Population

Human Rights Defenders, 2013

Human rights defenders promote and protect human rights through peaceful means individually or/and with others. They may collect and disseminate information on violations, support victims of abuse, or seek accountability and an end to impunity. Human rights funding for human rights defenders supports their protection needs, enhancing their resilience and developing a more enabling environment for their work. It includes rapid response and longer-term capacity-building support.

1%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$16.1 Million out of
$2.3 Billion for all rights
373 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. The Oak Foundation $4.3 M
  2. Freedom House $2.0 M
  3. American Jewish World Service $1.8 M
  4. Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders $1.7 M
  5. Open Society Foundations $960.0 K
  6. National Endowment for Democracy $945.2 K
  7. Fondo Centroamericano de Mujeres $841.0 K
  8. The Sigrid Rausing Trust $625.7 K
  9. Hivos $548.5 K
  10. Fund For Global Human Rights $514.6 K
  11. Mama Cash $411.0 K
  12. Ford Foundation $300.0 K
  13. Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights $285.6 K
  14. Urgent Action Fund - Africa $268.7 K
  15. New Israel Fund $214.6 K
  16. Fondo de Acción Urgente de America Latina $206.6 K
  17. Akiba Uhaki Foundation $200.0 K
  18. The Open Technology Fund $109.1 K
  19. Norwegian Human Rights Fund $90.0 K
  20. The Overbrook Foundation $80.0 K
  21. Humanity United $70.0 K
  22. KIOS-The Finnish NGO Foundation for Human Rights $54.9 K
  23. Tides Foundation $50.0 K
  24. Wallace Global Fund II $45.0 K
  25. Channel Foundation $28.0 K
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

1%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$34.7 Million out of
$3.7 Billion for all rights
169 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. Sweden $14.1 M
  2. Norway $7.1 M
  3. European Union Institutions $6.1 M
  4. United States $1.6 M
  5. Switzerland $1.4 M
  6. Netherlands $1.3 M
  7. Finland $1.1 M
  8. Denmark $497.9 K
  9. Germany $430.7 K
  10. Canada $411.4 K
  11. Ireland $389.0 K
  12. United Kingdom $157.9 K
  13. Belgium $132.8 K
  14. Czech Republic $7.6 K
  15. M = Millions

Key Findings:
2013 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$1,308,748 (8%)
48 Grants (13%)

Caribbean

$1,076,599 (7%)
6 Grants (2%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$210,892 (1%)
21 Grants (6%)

Global Programs

$3,457,190 (21%)
12 Grants (3%)

Latin America & Mexico

$3,446,679 (21%)
85 Grants (23%)

Middle East & North Africa

$2,890,725 (18%)
114 Grants (31%)

North America

$2,386,067 (15%)
18 Grants (5%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$2,172,955 (13%)
68 Grants (18%)

Western Europe

$265,445 (2%)
6 Grants (2%)

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 Issue

Issue totals include foundation funding that could be identified as meant to address a specific issue. In order to provide unique totals and avoid double-counting, each foundation grant has been assigned to exactly one issue category within the human rights taxonomy.

Foundation Funding by Intersecting Populations

In order to show the intersections of multiple population groups, these graphics indicate other population groups supported within funding towards the group highlighted on this page.

Foundation Funding by Strategy

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

  • Urgent Action Fund - Africa
    Human IS Right (Cameroon)
    To continue the organization's work on current land issues and the imprisonment of 6 women rights activists.
  • Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders
    anonymous NGO (Syria)
    To issue comprehensive reports on violations against minorities in Syria and to submit complaints in relation to these violations before the international mechanisms, including the UN.

Grants in this category include those that explicitly reference human rights defenders in the grant description, as well as grants from funders that identified all of their funding as supporting this population.