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Advancing Human Rights

The State of Global Foundation Grantmaking

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  • Years
    • 2011 - 2015
    • 2018
    • 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, 2018

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.

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  • Trends, 2011 - 2015
  • 2018
  • 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

11%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$414.9 Million out of
$3.7 Billion for all rights
1,729 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $72.4 M
  2. W.K. Kellogg Foundation $35.3 M
  3. William and Flora Hewlett Foundation $19.8 M
  4. Andrew W. Mellon Foundation $18.6 M
  5. Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation $15.2 M
  6. Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation $13.1 M
  7. Walton Family Foundation $12.2 M
  8. NoVo Foundation $11.3 M
  9. Ford Foundation $9.2 M
  10. Foundation to Promote Open Society $9.0 M
  11. Silicon Valley Community Foundation $7.5 M
  12. San Francisco Foundation $7.3 M
  13. Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund $7.2 M
  14. Raikes Foundation $6.9 M
  15. Joseph B. Whitehead Foundation $6.9 M
  16. Carnegie Corporation of New York $5.9 M
  17. John Templeton Foundation $5.5 M
  18. Alfred P. Sloan Foundation $5.5 M
  19. Charles Stewart Mott Foundation $4.7 M
  20. Community Foundation of New Jersey $3.8 M
  21. Wellspring Philanthropic Fund $3.7 M
  22. Laura and John Arnold Foundation $3.6 M
  23. New York Community Trust $3.5 M
  24. Joyce Foundation $3.3 M
  25. Paul Hamlyn Foundation $3.2 M
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

4%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$222.4 Million out of
$5.0 Billion for all rights
1,173 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. Sweden $36.3 M
  2. Switzerland $23.3 M
  3. Norway $21.6 M
  4. Finland $21.5 M
  5. Spain $20.9 M
  6. European Union Institutions $15.9 M
  7. United Arab Emirates $11.9 M
  8. United States $11.3 M
  9. Germany $11.2 M
  10. Australia $8.8 M
  11. Canada $8.7 M
  12. Denmark $5.0 M
  13. Korea $5.0 M
  14. France $4.8 M
  15. Netherlands $4.4 M
  16. Italy $4.3 M
  17. Belgium $2.9 M
  18. New Zealand $902.5 K
  19. United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) $834.1 K
  20. Austria $617.1 K
  21. Luxembourg $331.7 K
  22. World Tourism Organisation $330.8 K
  23. Ireland $311.9 K
  24. Iceland $305.6 K
  25. United Kingdom $248.0 K
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings:      2018 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$5,375,410 (1%)
72 Grants (4%)

Caribbean

$193,765 (0%)
4 Grants (0%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$1,324,835 (0%)
49 Grants (3%)

Global Programs

$14,607,124 (4%)
39 Grants (2%)

Latin America & Mexico

$3,288,065 (1%)
60 Grants (3%)

Middle East & North Africa

$5,043,271 (1%)
45 Grants (3%)

North America

$368,138,184 (89%)
1,245 Grants (72%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$7,614,208 (2%)
113 Grants (7%)

Western Europe

$10,631,114 (3%)
108 Grants (6%)

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

    $245,249,191 (59%)
    895 Grants (52%)
  • Migrants & Refugees

    $30,022,289 (7%)
    138 Grants (8%)
  • Indigenous Peoples

    $17,396,758 (4%)
    69 Grants (4%)
  • Women & Girls

    $15,903,917 (4%)
    197 Grants (11%)
  • LGBTQI

    $5,480,013 (1%)
    68 Grants (4%)
  • People with Disabilities

    $3,766,701 (1%)
    71 Grants (4%)
  • Human Rights Defenders

    $285,000 (0%)
    3 Grants (0%)
  • Sex Workers

    $19,110 (0%)
    1 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

    $136,734,610 (33%)
    533 Grants (31%)
  • Capacity-building and Technical Assistance

    $51,863,214 (12%)
    223 Grants (13%)
  • Coalition-building and Collaboration

    $43,440,514 (10%)
    143 Grants (8%)
  • Research and Documentation

    $22,033,328 (5%)
    72 Grants (4%)
  • Media and Technology

    $15,283,941 (4%)
    72 Grants (4%)
  • Scholarships and Travel

    $14,920,938 (4%)
    31 Grants (2%)
  • Arts and Culture

    $14,393,068 (3%)
    62 Grants (4%)
  • Grassroots Organizing

    $3,497,139 (1%)
    37 Grants (2%)
  • Litigation and Legal Aid

    $1,563,845 (0%)
    13 Grants (1%)
  • Security and Resilience

    $265,000 (0%)
    2 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.

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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