Top Foundation Funders

1. Comic Relief UK $53.1 M
2. Ford Foundation $23.0 M
3. American Jewish World Service $15.0 M
4. National Endowment for Democracy $13.9 M
5. The Atlantic Philanthropies $13.4 M
6. Hivos $12.7 M
7. Open Society Foundations $10.6 M
8. Humanity United $8.7 M
9. The Foundation for Civil Society $6.8 M
10. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation $5.9 M
11. UN Women's Fund for Gender Equality $4.8 M
12. Tides Foundation $4.7 M
13. The Sigrid Rausing Trust $4.7 M
14. Cordaid $4.5 M
15. The Oak Foundation $4.5 M
16. Nationale Postcode Loterij $4.0 M
17. Bloomberg Philanthropies $3.8 M
18. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation $3.6 M
19. Mensen met een Missie $3.4 M
20. Human Dignity Foundation $2.5 M
21. Freedom House $2.3 M
22. Fund For Global Human Rights $2.2 M
23. African Women's Development Fund $2.1 M
24. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation $2.1 M
25. NIKE Foundation $2.0 M
26. M = Millions

Foundation Funding by Issue

• Human Rights, General

  $40,347,552 (17%)
  656 Grants (25%)

• Equality Rights and Freedom from Discrimination

  $40,302,664 (17%)
  495 Grants (19%)

• Freedom from Violence

  $37,015,104 (16%)
  269 Grants (10%)

• Environmental and Resource Rights

  $24,626,025 (10%)
  280 Grants (11%)

• Sexual and Reproductive Rights

  $22,269,022 (9%)
  127 Grants (5%)

• Education, religion, and culture

  $17,123,956 (7%)
  196 Grants (7%)

• Economic and Labor Rights

  $15,286,917 (6%)
  151 Grants (6%)

• Health and Well-being Rights

  $12,370,783 (5%)
  179 Grants (7%)

• Access to Justice/Equality Before the Law

  $10,147,886 (4%)
  106 Grants (4%)

• Civic and Political Participation

  $7,717,203 (3%)
  57 Grants (2%)

• Expression and Information Rights

  $5,352,207 (2%)
  77 Grants (3%)

• Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding

  $3,972,788 (2%)
  41 Grants (2%)

• Migration and Displacement

  $708,536 (0%)
  14 Grants (1%)

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 Population

• Economically Disadvantaged

  $120,061,380 (51%)
  656 Grants (25%)

• Women & Girls

  $98,436,403 (41%)
  1,134 Grants (43%)

• Children & Youth

  $65,009,965 (27%)
  626 Grants (24%)

• Crime or Abuse Victims

  $55,929,003 (24%)
  417 Grants (16%)

• People with AIDS

  $25,341,139 (11%)
  308 Grants (12%)

• LGBTQI

  $13,325,722 (6%)
  155 Grants (6%)

• Ethnic or Racial Minorities

  $8,788,354 (4%)
  131 Grants (5%)

• People with Disabilities

  $8,673,643 (4%)
  204 Grants (8%)

• Migrants & Refugees

  $4,295,991 (2%)
  73 Grants (3%)

• Indigenous Peoples

  $3,916,865 (2%)
  78 Grants (3%)

• Offenders & Ex-Offenders

  $2,978,529 (1%)
  43 Grants (2%)

• Sex Workers

  $1,910,375 (1%)
  51 Grants (2%)

• Human Rights Defenders

  $1,718,924 (1%)
  71 Grants (3%)

• Substance Abusers

  $427,340 (0%)
  11 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.

Sample Grants

• Funder Rockefeller Foundation
  Recipient Forum for African Women Educationalists (Kenya)
  Description To promote gender and education equity in Africa by fostering positive policies, practices, and attitudes toward girls' education.
• Funder Foundation for Civil Society
  Recipient Chama Cha Walemavu Wa Viungo Tanzania
  Description To promote the rights of people with disabilities in Kagera region.

Related Resources

• Funding at the Intersection of Governance and Sustainable Development to Achieve Human Rights
• Holding Corporations Accountable: Shell in the Niger Delta
• Investing in a New Era of Global Human Rights Leadership
• Leading and Supporting Robust Public Advocacy Campaigns