Application Deadline: January 15, 2026
Applications are now open for the 2026 Rise Up South Africa Together Leadership & Advocacy Program. Global nonprofit Rise Up Together will select a group of visionary local leaders in South Africa’s Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces to participate in our Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator training from April 13–18, 2026, to strengthen gender equity and justice. Through Rise Up Together’s program, these leaders will advance transformative change in their organizations and communities, and champion improved national and local laws, programs, and funding for women, girls, and gender-nonconforming people.
Program Details
- Hybrid Accelerator: Our comprehensive four-week program combines a six-day, in-person intensive with virtual sessions, totaling 60–65 hours of training. Leaders participate in orientation, residential training, virtual follow-up, technical assistance, and panel discussions designed to strengthen their advocacy skills and strategy.
- Grants: After completing the Accelerator, leaders are eligible to apply for up to $17,000 in seed funding to launch a systems-change gender equity advocacy project.
- Re-grants: Leaders also have the opportunity to apply for an additional round of funding to expand, strengthen, or build upon their initial project.
Requirements
Civil Society leaders between the ages of 18-60 years old.
- Currently working in Gauteng and/or KwaZulu-Natal Provinces.
- Have a personal interest and current commitment to promoting gender equity broadly
in the three priority areas of health, education, and economic opportunity for women,
girls, and gender-nonconforming people. - Represent or work closely with marginalized groups from socially or economically
marginalized communities, women and girls with disabilities, ethnic and/or religious
minorities, and/or other historically disadvantaged populations. - Ability to participate in an in-person training from April 13-18, 2026, with some virtual
sessions pre- and post-workshop. Rise Up Together will cover all costs related to
program participation, including transportation, lodging, food, and materials. - Currently work at a non-profit organization, civil society organization, media
organization, or government organization at a level of coordination or management and
have some level of decision-making power. - Have the support of your organization’s leadership to participate in Rise Up Together’s
Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator training. - To be eligible for a grant, Rise Up Together requires organizations to be legally registered
in-country and set up to receive international funds. Entities that are not registered can
be sponsored by another financial entity or fiscal sponsor. Note: Government
organizations are not eligible to receive grants through this program. - Proficient in oral and written English.
Program Dates
- Virtual Orientation: March 2026
- Program Dates: April 13-18, 2026, in person, in Gauteng (venue to be decided)
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the Rise Up South Africa Together Leadership & Advocacy Program
