Top Foundation Funders

1. Comic Relief $3.3 M
2. NoVo Foundation $3.0 M
3. W.K. Kellogg Foundation $1.6 M
4. American Jewish World Service $1.6 M
5. Arcus Foundation $1.4 M
6. Wellspring Philanthropic Fund $1.3 M
7. Wal-Mart Foundation $1.1 M
8. Foundation to Promote Open Society $617.5 K
9. Ford Foundation $555.0 K
10. Schmidt Family Foundation $450.0 K
11. UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women $421.4 K
12. Charles LŽopold Mayer Foundation for Human Progress $353.1 K
13. Flora Family Foundation $302.5 K
14. Foundation for a Just Society $300.0 K
15. Sigrid Rausing Trust $271.7 K
16. Citi Foundation $220.0 K
17. EsmŽe Fairbairn Foundation $198.5 K
18. Freedom House $180.3 K
19. King Baudouin Foundation $166.0 K
20. Disability Rights Fund $163.5 K
21. Boston Foundation $157.5 K
22. Anonymous Funder 13 $154.0 K
23. Astraea Foundation $133.9 K
24. Summit Foundation $125.0 K
25. Tides Foundation $120.0 K
26. M = Millions

Foundation Funding by Issue

• Equality Rights and Freedom from Discrimination

  $9,688,791 (55%)
  64 Grants (33%)

• Civic and Political Participation

  $1,683,255 (10%)
  10 Grants (5%)

• Freedom from Violence

  $1,577,167 (9%)
  14 Grants (7%)

• Environmental and Resource Rights

  $1,327,517 (8%)
  27 Grants (14%)

• Access to Justice/Equality Before the Law

  $1,018,815 (6%)
  11 Grants (6%)

• Health and Well-being Rights

  $716,175 (4%)
  31 Grants (16%)

• Human Rights, General

  $505,389 (3%)
  9 Grants (5%)

• Expression and Information Rights

  $253,000 (1%)
  5 Grants (3%)

• Migration and Displacement

  $200,300 (1%)
  5 Grants (3%)

• Education, Religion, and Culture

  $193,765 (1%)
  4 Grants (2%)

• Sexual and Reproductive Rights

  $186,226 (1%)
  5 Grants (3%)

• Economic and Labor Rights

  $165,498 (1%)
  6 Grants (3%)

• Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding

  $38,531 (0%)
  4 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 Population

• Children & Youth

  $4,253,873 (24%)
  18 Grants (9%)

• LGBTQI

  $2,784,231 (16%)
  26 Grants (13%)

• Women & Girls

  $2,339,648 (13%)
  34 Grants (17%)

• People with Disabilities

  $711,863 (4%)
  20 Grants (10%)

• Migrants & Refugees

  $590,926 (3%)
  13 Grants (7%)

• Sex Workers

  $338,047 (2%)
  6 Grants (3%)

• Indigenous Peoples

  $271,864 (2%)
  7 Grants (4%)

• Human Rights Defenders

  $202,000 (1%)
  5 Grants (3%)

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

  $9,458,009 (54%)
  116 Grants (59%)

• Coalition-building and Collaboration

  $4,108,975 (23%)
  14 Grants (7%)

• Capacity-building and Technical Assistance

  $2,831,491 (16%)
  27 Grants (14%)

• Grassroots Organizing

  $1,232,963 (7%)
  21 Grants (11%)

• Research and Documentation

  $796,436 (5%)
  17 Grants (9%)

• Litigation and Legal Aid

  $702,505 (4%)
  6 Grants (3%)

• Media and Technology

  $380,800 (2%)
  9 Grants (5%)

• Arts and Culture

  $238,049 (1%)
  4 Grants (2%)

• Security and Resilience

  $155,000 (1%)
  2 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

• From Resolutions to Conventions: Achieving Recognition of SOGI Rights in the Americas