Unilever, the company behind personal care brands such as Dove, Lux and Rexona. The landmark partnership will run through to 2027 and include the FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the FIFAe Finals. As part of the agreement, FIFA and Unilever provide funding to FIFA’s Women’s Development Programme which was launched in 2020. The initiative is designed to provide opportunities for women and girls and supports the continued growth of women’s football around the globe. Unilever will also provide human resources, and support for tailored development programmes to tap into the upsurge in interest surrounding the women’s game.

Football charities

There are a number of football charities who also work to support Women’s football. These include charities that operate within schools to help girls stay in school by supporting them through a football programme. One of these charities is called Football Beyond Borders, they are currently running a fundraising drive to enrol 100 more girls on to their football programme so they can keep them in school and help them achieve their GCSEs. According to Football Beyond Borders 63% of teenage girls still can’t name any of the Lionesses and 10% of teenage girls never watch men’s football, but this rises to 25% for the women’s game. 

Other charities such as Women in Sport work to encourage all women and girls to get active and this includes women’s football.

Crowdfunding campaigns

Another way women’s football receives funding is from the public. There are so many passionate people launching personal fundraisers to help out their local women’s or girls football team and there are also the teams themselves who are fundraising to get new kit, travel to games and support their players. Find out more and donate to support women’s football here. 

Public and private sector grants

Women’s football also receives funding from various different grants. These grants can range from local club funding to personal player grants. 

Current grants that are available include – 

• The National Lottery Community Fund – The National Lottery offers funding of £300 to £10,000 to support the local community. For longer term, larger projects, they can offer grants of over £10,000.
• The Amateur FA – The Amateur FA offers access to funding, grants and sponsorships across the UK. Although they are not a funding body themselves, they work with the Football Foundation to identify suitable funders and sponsors. They want to help smaller teams reach their goals 
• The Football Foundation– The Football Foundation aid teams in tiers 1 to 4 of the Women’s Football Pyramid. Clubs in Tier 1 can apply for grants of up to £75,000, whilst clubs at Tier 2 can apply for up to £400,000. Clubs in Tiers 3 and 4 can apply for up to £100,000 in funding.

There are many more grants available and you can find out more information about them here.

Three charities helping to advance women’s football

There are so many amazing charities working to support women’s football. From former players doing their bit to coaches doing amazing work, here are three incredible charities making a difference.

Football Beyond Borders

Football Beyond Borders is an education charity that works with young people who are passionate about football but disengaged in their education, to help them get the skills and grades they need to transition to adulthood successfully. Their programme has helped thousands of girls stay in school, discover their passions and grow in confidence.