Disability Rights Fund Opens 2026 Grant Round for Africa

For organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) across Sub-Saharan Africa, access to dedicated funding is one of the most persistent challenges in advancing disability rights. Many OPDs operate on shoestring budgets, relying on volunteer energy and community goodwill to sustain campaigns that protect the rights of millions. That is why the upcoming 2026 grant round from the Disability Rights Fund (DRF) is one of the most significant opportunities of the year and every eligible organisation should understand exactly what is available, who qualifies, and how to apply.

This post provides a comprehensive overview of the Disability Rights Fund, its 2026 grantmaking round, the types of organisations that are funded, and practical guidance for organisations across Africa preparing their applications.

What Is the Disability Rights Fund?

The Disability Rights Fund, founded in 2008, is a pooled grant-making fund that exclusively supports organisations led by persons with disabilities. Its sister organisation, the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (DRAF), handles advocacy specifically related to legislative lobbying. Together, DRF and DRAF have distributed grants to hundreds of OPDs across Sub-Saharan Africa, South and South-East Asia, Haiti, and Pacific Island Countries.

What makes DRF unique is its governance structure. Persons with disabilities are not just beneficiaries they are decision-makers. The Grantmaking Committee that approves funding includes disability activists such as Ishumael Zhou, President of the African Union of the Blind, who lost his sight at the age of seven. This ‘nothing about us without us’ principle runs through every aspect of DRF’s operations.

Since 2008, DRF and DRAF have tracked all grants publicly in an open directory, covering every grant made from 2008 through 2024. This transparency reflects a deep commitment to accountability toward the disability movement.

What the 2026 Grant Round Looks Like

The 2025 round, which closed earlier than expected due to an overwhelming volume of applications, set important precedents that will carry into 2026. For the first time, the 2025 round opened to all countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, not just DRF’s previous focus countries. This expansion is expected to continue in 2026.

Based on DRF’s established grantmaking structure, the 2026 round is expected to offer three funding streams:

Small Grants — up to USD 60,000 for two years, for smaller OPDs at local or sub-national level
Mid-Level Coalition Grants — USD 30,000 to 50,000 per year, for coalitions of three or more organisations
National Coalition Grants — USD 40,000 to 60,000 per year (up to USD 120,000 for two years), for national coalitions

Applications for both DRF and DRAF grants are submitted through a Letter of Interest (LOI) process. LOI forms are available in English, French, Portuguese, and Indonesian, making the process accessible to Francophone African organisations.

Who Is Eligible to Apply?

DRF is highly specific about eligibility. To qualify, your organisation must meet all of the following criteria:

Be headquartered and primarily operating in one of DRF’s target countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
Be a registered non-governmental organisation of persons with disabilities or a group of persons with disabilities operating under a fiscal sponsor that is a registered OPD
Have a project proposal that specifically references and supports the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

DRF does not fund individuals, capital projects to make buildings accessible, service provision or income generation projects, or legislative lobbying (that falls under DRAF). Organisations applying to lead coalition grants must themselves be OPDs, though partners can include civil society organisations that work on human rights.

2026 Grant Round

Next open call for Letters of Interest from Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in sub-Saharan Africa will open at the end of May 2026. The deadlines for our annual grantmaking round are as follows:

Our portal will open for submissions of Letters of Interest (LOIs): Saturday, 30 May 2026
Deadline for Submitting Letters of Interest: Sunday, 21 June 2026 at 23:59 ET (Eastern Daylight Savings Time)
Invitations for successful Letters of Interest: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Deadline for submitting full applications (invited organizations only): Sunday, 23 August 2026
Final grantmaking decisions made: December 2026
Successful projects start: 1 January 2027

Multi-Year Funding: A Game Changer for African OPDs

Starting from the 2023 cycle, DRF introduced multi-year funding for eligible returning grantees. This is a significant development. Many OPDs in Africa struggle with the administrative burden of annual funding cycles writing proposals, submitting reports, and managing grant periods drains time and capacity from actual advocacy work.

With multi-year approval, an eligible organisation that has demonstrated strong implementation can apply for two years of funding in a single proposal process. This allows OPDs to plan longer-term campaigns, hire staff with greater job security, and build institutional capacity rather than lurching from one grant period to the next.

South Africa’s 2026 Disability Grant Update

While the DRF focuses on civil society, it is worth noting that at the government level, South Africa’s disability support framework also received an update in the 2026 Budget Review. The national disability grant increased from R2,315 to R2,400 per month, a modest but meaningful improvement for the hundreds of thousands of South Africans who depend on it. The South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) administers both temporary grants (for disabilities lasting six to twelve months) and permanent grants, and the 2026 budget also allocated additional funding for improved verification systems.

How to Prepare Your 2026 LOI

Given the overwhelming response DRF received in 2025 — which forced them to adjust deadlines — organisations interested in the 2026 round should begin preparation well in advance. Here are key steps:

Review the CRPD articles most relevant to your work and explicitly reference them in your proposal
Document your organisation’s disability-led governance — DRF prioritises OPDs where persons with disabilities hold leadership positions
If planning advocacy connected to the Global Disability Summit commitments, make this explicit in your LOI
Identify a fiscal sponsor if your organisation is not yet formally registered as an NGO
Prepare financial statements and a short organisational background required documents for all applicants

Watch the Disability Rights Fund website (disabilityrightsfund.org) closely for the 2026 round announcement. Subscribe to their newsletter to receive notifications directly.

Other Funding Sources for African Disability Organisations

While waiting for the DRF 2026 round, consider these additional funding opportunities that are open year-round or have rolling applications:

Open Society Foundations Africa — supports disability rights within its broader human rights grantmaking
Ford Foundation Africa — has funded disability inclusion work across multiple African countries
CBM Global — particularly for organisations working on health, rehabilitation, and community-based disability programming
African Development Bank — offers grants and development opportunities with disability inclusion components

Organisations can also explore the ReliefWeb funding alerts system and Devex Opportunities platform, both of which track disability-specific grant opportunities across the continent.

The Disability Rights Fund represents one of the most targeted, values-aligned funding sources available to African OPDs. As the 2026 round approaches, now is the time to strengthen your organisation’s documentation, build coalitions with peer OPDs, and align your advocacy agenda with the CRPD. The funding exists and it was built specifically for your work.