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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, 2016

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
  • Related Resources

10%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$272.9 Million out of
$2.8 Billion for all rights
1,787 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $52.5 M
  2. W.K. Kellogg Foundation $22.4 M
  3. NoVo Foundation $21.2 M
  4. Ford Foundation $12.4 M
  5. Laura and John Arnold Foundation $11.5 M
  6. Comic Relief $8.9 M
  7. Walton Family Foundation $8.3 M
  8. Lilly Endowment $7.5 M
  9. Foundation to Promote Open Society $6.5 M
  10. Oak Foundation $6.2 M
  11. Carnegie Corporation of New York $5.0 M
  12. American Jewish World Service - Donor Advised Funds $3.5 M
  13. The William Penn Foundation $3.5 M
  14. The Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation $3.4 M
  15. Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation $3.4 M
  16. Arcus Foundation $3.3 M
  17. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation $3.1 M
  18. Robina Foundation $3.0 M
  19. Big Lottery Fund $2.9 M
  20. College Futures Foundation $2.7 M
  21. Barr Foundation $2.7 M
  22. Silicon Valley Community Foundation $2.6 M
  23. National Endowment for Democracy $2.5 M
  24. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation $2.5 M
  25. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation $2.4 M
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

10%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$395.1 Million out of
$3.9 Billion for all rights
869 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. Italy $234.0 M
  2. Sweden $27.0 M
  3. European Union Institutions $23.4 M
  4. Norway $19.8 M
  5. Spain $15.2 M
  6. Finland $14.6 M
  7. United Kingdom $13.3 M
  8. Germany $12.9 M
  9. United States $7.3 M
  10. Canada $5.5 M
  11. Switzerland $5.2 M
  12. Netherlands $3.2 M
  13. Portugal $2.6 M
  14. Japan $2.4 M
  15. Inter-American Development Bank - Special Fund $1.7 M
  16. France $1.5 M
  17. Denmark $967.7 K
  18. Austria $886.1 K
  19. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) $672.9 K
  20. Iceland $544.9 K
  21. Korea $472.8 K
  22. Ireland $446.4 K
  23. Luxembourg $320.1 K
  24. United Arab Emirates $235.0 K
  25. Belgium $192.0 K
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings:      2016 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$5,153,948 (2%)
137 Grants (8%)

Caribbean

$1,115,190 (0%)
19 Grants (1%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$2,173,429 (1%)
82 Grants (5%)

Global Programs

$8,389,992 (3%)
45 Grants (3%)

Latin America & Mexico

$6,956,741 (3%)
242 Grants (14%)

Middle East & North Africa

$6,733,663 (2%)
56 Grants (3%)

North America

$210,788,289 (77%)
805 Grants (45%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$21,319,683 (8%)
242 Grants (14%)

Western Europe

$11,742,648 (4%)
167 Grants (9%)

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

    $133,880,778 (49%)
    816 Grants (46%)
  • Indigenous Peoples

    $27,576,844 (10%)
    295 Grants (17%)
  • Migrants & Refugees

    $18,445,405 (7%)
    169 Grants (9%)
  • Women & Girls

    $15,037,011 (6%)
    341 Grants (19%)
  • People with Disabilities

    $10,851,836 (4%)
    111 Grants (6%)
  • LGBTQI

    $6,316,220 (2%)
    142 Grants (8%)
  • Human Rights Defenders

    $110,340 (0%)
    11 Grants (1%)

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

    $112,297,186 (41%)
    874 Grants (49%)
  • Coalition-building and Collaboration

    $31,751,796 (12%)
    321 Grants (18%)
  • Capacity-building and Technical Assistance

    $24,491,699 (9%)
    365 Grants (20%)
  • Arts and Culture

    $19,907,669 (7%)
    318 Grants (18%)
  • Grassroots Organizing

    $18,909,025 (7%)
    186 Grants (10%)
  • Research and Documentation

    $14,781,195 (5%)
    107 Grants (6%)
  • Media and Technology

    $12,132,893 (4%)
    150 Grants (8%)
  • Litigation and Legal Aid

    $3,996,859 (1%)
    40 Grants (2%)
  • Scholarships and Travel

    $3,951,616 (1%)
    73 Grants (4%)

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.

Related Resources

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