As tensions rise in the Middle East, many in philanthropy are watching closely and asking what, if anything, they can do in a moment shaped so heavily by state power and military force.
Philanthropy has never been irrelevant in times of conflict. In fact, it plays a critical role in shaping what comes next.
Because while governments fund war, peacebuilding remains chronically underfunded.
This imbalance is not new. Globally, vast sums are directed toward military capacity, while only a fraction supports the long, complex work of preventing violence, strengthening civil society, and rebuilding trust across fractured communities. The result is a persistent gap: we invest heavily in the machinery of conflict, and far less in the infrastructure of peace.
Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to help close that gap. And women donors who focus on women-led missions are even better positioned than most to support real strides toward progress.
Women Leaders and Funders Often Show the Way
There is now a strong body of evidence showing that when women are meaningfully included in peace processes, agreements are more likely to last. Women-led organizations frequently play key roles in mediation, humanitarian response, and sustaining community networks during and after conflict. Yet these same organizations remain significantly underfunded.
Unlike governments, donors can move quickly. They can support local organizations that are often overlooked by large institutions. They can take risks on dialogue, reconciliation, and community-led solutions that are essential to long-term stability.
And importantly, philanthropy can choose to fund voices that are too often excluded from formal negotiations. Here are three organizations that stand out for their collective impact on peace, with two of them being explicitly women-founded and women-led.
1. Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
WILPF is one of the oldest feminist peace organizations globally. Focused on disarmament, conflict prevention, and women’s leadership, this organization has a strong policy arm and an important grassroots presence.
2. Women’s Peace & Humanitarian Fund
WPHF is a global pooled fund supporting local women-led peace efforts. It is backed by the UN, but funds grassroots organizing and zeroes in on crisis and conflict settings.
Search for Common Ground is a major international NGO specializing in mediation and conflict resolution. It works in fragile regions and is known for practical, scalable peacebuilding.
Philanthropy Can Impact Policy Around Conflict
In times of escalation, it is easy for all of us to feel that the most consequential decisions are happening far away, beyond our reach. Philanthropy reminds us that this is not entirely true.
Philanthropy has the freedom and the bandwidth to act with intention around issues of conflict escalation. These actions could include supporting organizations working on conflict prevention and mediation, investing in humanitarian efforts that prioritize dignity and long-term recovery, or funding independent journalism and documentation efforts that help preserve truth in the midst of rapidly shifting narratives.
It may also mean looking beyond the immediate crisis to fund the slower, less visible work of rebuilding. These efforts rarely make headlines, but rebuilding and restoring war-vulnerable regions helps to determine whether cycles of violence continue, or whether they begin to subside in the presence of a more stable foundation.
There are always choices about what to fund, whose voices to elevate, and which futures to invest in. At moments like this, those choices matter more than ever.
