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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, 2015

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

10%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$234.9 Million out of
$2.4 Billion for all rights
2,427 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $21.8 M
  2. NoVo Foundation $20.1 M
  3. Open Doors International $17.6 M
  4. Tides Foundation $13.3 M
  5. Nationale Postcode Loterij $11.2 M
  6. The Pershing Square Foundation $10.0 M
  7. Ford Foundation $9.6 M
  8. Comic Relief $7.8 M
  9. Oak Foundation $7.8 M
  10. Big Lottery Fund $6.9 M
  11. The Kendeda Fund $5.9 M
  12. EEA and Norway Grants $5.7 M
  13. W. K. Kellogg Foundation $3.5 M
  14. Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund $3.3 M
  15. American Jewish World Service - Donor Advised Funds $3.0 M
  16. New Israel Foundation $2.7 M
  17. Segal Family Foundation $2.6 M
  18. The Christensen Fund $2.5 M
  19. The William Penn Foundation $2.2 M
  20. Carnegie Corporation of New York $2.1 M
  21. Paul Hamlyn Foundation $2.0 M
  22. W. M. Keck Foundation $2.0 M
  23. Human Dignity Foundation $2.0 M
  24. The Louis Calder Foundation $1.9 M
  25. Fundacja Batorego $1.9 M
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

11%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$401.4 Million out of
$3.7 Billion for all rights
1,433 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. Italy $233.7 M
  2. European Union Institutions $25.6 M
  3. Finland $23.3 M
  4. Norway $20.3 M
  5. United Kingdom $16.9 M
  6. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) $12.4 M
  7. Spain $10.4 M
  8. United States $9.7 M
  9. Canada $9.5 M
  10. Sweden $8.9 M
  11. Germany $7.9 M
  12. Denmark $7.2 M
  13. Switzerland $3.3 M
  14. Australia $2.5 M
  15. Belgium $2.1 M
  16. Inter-American Development Bank $1.5 M
  17. Austria $1.2 M
  18. Netherlands $1.1 M
  19. Korea $947.6 K
  20. Ireland $542.2 K
  21. Iceland $502.5 K
  22. International Development Association $345.8 K
  23. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) $251.8 K
  24. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) $249.5 K
  25. Portugal $162.2 K
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings:      2015 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$22,975,788 (10%)
266 Grants (11%)

Caribbean

$1,258,489 (1%)
16 Grants (1%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$8,278,180 (4%)
226 Grants (9%)

Global Programs

$24,440,511 (10%)
70 Grants (3%)

Latin America & Mexico

$8,986,641 (4%)
352 Grants (15%)

Middle East & North Africa

$13,854,343 (6%)
109 Grants (4%)

North America

$116,715,023 (50%)
776 Grants (32%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$33,397,940 (14%)
384 Grants (16%)

Western Europe

$17,314,750 (7%)
258 Grants (11%)

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

    $110,486,401 (47%)
    1,074 Grants (44%)
  • Migrants & Refugees

    $39,166,956 (17%)
    284 Grants (12%)
  • Women & Girls

    $37,916,083 (16%)
    516 Grants (21%)
  • Indigenous Peoples

    $34,275,681 (15%)
    410 Grants (17%)
  • People with Disabilities

    $14,684,855 (6%)
    164 Grants (7%)
  • LGBTQI

    $9,757,781 (4%)
    129 Grants (5%)
  • Human Rights Defenders

    $322,987 (0%)
    19 Grants (1%)
  • Sex Workers

    $221,851 (0%)
    3 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

    $91,477,607 (39%)
    1,117 Grants (46%)
  • Capacity-building and Technical Assistance

    $37,325,773 (16%)
    429 Grants (18%)
  • Coalition-building and Collaboration

    $24,190,997 (10%)
    263 Grants (11%)
  • Arts and Culture

    $23,876,962 (10%)
    413 Grants (17%)
  • Research and Documentation

    $18,640,818 (8%)
    174 Grants (7%)
  • Grassroots Organizing

    $15,399,552 (7%)
    146 Grants (6%)
  • Media and Technology

    $13,263,572 (6%)
    165 Grants (7%)
  • Litigation and Legal Aid

    $3,707,829 (2%)
    51 Grants (2%)
  • Scholarships and Travel

    $2,460,355 (1%)
    40 Grants (2%)
  • Security and Resilience

    $5,537 (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

  • NoVo Foundation
    Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (Kenya)
    To enhance positive links between health and cultural knowledge, practice, belief, ritual, and artistic expression through their work on healthy communities and comprehensive AIDS treatment and policies.
  • The California Wellness Foundation
    Public Counsel (United States)
    To sustain policy advocacy and services in its children's rights and education rights practice areas to improve postsecondary opportunities for youth in the foster care or juvenile justice systems.

Related Resources

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