Issue

Environmental and Resource Rights, 2013

Supporting the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. This includes the rights of indigenous, marginalized, or any other communities to the unspoiled natural resources that enable survival, including land, water, air, plants, animals, and energy; the right to share in and determine the distribution of lands, territories, and resources; and the right to protect these natural resources from overdevelopment, destruction, or adulteration.

6%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$150.9 Million out of
$2.3 Billion for all rights
2,114 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. Ford Foundation $21.2 M
  2. Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation $15.3 M
  3. Nationale Postcode Loterij $12.2 M
  4. Hivos $7.2 M
  5. Foundation For The Carolinas $7.0 M
  6. American Jewish World Service $6.5 M
  7. Comic Relief UK $6.5 M
  8. Open Society Foundations $5.3 M
  9. The Christensen Fund $5.1 M
  10. Global Greengrants Fund $4.6 M
  11. Fundación AVINA $4.1 M
  12. The Oak Foundation $3.5 M
  13. Howard G. Buffett Foundation $2.2 M
  14. The International Development Research Centre $2.0 M
  15. EEA and Norway Grants $1.6 M
  16. The Sigrid Rausing Trust $1.6 M
  17. Robertson Foundation $1.5 M
  18. Fund For Global Human Rights $1.5 M
  19. Humanity United $1.5 M
  20. The Kresge Foundation $1.4 M
  21. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation $1.4 M
  22. Silicon Valley Community Foundation $1.3 M
  23. Tides Foundation $1.3 M
  24. Avina Americas $1.3 M
  25. The Skoll Foundation $1.3 M
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

8%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$287.9 Million out of
$3.7 Billion for all rights
819 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. Canada $51.2 M
  2. United States $46.5 M
  3. Sweden $36.0 M
  4. Norway $26.3 M
  5. Finland $24.5 M
  6. Switzerland $16.2 M
  7. Germany $16.2 M
  8. Denmark $16.0 M
  9. European Union Institutions $16.0 M
  10. Spain $12.1 M
  11. Belgium $10.2 M
  12. United Kingdom $9.3 M
  13. Ireland $1.6 M
  14. Australia $1.5 M
  15. Global Environment Facility $1.4 M
  16. Inter-American Development Bank - Special Fund $655.4 K
  17. Netherlands $646.5 K
  18. Austria $348.3 K
  19. New Zealand $264.4 K
  20. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) $220.3 K
  21. Asian Development Bank Special Funds $208.0 K
  22. Iceland $190.1 K
  23. Italy $133.5 K
  24. OPEC Fund for International Development $60.0 K
  25. Korea $32.7 K
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings: 2013 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$16,997,571 (11%)
379 Grants (18%)

Caribbean

$1,543,665 (1%)
35 Grants (2%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$2,537,624 (2%)
88 Grants (4%)

Global Programs

$22,220,632 (15%)
107 Grants (5%)

Latin America & Mexico

$24,514,557 (16%)
612 Grants (29%)

Middle East & North Africa

$2,141,810 (1%)
21 Grants (1%)

North America

$49,846,000 (33%)
409 Grants (19%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$26,069,794 (17%)
418 Grants (20%)

Western Europe

$9,792,710 (6%)
66 Grants (3%)

Region totals include both foundation grants directly to recipients based in the region specified and foundation grants to recipients located in other regions to do work benefiting the region specified. Grants may mention more than one region of benefit and therefore be counted in more than one category.

Foundation Funding by Population

Population totals include foundation funding that could be identified as meant to benefit a specific group. Grants may serve multiple populations and would therefore be counted in more than one category.

Foundation Funding by Strategy

Strategy totals include foundation funding that could be identified as supporting a specific strategy. Grants may employ multiple strategies and would therefore be counted in more than one category.

Sample Grants

  • The Rockefeller Foundation
    Mary Robinson Foundation (Ireland)
    For its efforts to leverage leadership of women and youth on climate justice while linking international policy on climate change and development.


  • To halt deforestation, preserve biocultural diversity, and reduce poverty through the creation and strengthening of governance structure and local capacities in the Monde Kwahiba ethno-environmental corridor.