Abilis Foundation: The Grant African Disability Organizations Can Apply for Any Time of Year

Most international grant programmes operate on fixed annual cycles applications open in one month, close in another, and organizations that miss the window must wait another twelve months before they can try again. For small, under-resourced OPDs operating in complex environments, this rigidity is a structural barrier. Opportunities are missed not because of a weak proposal, but because of bad timing.

The Abilis Foundation operates differently. Applications are accepted year-round, processed at the local level, and prioritized for the organizations that need them most, including grassroots groups applying for the very first time. For disability organizations in Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda, Abilis is one of the most accessible international funders available.

About the Abilis Foundation

The Abilis Foundation was established in Finland in 1998 crucially, it was founded by persons with disabilities, not by development professionals or philanthropists on their behalf. This founding principle shapes everything about how Abilis operates. The foundation is committed to supporting activities planned and implemented by persons with disabilities, not simply activities that benefit them.

Abilis is primarily funded by Finland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, giving it a stable and predictable funding base. Its current programme countries in Africa are Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda. The foundation also operates in Myanmar, Nepal, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Vietnam.

The foundation’s primary objective is to build the capacity of persons with disabilities and improve the quality of their lives. Rather than funding service delivery by non-disabled professionals, Abilis invests in the organisational strength and advocacy capacity of OPDs themselves.

Grant Amounts and Project Duration

Abilis grants are small by international standards but that is entirely by design. The foundation focuses specifically on grassroots organisations that would be overwhelmed by, or ineligible for, larger grants from funders like the Disability Rights Fund or Open Society Foundations.

• Grant amounts range from €500 to €10,000, with an average grant size of €10,000
• Long-term projects can take up to two to three years with budgets of tens of thousands of euros
• Standard project activities are expected to be implemented within one to two years
• An organisation can submit only one application per year

The relatively small grant sizes are a feature, not a limitation. They make Abilis grants accessible to community-level OPDs that do not have the financial management infrastructure to handle large disbursements, and they allow the foundation to support a larger number of organisations approximately 200 OPDs globally each year.

What Abilis Prioritises

Abilis is not a general development fund. Its thematic priorities are specific and consistently applied across all programme countries:

• Projects that promote the human rights of persons with disabilities, particularly in relation to CRPD implementation
• Projects that improve the position and leadership of disabled women, this is the foundation’s highest priority
• Projects at the grassroots level, particularly from organisations that have never received Abilis funding before
• Projects where persons with disabilities play an active role in development, planning, and implementation not just as beneficiaries
• Projects that commit the organisation’s own resources to implementation, including staff time and community engagement

Past Abilis-funded projects in Africa have included economic empowerment of deaf women in Ghana, literacy programmes for women with disabilities in Ethiopia, vocational training for disabled children, and advocacy campaigns for disability-inclusive education.

Who Is Eligible?

Eligibility for Abilis funding is relatively inclusive compared to many international funders:

• Organisations where persons with disabilities constitute at least 51 percent of the board or leadership
• Organisations run by parents of children with disabilities (with the same 51 percent leadership threshold)
• Organisations operating in one of Abilis’s ten programme countries
• Organisations that are legally registered or able to explain why registration is not available
• Organisations operating in countries defined as qualifying for Official Development Assistance by the UN and OECD

Importantly, Abilis explicitly encourages applications from organisations that have never received Abilis funding before. First-time applicants are not disadvantaged by their lack of track record with the foundation — in fact, reaching new organisations is one of Abilis’s stated priorities.

How to Apply — Step by Step

The Abilis application process is deliberately localised. Applications are not submitted directly to the foundation’s headquarters in Helsinki. Instead, the process works through local country offices and partner organisations in each programme country:

• Step 1: Contact the Abilis country office or partner organisation in your country (find contact information at abilis.fi under the Contact tab)
• Step 2: Discuss your project idea with local Abilis staff — they will guide you through the process
• Step 3: Request the application form from the local office
• Step 4: Complete the application form with a narrative project plan, work plan, and budget
• Step 5: Obtain two reference forms (provided by local Abilis staff)
• Step 6: Include a copy of your certificate of registration, or an explanation if registration is unavailable
• Step 7: Submit through the local partner organisation, which will forward selected applications to the foundation

Applications can be submitted at any time of year, there is no fixed deadline. This is one of Abilis’s most distinctive and valuable features for organisations working in contexts where planning is disrupted by political events, climate shocks, or organisational crises.

📌 Do NOT contact Abilis headquarters in Helsinki directly, this will not speed up your application or increase your chances of funding. All applications must go through the local country office or partner organisation in your country. Find their contact details at abilis.fi

What a Strong Abilis Application Looks Like

Abilis applications are assessed by local staff who understand the national context deeply. A strong application will:

• Clearly demonstrate that the project is planned and will be implemented by persons with disabilities, not just for them
• Show how the project advances disability rights or improves the position of disabled women specifically
• Include a realistic, detailed budget with no unexplained costs
• Describe the organisation’s leadership clearly, confirming the 51 percent disability composition requirement
• Be honest about the organisation’s current capacity and how the grant will strengthen it

Abilis values simplicity and honesty. A concise, clear proposal from a small grassroots OPD with a realistic plan will outperform an elaborate proposal from a larger organisation with unclear disability leadership.

African Countries Currently Covered

Abilis currently operates in five African countries: Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Uganda. If your organisation is based in one of these countries and led by persons with disabilities, Abilis should be among the first funders you approach.

For organisations in other African countries, Abilis is worth monitoring as the foundation periodically reviews and expands its programme country list. Subscribe to the Abilis newsletter at abilis.fi for updates on any future expansion.

📌 For Ethiopian OPDs specifically: Ethiopia has one of the longest Abilis funding histories in Africa. The Ethiopian National Association of the Blind and organisations working with women with disabilities have previously received Abilis support. Contact the Abilis Ethiopia country office directly for guidance on your application.

The Abilis Foundation represents one of the most accessible and values-aligned funding sources for grassroots disability organisations in Africa. Its year-round application cycle, local processing approach, and genuine prioritisation of disabled women’s leadership make it a foundation worth knowing and applying to.