Zonta International is a global service organization based in the USA that empowers women and girls through international service projects and multiple funding programs. It offers fellowships, scholarships and leadership awards, as well as grants to UN agencies and NGOs, with Zonta clubs active in dozens of countries. View Zonta International's website for more information.
Zonta International is a long‑standing global non‑profit organization dedicated to building a better world for women and girls. From its headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois, it coordinates a network of more than 1,100 clubs in over 60 countries. Through Zonta International and the Zonta Foundation for Women, the organization channels significant financial resources into education, leadership development and international service projects that advance women’s rights, health, safety and economic opportunities.
The organization’s funding portfolio includes major international service projects implemented with agencies of the United Nations and other recognized non‑governmental organizations. According to its International Service Projects overview, Zonta has contributed more than US$39 million to such projects in more than 87 countries, focusing on preventing gender‑based violence, ending child marriage, improving women’s health and addressing the gendered impacts of climate change.
Zonta International also operates several competitive education and leadership programs that function as grants and scholarships for individual women and girls worldwide:
These programs have well‑defined eligibility criteria, timelines and application procedures. They are financed by dedicated funds of the Zonta Foundation for Women, such as the Amelia Earhart Fellowship Fund, the Rose Fund and the Young Women in Leadership Award Fund, sustained by donations from members, clubs and supporters.
Beyond individual awards, Zonta International funds large‑scale service and advocacy initiatives, often in partnership with UN agencies. Current and recent projects include themes such as ending child marriage in multiple African and Asian countries, combating climate‑induced gender‑based violence, and creating safe virtual spaces where women and girls can access information on health, rights and protection services. These projects receive multi‑year financial commitments and are delivered on the ground by partner organizations.
Zonta’s funding targets women and girls across the life course, from teenagers developing leadership skills to mid‑career professionals in STEM and women in communities affected by violence, discrimination or climate risk. Zonta clubs also undertake thousands of locally funded service and advocacy initiatives in the communities where members live and work, complementing the international grant portfolio.
Program pages describe competitive selection processes overseen by dedicated committees, with applications evaluated against published criteria. Lists of fellows and awardees by year, as well as program statistics and overviews, are made available in downloadable documents. This structure underscores Zonta International’s role as an organized, accountable grantmaker and scholarship provider within the global gender‑equality and women’s empowerment ecosystem.