In 2024, Bulgarian Fund for Women (BFW) turned 20! To celebrate this milestone, we’ve selected 20 key moments from the Fund’s rich history to share with you. Happy reading! 

Bulgarian Fund for Women was founded in 2004 by Stanimira Hadzhimitova and supporters in response to the challenges facing civil society after the withdrawal of several donors from Bulgaria due to the EU accession process. 

In addition to offering alternative funding for local organizations, BFW was part of a global movement recognizing the need for targeted action to defend and guarantee women’s rights. After a challenging first decade—marked by both successes and setbacks and guided by multiple directors—2015 marked what the BFW team calls “a new beginning.” At the invitation of Stanimira Hadzhimitova, Nadejda Dermendjieva became Executive Director, joined by Gergana Kutseva as Communications and Development Director. 

A Turning Point 

Before this pivotal moment, Nadejda had studied the History of Women and Gender, cultivating a passion for feminism. She briefly worked at BFW in 2011–2012 before joining the Bulgarian Center for Women in Technology. Gergana, by contrast, came from the corporate world, where she held senior positions in public relations and communications. Seeking a career change, she crossed paths with Nadejda at MOVE.BG, where they also met Mira Dobreva, now the Learning, Evaluation, and Accountability Manager at BFW. 

In 2015, Stanimira approached Nadejda again, offering her the position of Executive Director. She assured her of a $50,000 grant from the OAK Foundation—BFW’s final funding from this donor—and emphasized the need for a young, committed leader to revitalize the Fund. Initially, Nadejda declined, knowing the immense workload involved. 

However, fate intervened. After a third call from Stanimira, Nadejda accepted the role and invited Gergana to join her, confident in their teamwork. Together, they presented their vision for BFW’s future to Stanimira, earning her support. Thus, in 2015, a new chapter in BFW’s history began. 

From Chaos to Growth 

We started at BFW with a lot of enthusiasm and a number of ideas, but we found complete chaos! It took us about a year to sort out all the administrative issues. BFW had lost the trust of donors and partners, including those in the Prospera network of international women’s funds. I will never stop saying that we started not from scratch but below scratch. That first year, we worked 24/7 without a break!

— Nadejda Dermendjieva, Co-Director of BFW 

With $50,000 from the OAK Foundation, Nadejda and Gergana faced a daunting stipulation: if they didn’t double the grant and BFW’s annual budget within a year, this would be the donor’s final support. Months of relentless effort followed, yielding tangible results. The co-directors secured partnerships with companies like AVON, Telus International, and Raiffeisen Bank, along with individual donors and supporters. 

Their vision was ambitious: to establish Bulgarian Fund for Women as the foremost institution advocating for women’s rights in Bulgaria. 

Initially, all our resources were focused on building a good image for BFW and making it a prestigious organization worthy of donors’ trust. From there, we started fundraising to strengthen our capacity and redistribute funds to other organizations. We worked to position ourselves as both a spokesperson on women’s equality and a fund provider. Our first major investment was in international networking. We tried to attend all possible international conferences and events.

— Gergana Kutseva, Co-Director of BFW 

The Key to Success 

One critical factor in BFW’s growth was the nature of the OAK Foundation grant: core support, or operating funding. This type of unrestricted, often long-term support—tailored to the specific needs of an organization—was instrumental in BFW’s relaunch and subsequent expansion. This experience reinforced BFW’s belief in the importance of operational funding, and the Fund has since worked to provide such support to more organizations, in greater amounts, and with increasing transparency. 

Grantmaking—providing financial support for the women’s movement in Bulgaria—remains central to BFW’s mission. In 2015, part of the OAK Foundation grant was allocated for this purpose, and with a budget of 18,000 BGN, the first competition in BFW’s new history for funding feminist projects was launched. Meanwhile, in 2016, at the global feminist forum AWID, Nadejda and Gergana reconnected with the Global Fund for Women (GFW), a donor previously lost. Their efforts paid off, securing renewed support and enabling the launch of the GFW Girls and Young Women Support Program. 

Dreams and Achievements 

In the following years, Nadejda and Gergana pursued their dreams tirelessly, securing new donors, opening funding opportunities, and distributing increasing amounts to organizations across Bulgaria fighting for women’s rights. Bulgarian Fund for Women grew rapidly—its annual budget steadily increased, support for the feminist movement expanded, and the team now includes 16 members. BFW even relocated multiple times before finding a suitable long-term home. 

Over the last 20—and especially the last 10—years, BFW’s dreams have grown, ideas have flourished, and many once-distant goals now feel within reach. 

It is these successes and dreams that we’ll continue to share with you in the coming months!