8%
Share of foundation
human rights funding
$204.9 Million out of
$2.7 Billion for all rights
2,209 Grants
Top Foundation Funders
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $55.4 M
- National Endowment for Democracy $26.4 M
- Ford Foundation $17.4 M
- Open Society Foundations $16.8 M
- The Oak Foundation $8.7 M
- Hivos $8.3 M
- Cordaid $6.1 M
- American Jewish World Service $5.2 M
- Open Doors International $4.8 M
- NoVo Foundation $2.9 M
- Comic Relief $2.8 M
- Humanity United $2.8 M
- Mensen met een Missie $2.6 M
- The Coca-Cola Foundation $2.5 M
- Freedom House $2.4 M
- The Kendeda Fund $2.4 M
- The Global Fund for Women $2.1 M
- Foundation for a Just Society $2.0 M
- Human Dignity Foundation $2.0 M
- Open Society Institute Budapest Foundation $1.9 M
- Nationale Postcode Loterij $1.8 M
- The Sigrid Rausing Trust $1.7 M
- Mama Cash $1.6 M
- Fund For Global Human Rights $1.6 M
- Global Greengrants Fund $1.5 M
- M = Millions
Bilateral and Multilateral Funding
19%
Share of OECD
human rights funding
$733.1 Million out of
$3.8 Billion for all rights
3,189 Disbursements
Top Funders
- Australia $115.5 M
- United Kingdom $82.2 M
- Sweden $76.4 M
- European Union Institutions $64.6 M
- United States $58.6 M
- Canada $56.4 M
- Norway $56.0 M
- Germany $42.2 M
- Finland $36.5 M
- Denmark $28.4 M
- Switzerland $25.7 M
- United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) $19.1 M
- Netherlands $10.4 M
- Belgium $7.6 M
- Italy $7.3 M
- United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) $6.6 M
- Korea $6.6 M
- Asian Development Bank Special Funds $5.7 M
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) $5.0 M
- Spain $3.7 M
- Japan $2.6 M
- United Nations Peacebuilding Fund (UNPBF) $2.5 M
- Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) $2.4 M
- Luxembourg $2.3 M
- New Zealand $2.0 M
- M = Millions
Foundation Funding by Issue
Health and Well-being Rights
$38,767,933 (19%)
148 Grants (7%)Sexual and Reproductive Rights
$26,179,376 (13%)
54 Grants (2%)Expression and Information Rights
$24,564,529 (12%)
149 Grants (7%)Freedom from Violence
$18,839,795 (9%)
360 Grants (16%)Civic and Political Participation
$15,984,254 (8%)
149 Grants (7%)Equality Rights and Freedom from Discrimination
$12,836,604 (6%)
341 Grants (15%)Environmental and Resource Rights
$11,742,744 (6%)
368 Grants (17%)Economic and Labor Rights
$9,249,638 (5%)
128 Grants (6%)Human Rights, General
$8,922,745 (4%)
58 Grants (3%)Access to Justice/Equality Before the Law
$8,741,955 (4%)
64 Grants (3%)Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding
$4,875,745 (2%)
82 Grants (4%)Migration and Displacement
$2,023,998 (1%)
22 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
Women & Girls
$66,375,091 (32%)
801 Grants (36%)Children & Youth
$54,221,009 (26%)
531 Grants (24%)Indigenous Peoples
$11,828,210 (6%)
249 Grants (11%)Migrants & Refugees
$8,677,977 (4%)
123 Grants (6%)LGBTQI
$5,145,749 (3%)
132 Grants (6%)People with Disabilities
$3,237,327 (2%)
133 Grants (6%)Human Rights Defenders
$2,860,018 (1%)
80 Grants (4%)Sex Workers
$616,928 (0%)
26 Grants (1%)
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
$73,062,115 (36%)
764 Grants (35%)Capacity-building and Technical Assistance
$30,611,220 (15%)
446 Grants (20%)Research and Documentation
$29,518,802 (14%)
260 Grants (12%)Media and Technology
$21,210,326 (10%)
261 Grants (12%)Coalition-building and Collaboration
$11,910,117 (6%)
348 Grants (16%)Litigation and Legal Aid
$7,085,800 (3%)
86 Grants (4%)Grassroots Organizing
$5,482,934 (3%)
138 Grants (6%)Arts and Culture
$4,149,935 (2%)
134 Grants (6%)Security and Resilience
$1,446,013 (1%)
10 Grants (0%)Scholarships and Travel
$294,543 (0%)
32 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
-
Tewa
Sahayatri Samaj Nepal
For a legal counselling service that supports victimized women to file, document, and follow up on cases and to advocate and organize awareness programs on women's rights issues. -
Comic Relief UK
Dhaka Ahsania Mission (United Kingdom)
To provide a safe space for Dhaka's disadvantaged street and working children to rest, wash, eat, play, study, learn new skills, and receive healthcare.
Related Resources
- Documenting Human Rights Violations: Increasing Recognition of Civil and Political Rights in Burma
- Investing in a New Era of Global Human Rights Leadership
- 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
286 Grants (13%)