Top Foundation Funders

1. Oak Foundation $42.3 M
2. NoVo Foundation $22.7 M
3. Nationale Postcode Loterij $18.2 M
4. Big Lottery Fund $16.4 M
5. Comic Relief $13.2 M
6. Human Dignity Foundation $13.0 M
7. The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women $12.8 M
8. The Freedom Fund - London $9.9 M
9. The Atlantic Philanthropies $9.4 M
10. Humanity United $8.2 M
11. Tides Foundation $8.1 M
12. Freedom House $7.2 M
13. Foundation to Promote Open Society $7.0 M
14. Esmée Fairbairn Foundation $6.6 M
15. American Jewish World Service - Donor Advised Funds $6.3 M
16. Cordaid $5.1 M
17. The Sigrid Rausing Trust $4.4 M
18. EEA and Norway Grants $4.2 M
19. Proteus Fund $3.9 M
20. Fund For Global Human Rights $3.3 M
21. International Development Research Centre $3.2 M
22. Fundacja Batorego $3.0 M
23. Foundation for a Just Society $2.9 M
24. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation $2.6 M
25. The Global Fund for Women $2.3 M
26. M = Millions

Foundation Funding by Region

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

• Women & Girls

  $129,451,103 (46%)
  1,614 Grants (58%)

• Children & Youth

  $117,440,512 (42%)
  886 Grants (32%)

• Migrants & Refugees

  $28,358,636 (10%)
  301 Grants (11%)

• LGBTQI

  $11,615,210 (4%)
  331 Grants (12%)

• Human Rights Defenders

  $9,361,802 (3%)
  192 Grants (7%)

• People with Disabilities

  $8,760,647 (3%)
  101 Grants (4%)

• Indigenous Peoples

  $8,141,995 (3%)
  92 Grants (3%)

• Sex Workers

  $2,965,007 (1%)
  67 Grants (2%)

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

  $183,373,917 (65%)
  1,811 Grants (65%)

• Capacity-building and Technical Assistance

  $70,400,236 (25%)
  546 Grants (19%)

• Public Engagement and Awareness-raising

  $50,670,470 (18%)
  590 Grants (21%)

• Coalition-building and Collaboration

  $42,415,123 (15%)
  554 Grants (20%)

• Research and Documentation

  $34,129,865 (12%)
  313 Grants (11%)

• Media and Technology

  $28,911,064 (10%)
  289 Grants (10%)

• Grassroots Organizing

  $27,465,839 (10%)
  285 Grants (10%)

• Litigation and Legal Aid

  $12,981,966 (5%)
  153 Grants (5%)

• Arts and Culture

  $9,443,685 (3%)
  152 Grants (5%)

• Security and Resilience

  $2,700,113 (1%)
  27 Grants (1%)

• Scholarships and Travel

  $469,432 (0%)
  41 Grants (1%)

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

• Funder The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women
  Recipient Amref Health Africa (Tanzania)
  Description To curb female genital mutilation.
• Funder Humanity United
  Recipient Global Fairness Initiative and GoodWeave (United States)
  Description To lead the Better Brick Nepal Program to eliminate child, bonded, and forced labor on brick kilns and improve working conditions by incentivizing kiln owners to reform practices

Related Resources

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• Leading and Supporting Robust Public Advocacy Campaigns
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