Population

Migrants & Refugees, 2015

Human rights funding for migrants and refugees protects and promotes their rights as described in the United Nations Refugee Convention and Migrant Workers Convention. This funding supports work to address the root causes that force people to leave their homes and combats the discrimination, exploitation, and violence they face in transit and destination. It funds initiatives to combat xenophobia and promote the full inclusion of migrants and refugees in their new communities.

 

 

11%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$277.4 Million out of
$2.4 Billion for all rights
2,491 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. Nationale Postcode Loterij $29.5 M
  2. Ford Foundation $27.8 M
  3. NoVo Foundation $18.1 M
  4. Carnegie Corporation of New York $13.3 M
  5. Oak Foundation $12.3 M
  6. Big Lottery Fund $11.3 M
  7. NEO Philanthropy $10.3 M
  8. Silicon Valley Community Foundation $10.1 M
  9. The Pershing Square Foundation $10.0 M
  10. Unbound Philanthropy $8.6 M
  11. The San Francisco Foundation $6.2 M
  12. Foundation to Promote Open Society $5.4 M
  13. The James Irvine Foundation $5.0 M
  14. Marguerite Casey Foundation $4.4 M
  15. Comic Relief $4.1 M
  16. The New York Community Trust $3.8 M
  17. Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund $3.6 M
  18. Humanity United $3.4 M
  19. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation $3.4 M
  20. The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation $3.1 M
  21. Tides Foundation $3.0 M
  22. The Freedom Fund - London $2.8 M
  23. The California Endowment $2.7 M
  24. The Tudor Trust $2.6 M
  25. New Israel Foundation $2.4 M
  26. M = Millions

Bilateral and Multilateral Funding

16%
Share of OECD
human rights funding

$576.7 Million out of
$3.7 Billion for all rights
750 Disbursements

Top Funders

  1. Italy $230.9 M
  2. Canada $107.8 M
  3. United States $52.5 M
  4. Norway $47.0 M
  5. European Union Institutions $44.6 M
  6. Australia $32.7 M
  7. Belgium $19.4 M
  8. Finland $8.0 M
  9. Switzerland $7.8 M
  10. Sweden $6.3 M
  11. Japan $4.6 M
  12. International Labour Organisation $4.5 M
  13. Germany $4.5 M
  14. Spain $2.0 M
  15. United Kingdom $1.6 M
  16. Netherlands $1.0 M
  17. Global Fund $515.4 K
  18. Iceland $223.3 K
  19. France $191.9 K
  20. Slovak Republic $183.0 K
  21. Ireland $130.7 K
  22. United Arab Emirates $72.7 K
  23. Poland $62.3 K
  24. Estonia $62.1 K
  25. Austria $33.1 K
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings:
2015 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$11,915,532 (4%)
182 Grants (7%)

Caribbean

$658,569 (0%)
22 Grants (1%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$3,487,845 (1%)
93 Grants (4%)

Global Programs

$45,560,347 (16%)
149 Grants (6%)

Latin America & Mexico

$9,055,535 (3%)
121 Grants (5%)

Middle East & North Africa

$9,239,975 (3%)
107 Grants (4%)

North America

$155,169,408 (56%)
1,293 Grants (52%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$6,164,938 (2%)
95 Grants (4%)

Western Europe

$41,218,764 (15%)
479 Grants (19%)

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

  • GE Foundation
    International Rescue Committee (United States)
    To assist thousands of refugees arriving daily on the island of Lesbos, Greece, and provide essential services and education on refugee rights.
  • The Pollination Project Foundation
    Craft for Empowerment Project (CEP) (Uganda)
    To equip South Sudanese refugee widows and child mothers with skills to make jewelry to increase their income generating potential.