Strategies
Shift from concentrated resourcing to rhizomic resourcing
Support a diverse collection of frontline responders, from individual activists to groups, collectives and organizations implementing a range of strategies.
Why It Matters
Crises are complex and intertwined, and require a variety of responses to fully address them.
To get to the root issues, we need to address ongoing crises together and identify ways in which they exacerbate each other, rather than examine them individually.
Instead of focusing on one group or response strategy, enable various activists and their groups to respond to crises in ways they know are effective and relevant to local contexts.
What It Looks Like In Practice
The rhizomic approach of the Urgent Action Sister Funds means that we fund a diversity of strategies that respond directly to community and movement priorities, versus conforming to a predefined funding plan. For example, Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism supports partners in several conflict settings, but the strategies funded may look quite different depending on what communities need. In 2025, Urgent Action Fund for Feminist Activism funded a local women-led group working with displaced communities in Gaza that organized community sessions to raise awareness on sexual abuse. Meanwhile in Lebanon, a grassroots LGBTQI+ group received funds to open a salon that serves as a safe haven and hub for queer and trans people, while also ensuring economic security for the grantee partner. In Syria, we funded a women’s rights group that equips women with critical knowledge, tools, and skills to demand their rights. The group conducted five Legal Literacy Workshops, reaching 125 women survivors and the wives of missing persons. They also established a WhatsApp rapid response network that is activated to address urgent cases, including supporting women facing economic instability and coordinating legal assistance for detained activists.