20%
Share of foundation
human rights funding
$752.1 Million out of
$3.7 Billion for all rights
6,439 Grants
Top Foundation Funders
- Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation $126.5 M
- NoVo Foundation $123.9 M
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $68.6 M
- Ford Foundation $59.0 M
- Wellspring Philanthropic Fund $33.8 M
- Oak Foundation $28.7 M
- Foundation for a Just Society $23.3 M
- Foundation to Promote Open Society $22.5 M
- Comic Relief $16.9 M
- William and Flora Hewlett Foundation $13.9 M
- David and Lucile Packard Foundation $10.3 M
- UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women $9.7 M
- Silicon Valley Community Foundation $9.5 M
- Kendeda Fund $7.9 M
- Global Fund for Women $7.8 M
- Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors $5.9 M
- African Women's Development Fund $5.8 M
- Sigrid Rausing Trust $5.1 M
- Hivos $5.1 M
- Mama Cash $5.1 M
- Global Greengrants Fund $4.6 M
- Tides Foundation $4.5 M
- American Jewish World Service $4.4 M
- JPB Foundation $4.0 M
- EsmŽe Fairbairn Foundation $3.7 M
- M = Millions
Bilateral and Multilateral Funding
26%
Share of OECD
human rights funding
$1.3 Billion out of
$5.0 Billion for all rights
4,475 Disbursements
Top Funders
- Sweden $335.7 M
- Spain $85.7 M
- United Kingdom $85.4 M
- United States $84.6 M
- Norway $76.7 M
- Netherlands $74.2 M
- Australia $73.3 M
- Finland $60.2 M
- European Union Institutions $57.7 M
- Germany $57.1 M
- Japan $55.6 M
- International Development Association $45.1 M
- Switzerland $36.0 M
- Denmark $30.8 M
- Italy $29.6 M
- Belgium $29.1 M
- Canada $25.6 M
- Ireland $10.5 M
- Korea $7.6 M
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) $6.9 M
- France $5.6 M
- Austria $5.5 M
- Iceland $4.1 M
- African Development Fund (African Development Fund) $3.7 M
- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) $3.5 M
- M = Millions
Foundation Funding by Region
Asia & Pacific
$57,704,142 (8%)
820 Grants (13%)
Caribbean
$2,339,648 (0%)
34 Grants (1%)
Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia
$15,223,877 (2%)
441 Grants (7%)
Global Programs
$150,059,974 (20%)
329 Grants (5%)
Latin America & Mexico
$66,988,089 (9%)
1,190 Grants (18%)
Middle East & North Africa
$29,953,657 (4%)
299 Grants (5%)
North America
$322,317,074 (43%)
1,991 Grants (31%)
Sub-Saharan Africa
$122,325,530 (16%)
1,107 Grants (17%)
Western Europe
$23,115,659 (3%)
301 Grants (5%)
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
Sexual and Reproductive Rights
$229,630,811 (31%)
799 Grants (12%)Equality Rights and Freedom from Discrimination
$143,920,082 (19%)
1,609 Grants (25%)Freedom from Violence
$137,121,796 (18%)
1,011 Grants (16%)Environmental and Resource Rights
$40,085,553 (5%)
925 Grants (14%)Economic and Labor Rights
$39,419,242 (5%)
277 Grants (4%)Migration and Displacement
$34,279,391 (5%)
180 Grants (3%)Human Rights, General
$28,305,829 (4%)
407 Grants (6%)Health and Well-being Rights
$28,301,629 (4%)
385 Grants (6%)Access to Justice/Equality Before the Law
$22,213,591 (3%)
140 Grants (2%)Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding
$19,915,677 (3%)
267 Grants (4%)Civic and Political Participation
$8,735,435 (1%)
115 Grants (2%)Expression and Information Rights
$4,294,453 (1%)
127 Grants (2%)
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
Children & Youth
$169,031,225 (22%)
1,570 Grants (24%)Migrants & Refugees
$79,279,862 (11%)
480 Grants (7%)Indigenous Peoples
$41,193,067 (5%)
721 Grants (11%)LGBTQI
$20,945,698 (3%)
232 Grants (4%)Human Rights Defenders
$19,783,589 (3%)
285 Grants (4%)People with Disabilities
$11,205,975 (1%)
153 Grants (2%)Sex Workers
$2,823,611 (0%)
71 Grants (1%)
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
Advocacy, Systems Reform and Implementation
$342,493,533 (46%)
2,897 Grants (45%)Capacity-building and Technical Assistance
$143,984,207 (19%)
1,563 Grants (24%)Coalition-building and Collaboration
$90,050,840 (12%)
792 Grants (12%)Grassroots Organizing
$46,699,008 (6%)
864 Grants (13%)Media and Technology
$37,970,845 (5%)
485 Grants (8%)Research and Documentation
$26,104,682 (3%)
285 Grants (4%)Litigation and Legal Aid
$13,640,341 (2%)
134 Grants (2%)Arts and Culture
$12,545,100 (2%)
187 Grants (3%)Security and Resilience
$7,197,400 (1%)
52 Grants (1%)Scholarships and Travel
$753,379 (0%)
50 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.
Related Resources
- Documenting Human Rights Violations: Increasing Recognition of Civil and Political Rights in Burma
- Rapid Response Grantmaking: A Successful Strategy to Protect Women's Human Rights
- Strengthening Women’s Voices and Supporting Women’s Movements
- Taking Advantage of Seasoned Activists to Expand and Strengthen Human Rights Movements
- The Value of Flexible Funding in International Human Rights Grantmaking
197 Grants (3%)