Issue

Expression and Information Rights, 2013

Supporting freedom from arbitrary interference with privacy, family, home or correspondence and freedom of opinion and expression, including to seek, receive and impart information and ideas across a range of media. This category incorporates grants to protect free speech, and to increase transparency, digital security, and press freedom.

4%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$103.6 Million out of
$2.3 Billion for all rights
1,030 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. Open Society Foundations $23.4 M
  2. National Endowment for Democracy $12.9 M
  3. Ford Foundation $12.6 M
  4. Wikimedia Foundation $5.6 M
  5. John S. and James L. Knight Foundation $4.2 M
  6. Omidyar Network Fund $3.7 M
  7. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation $3.6 M
  8. W. K. Kellogg Foundation $3.4 M
  9. Hivos $3.3 M
  10. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation $2.9 M
  11. Proteus Fund $2.6 M
  12. The Sigrid Rausing Trust $1.6 M
  13. The Oak Foundation $1.3 M
  14. American Jewish World Service $1.1 M
  15. Rockefeller Brothers Fund $1.1 M
  16. The Open Technology Fund $1.0 M
  17. Humanity United $1.0 M
  18. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $1.0 M
  19. Nationale Postcode Loterij $929.6 K
  20. EEA and Norway Grants $925.0 K
  21. Cordaid $800.8 K
  22. The Atlantic Philanthropies $734.2 K
  23. The Pinkerton Foundation $689.5 K
  24. The Nathan Cummings Foundation $590.0 K
  25. Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program $566.5 K
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

1%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$26.2 Million out of
$3.7 Billion for all rights
145 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. Sweden $10.9 M
  2. Norway $4.5 M
  3. European Union Institutions $3.4 M
  4. United States $2.2 M
  5. Canada $1.6 M
  6. Finland $1.5 M
  7. Netherlands $904.1 K
  8. United Kingdom $357.4 K
  9. Switzerland $216.2 K
  10. Germany $142.4 K
  11. Spain $131.5 K
  12. Czech Republic $127.6 K
  13. Denmark $92.9 K
  14. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) $5.7 K
  15. M = Millions

Key Findings:
2013 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$6,881,154 (7%)
99 Grants (10%)

Caribbean

$665,157 (1%)
9 Grants (1%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$5,627,342 (5%)
123 Grants (12%)

Global Programs

$20,471,495 (20%)
107 Grants (10%)

Latin America & Mexico

$7,995,851 (8%)
100 Grants (10%)

Middle East & North Africa

$3,630,732 (4%)
46 Grants (4%)

North America

$43,609,334 (42%)
421 Grants (41%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$12,199,610 (12%)
81 Grants (8%)

Western Europe

$8,343,715 (8%)
69 Grants (7%)

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

  • Cordaid
    Fondation HIRONDELLE (Switzerland)
    For Radio Ndeke Luka, to build Central African media and democratic society.
  • NoVo Foundation
    Women's Media Center (United States)
    To monitor media coverage of women; conduct media trainings to advance diverse women and girls' leadership; educate the press on the impact of sexist media coverage; and raise awareness among press outlets on rape and sexualized violence as tools of genocide and conflict.