Strategy

Advocacy, Systems Reform and Implementation, 2016

Influencing public policies and the allocation of resources and ensuring that existing laws are properly implemented with the intention of transforming fundamental structures of institutions and systems to protect and promote human rights.

43%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$1.2 Billion out of
$2.8 Billion for all rights
11,435 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. National Endowment for Democracy $121.0 M
  2. Oak Foundation $117.8 M
  3. Ford Foundation $88.4 M
  4. NoVo Foundation $76.9 M
  5. Foundation to Promote Open Society $64.8 M
  6. Foundation For The Carolinas $43.0 M
  7. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation $39.4 M
  8. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation $35.1 M
  9. Comic Relief $33.1 M
  10. The Sigrid Rausing Trust $31.6 M
  11. The California Endowment $27.4 M
  12. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation $26.4 M
  13. W.K. Kellogg Foundation $24.1 M
  14. NEO Philanthropy $17.1 M
  15. Big Lottery Fund $16.8 M
  16. Foundation for a Just Society $15.4 M
  17. Esmée Fairbairn Foundation $15.1 M
  18. American Jewish World Service $14.7 M
  19. The UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women $12.2 M
  20. Proteus Fund $11.5 M
  21. The James Irvine Foundation $11.0 M
  22. American Jewish World Service - Donor Advised Funds $11.0 M
  23. Silicon Valley Community Foundation $10.7 M
  24. ViiV Healthcare $10.4 M
  25. International Development Research Centre $10.2 M
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings:
2016 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$90,179,362 (8%)
1,537 Grants (13%)

Caribbean

$17,074,785 (1%)
233 Grants (2%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$52,177,224 (4%)
912 Grants (8%)

Global Programs

$139,443,218 (12%)
511 Grants (4%)

Latin America & Mexico

$84,064,145 (7%)
1,557 Grants (14%)

Middle East & North Africa

$39,294,349 (3%)
524 Grants (5%)

North America

$544,290,444 (45%)
3,406 Grants (30%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$152,855,182 (13%)
1,973 Grants (17%)

Western Europe

$100,235,319 (8%)
913 Grants (8%)

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 Population

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.