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Advancing Human Rights

The State of Global Foundation Grantmaking

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  • Years
    • 2011 - 2015
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
  • Regions
    • Asia & Pacific
    • Caribbean
    • Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia
    • Global Programs
    • Latin America & Mexico
    • Middle East & North Africa
    • North America
    • Sub-Saharan Africa
    • Western Europe
  • Issues
    • Access to Justice/Equality Before the Law
    • Civic and Political Participation
    • Economic and Labor Rights
    • Education, religion, and culture
    • Environmental and Resource Rights
    • Equality Rights and Freedom from Discrimination
    • Expression and Information Rights
    • Freedom from Violence
    • Health and Well-being Rights
    • Human Rights, General
    • Migration and Displacement
    • Sexual and Reproductive Rights
    • Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding
  • Populations
    • Children & Youth
    • Human Rights Defenders
    • Indigenous Peoples
    • LGBTQI
    • Migrants & Refugees
    • People with Disabilities
    • Sex Workers
    • Women & Girls
  • Strategies
    • Advocacy, Systems Reform and Implementation
    • Arts and Culture
    • Capacity-building and Technical Assistance
    • Coalition-building and Collaboration
    • Grassroots Organizing
    • Litigation and Legal Aid
    • Media and Technology
    • Research and Documentation
    • Scholarships and Travel
    • Security and Resilience
  • Bi/Multilateral
Issue

Education, religion, and culture, 2014

Supporting the right to participate in the cultural life of a community and engage in community duties essential to free and full development. This category includes the right to education, freedom of belief and religion, and the right to pursue one’s cultural traditions. It incorporates grants to support inclusion, acclimation, and acceptance of diverse communities.

Select Year
  • Trends, 2011 - 2015
  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
  • 2013
  • 2012
  • 2011
Explore:
Select a Section
  • Top Foundation Funders
  • Bilateral and Multilateral Funding
  • Regional Focus
  • Population Focus
  • Strategy Focus
  • Sample Grants
  • Related Resources

9%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$240.5 Million out of
$2.7 Billion for all rights
2,130 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. The Atlantic Philanthropies $22.9 M
  2. EEA and Norway Grants $19.6 M
  3. Open Doors International $16.5 M
  4. NoVo Foundation $12.9 M
  5. Ford Foundation $11.8 M
  6. Comic Relief $11.5 M
  7. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $11.4 M
  8. The Oak Foundation $7.9 M
  9. W. K. Kellogg Foundation $7.4 M
  10. Open Society Foundations $7.0 M
  11. The Kendeda Fund $6.9 M
  12. John Templeton Foundation $6.3 M
  13. Nationale Postcode Loterij $5.9 M
  14. Hivos $5.6 M
  15. American Jewish World Service $4.1 M
  16. National Endowment for Democracy $4.1 M
  17. Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund $4.0 M
  18. The William Penn Foundation $3.3 M
  19. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation $3.3 M
  20. New Israel Fund $3.2 M
  21. The Moody Foundation $3.0 M
  22. The San Francisco Foundation $2.6 M
  23. NEO Philanthropy $2.5 M
  24. The Allstate Foundation $2.5 M
  25. Mensen met een Missie $2.2 M
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

6%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$212.8 Million out of
$3.8 Billion for all rights
930 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. Sweden $45.3 M
  2. European Union Institutions $25.9 M
  3. Norway $24.1 M
  4. Finland $19.6 M
  5. Spain $13.0 M
  6. Germany $12.2 M
  7. Canada $11.8 M
  8. Netherlands $8.9 M
  9. United Kingdom $8.5 M
  10. United States $7.2 M
  11. Australia $7.2 M
  12. Denmark $6.6 M
  13. Switzerland $6.3 M
  14. Italy $5.5 M
  15. Belgium $3.5 M
  16. Inter-American Development Bank - Special Fund $1.7 M
  17. International Development Association $1.3 M
  18. Austria $1.1 M
  19. Ireland $853.5 K
  20. Iceland $782.4 K
  21. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) $462.9 K
  22. Luxembourg $235.3 K
  23. Asian Development Bank Special Funds $199.3 K
  24. Slovenia $127.6 K
  25. Estonia $90.2 K
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings:
2014 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$22,161,549 (9%)
286 Grants (13%)

Caribbean

$2,731,003 (1%)
29 Grants (1%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$17,052,645 (7%)
276 Grants (13%)

Global Programs

$21,787,798 (9%)
62 Grants (3%)

Latin America & Mexico

$10,909,883 (5%)
314 Grants (15%)

Middle East & North Africa

$13,119,907 (5%)
139 Grants (7%)

North America

$114,430,448 (48%)
611 Grants (29%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$32,779,310 (14%)
301 Grants (14%)

Western Europe

$16,045,175 (7%)
221 Grants (10%)

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

  • Children & Youth

    $126,314,958 (53%)
    889 Grants (42%)

  • Women & Girls

    $44,393,969 (18%)
    517 Grants (24%)

  • Migrants & Refugees

    $16,092,652 (7%)
    218 Grants (10%)

  • Indigenous Peoples

    $14,355,366 (6%)
    308 Grants (14%)

  • People with Disabilities

    $10,995,897 (5%)
    135 Grants (6%)

  • LGBTQI

    $9,723,488 (4%)
    119 Grants (6%)

  • Human Rights Defenders

    $595,349 (0%)
    26 Grants (1%)

  • Sex Workers

    $137,916 (0%)
    6 Grants (0%)

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

  • Advocacy, Systems Reform and Implementation

    $94,581,538 (39%)
    692 Grants (32%)

  • Capacity-building and Technical Assistance

    $27,564,295 (11%)
    341 Grants (16%)

  • Arts and Culture

    $25,768,143 (11%)
    366 Grants (17%)

  • Research and Documentation

    $18,642,828 (8%)
    180 Grants (8%)

  • Coalition-building and Collaboration

    $13,094,923 (5%)
    225 Grants (11%)

  • Media and Technology

    $10,987,074 (5%)
    148 Grants (7%)

  • Grassroots Organizing

    $5,534,773 (2%)
    93 Grants (4%)

  • Litigation and Legal Aid

    $2,624,995 (1%)
    34 Grants (2%)

  • Scholarships and Travel

    $450,409 (0%)
    26 Grants (1%)

  • Security and Resilience

    $17,264 (0%)
    1 Grants (0%)

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 Heinz Endowments
    Duquesne University (United States)
    For the Canevin Center for Educational Transformation and Social Justice, which works to effect change to acheive equity in education for all children.
  • First Peoples Worldwide
    Bundu Tuhan Biocultural Heritage (Malaysia)
    For work to conserve and strengthen cultural and traditional heritage.

Related Resources

  • Campaigning to Prioritize Human Rights: Garnering Government Support for Environmental Rights of the Local Community
  • Multi-Year Support from a Funder: A Minority Group Achieves Groundbreaking Change through Ireland’s Civil Partnership Law for Same-Sex Couples

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