Issue

Access to Justice/Equality Before the Law, 2015

Supporting the ability of people to seek and obtain a remedy through formal or informal institutions of justice for grievance in compliance with human rights standards. This category includes normative legal protection, legal awareness, legal aid and counsel, adjudication, enforcement, and civil society oversight. It incorporates work to reform criminal justice systems and laws, including those criminalizing marginalized communities.

5%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$114.0 Million out of
$2.4 Billion for all rights
1,070 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. Foundation to Promote Open Society $11.6 M
  2. The Annie E. Casey Foundation $7.3 M
  3. The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation $6.1 M
  4. Alliance for Open Society International $5.0 M
  5. The Sigrid Rausing Trust $4.8 M
  6. Freedom House $4.6 M
  7. Silicon Valley Community Foundation $4.1 M
  8. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria $3.2 M
  9. National Endowment for Democracy $2.8 M
  10. Tides Foundation $2.7 M
  11. Comic Relief $2.6 M
  12. Ford Foundation $2.6 M
  13. W. K. Kellogg Foundation $2.4 M
  14. Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program $2.4 M
  15. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation $2.4 M
  16. NoVo Foundation $2.1 M
  17. The Libra Foundation $2.1 M
  18. The Duke Endowment $2.0 M
  19. American Jewish World Service - Donor Advised Funds $1.5 M
  20. Esmée Fairbairn Foundation $1.4 M
  21. Oak Foundation $1.4 M
  22. Foundation for a Just Society $1.3 M
  23. Walton Family Foundation $1.3 M
  24. The Barrow Cadbury Trust $1.3 M
  25. The Skoll Foundation $1.3 M
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

5%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$197.1 Million out of
$3.7 Billion for all rights
637 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. United States $34.7 M
  2. European Union Institutions $28.0 M
  3. United Kingdom $27.9 M
  4. Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) $16.3 M
  5. Sweden $13.0 M
  6. Australia $12.4 M
  7. Denmark $10.8 M
  8. Canada $10.6 M
  9. Norway $9.5 M
  10. Switzerland $8.6 M
  11. Germany $6.7 M
  12. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) $6.2 M
  13. Netherlands $4.0 M
  14. Italy $1.6 M
  15. Finland $1.0 M
  16. Japan $1.0 M
  17. Ireland $929.7 K
  18. United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF) $694.3 K
  19. Belgium $584.1 K
  20. Spain $500.4 K
  21. Korea $378.9 K
  22. New Zealand $343.9 K
  23. France $332.8 K
  24. Luxembourg $302.9 K
  25. Austria $227.4 K
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings:
2015 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$5,715,176 (5%)
70 Grants (7%)

Caribbean

$1,048,345 (1%)
11 Grants (1%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$2,671,190 (2%)
46 Grants (4%)

Global Programs

$5,976,078 (5%)
40 Grants (4%)

Latin America & Mexico

$5,101,574 (4%)
51 Grants (5%)

Middle East & North Africa

$1,825,164 (2%)
35 Grants (3%)

North America

$74,372,839 (65%)
648 Grants (61%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$11,635,592 (10%)
100 Grants (9%)

Western Europe

$7,046,195 (6%)
85 Grants (8%)

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

  • Big Lottery Fund
    Who Cares Scotland (United Kingdom)
    To convene youth working in care across the United Ireland to advocate for greater legal protection and recognition of youth's rights.
  • Oak Foundation
    Socio-Legal Information Centre (India)
    To increase access to justice and legal redress for India's poor through a collective of lawyers and social activists.