Issue

Equality Rights and Freedom from Discrimination, 2012

Supporting the right to equal treatment, self-determination, and freedom from discrimination, especially as concerns the rights of marginalized individuals and groups.

24%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$436.7 Million out of
$1.8 Billion for all rights
4,538 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. Open Society Foundations $83.8 M
  2. Ford Foundation $48.0 M
  3. W. K. Kellogg Foundation $37.8 M
  4. NoVo Foundation $30.6 M
  5. The Atlantic Philanthropies $26.6 M
  6. The Oak Foundation $14.9 M
  7. Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program $14.5 M
  8. The Sigrid Rausing Trust $9.4 M
  9. National Endowment for Democracy $9.3 M
  10. Comic Relief UK $7.4 M
  11. Tides Foundation $7.2 M
  12. Hivos $6.8 M
  13. The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida $6.1 M
  14. The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation $6.0 M
  15. Arcus Foundation $6.0 M
  16. NIKE Foundation $5.8 M
  17. Nationale Postcode Loterij $5.8 M
  18. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation $5.2 M
  19. UN Women's Fund for Gender Equality $5.1 M
  20. Gill Foundation $5.0 M
  21. ExxonMobil Foundation $4.5 M
  22. The California Endowment $4.1 M
  23. Marguerite Casey Foundation $3.8 M
  24. American Jewish World Service $3.5 M
  25. The Kresge Foundation $3.5 M
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

13%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$438.7 Million out of
$3.4 Billion for all rights
2,149 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. Sweden $68.5 M
  2. Norway $52.1 M
  3. European Union Institutions $48.5 M
  4. Netherlands $45.9 M
  5. Germany $43.6 M
  6. Spain $34.4 M
  7. Denmark $27.6 M
  8. United Kingdom $26.8 M
  9. Australia $17.1 M
  10. Canada $12.8 M
  11. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) $9.0 M
  12. Belgium $8.7 M
  13. Switzerland $8.4 M
  14. Ireland $7.5 M
  15. Finland $5.4 M
  16. Austria $4.2 M
  17. United States $3.8 M
  18. Italy $2.4 M
  19. Luxembourg $1.8 M
  20. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) $1.7 M
  21. Korea $1.4 M
  22. Global Environment Facility $1.4 M
  23. Inter-American Development Bank - Special Fund $1.1 M
  24. African Development Fund (African Development Fund) $911.7 K
  25. France $724.0 K
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings:
2012 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$22,757,251 (5%)
349 Grants (8%)

Caribbean

$2,430,400 (1%)
44 Grants (1%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$19,988,092 (5%)
249 Grants (5%)

Global Programs

$55,372,582 (13%)
264 Grants (6%)

Latin America & Mexico

$22,928,013 (5%)
310 Grants (7%)

Middle East & North Africa

$15,542,005 (4%)
233 Grants (5%)

North America

$240,182,520 (55%)
2,450 Grants (54%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$40,302,664 (9%)
495 Grants (11%)

Western Europe

$26,101,101 (6%)
224 Grants (5%)

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.

Sample Grants

  • National Endowment for Democracy
    Uyghur American Association (United States)
    To raise awareness of human rights violations affecting Uyghur populations through research, documentation, and information sharing at the international level.
  • W. K. Kellogg Foundation
    Center for Third World Organizing (United States)
    To strengthen US Black social justice infrastructure through transformative leadership training, alliance building, and technical support for Black organizations engaged in organizing and community development.