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Advancing Human Rights

The State of Global Foundation Grantmaking

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  • Years
    • 2011 - 2015
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
  • Regions
    • Asia & Pacific
    • Caribbean
    • Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia
    • Global Programs
    • Latin America & Mexico
    • Middle East & North Africa
    • North America
    • Sub-Saharan Africa
    • Western Europe
  • Issues
    • Access to Justice/Equality Before the Law
    • Civic and Political Participation
    • Economic and Labor Rights
    • Education, Religion, and Culture
    • Environmental and Resource Rights
    • Equality Rights and Freedom from Discrimination
    • Expression and Information Rights
    • Freedom from Violence
    • Health and Well-being Rights
    • Human Rights, General
    • Migration and Displacement
    • Sexual and Reproductive Rights
    • Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding
  • Populations
    • Children & Youth
    • Human Rights Defenders
    • Indigenous Peoples
    • LGBTQI
    • Migrants & Refugees
    • People with Disabilities
    • Sex Workers
    • Women & Girls
  • Strategies
    • Advocacy, Systems Reform and Implementation
    • Arts and Culture
    • Capacity-building and Technical Assistance
    • Coalition-building and Collaboration
    • Grassroots Organizing
    • Litigation and Legal Aid
    • Media and Technology
    • Research and Documentation
    • Scholarships and Travel
    • Security and Resilience
  • Bi/Multilateral
Strategy

Litigation and Legal Aid, 2014

Taking legal action to establish progressive jurisprudence to advance human rights, instigate reform of national laws which do not comply with international human rights standards, and enable individuals and communities to seek remedies for human rights violations. Ensuring all people have equitable access to legal assistance and representation.

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  • Trends, 2011 - 2015
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  • 2017
  • 2016
  • 2015
  • 2014
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  • 2012
  • 2011
Explore:
Select a Section
  • Top Foundation Funders
  • Regional Focus
  • Issue Focus
  • Population Focus
  • Sample Grants

3%
Share of foundation
human rights funding

$72.0 Million out of
$2.7 Billion for all rights
519 Grants

Top Foundation Funders

  1. The Atlantic Philanthropies $11.7 M
  2. Ford Foundation $9.4 M
  3. NoVo Foundation $7.0 M
  4. The Sigrid Rausing Trust $6.7 M
  5. The JPB Foundation $6.3 M
  6. National Endowment for Democracy $6.2 M
  7. Open Society Foundations $4.8 M
  8. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation $3.4 M
  9. The Oak Foundation $2.3 M
  10. NEO Philanthropy $2.1 M
  11. EEA and Norway Grants $1.6 M
  12. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation $1.4 M
  13. Proteus Fund $1.4 M
  14. Fund For Global Human Rights $1.3 M
  15. American Jewish World Service $1.2 M
  16. Unbound Philanthropy $1.1 M
  17. Public Welfare Foundation $1.1 M
  18. Hivos $1.0 M
  19. Carnegie Corporation of New York $1.0 M
  20. Open Society Institute Budapest Foundation $633.4 K
  21. Trust for London $614.2 K
  22. Arcus Foundation $500.0 K
  23. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria $426.4 K
  24. Elton John AIDS Foundation $410.2 K
  25. Brazil Human Rights Fund $405.6 K
  26. M = Millions

Key Findings:
2014 Funding

Key Findings

Foundation Funding by Region

Asia & Pacific

$7,085,800 (10%)
86 Grants (17%)

Caribbean

$491,968 (1%)
5 Grants (1%)

Eastern Europe, Central Asia, & Russia

$5,914,953 (8%)
71 Grants (14%)

Global Programs

$7,207,741 (10%)
25 Grants (5%)

Latin America & Mexico

$7,222,000 (10%)
76 Grants (15%)

Middle East & North Africa

$2,983,100 (4%)
30 Grants (6%)

North America

$32,012,496 (44%)
127 Grants (24%)

Sub-Saharan Africa

$6,145,398 (9%)
71 Grants (14%)

Western Europe

$4,953,358 (7%)
43 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

  • Access to Justice/Equality Before the Law

    $18,097,830 (25%)
    64 Grants (12%)
  • Freedom from Violence

    $12,616,681 (18%)
    96 Grants (18%)
  • Equality Rights and Freedom from Discrimination

    $6,657,007 (9%)
    52 Grants (10%)
  • Civic and Political Participation

    $6,035,657 (8%)
    34 Grants (7%)
  • Human Rights, General

    $5,364,595 (7%)
    31 Grants (6%)
  • Migration and Displacement

    $4,999,854 (7%)
    41 Grants (8%)
  • Economic and Labor Rights

    $4,003,956 (6%)
    24 Grants (5%)
  • Health and Well-being Rights

    $3,310,285 (5%)
    25 Grants (5%)
  • Environmental and Resource Rights

    $2,638,289 (4%)
    55 Grants (11%)
  • Education, Religion, and Culture

    $2,624,995 (4%)
    34 Grants (7%)
  • Sexual and Reproductive Rights

    $2,616,050 (4%)
    19 Grants (4%)
  • Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding

    $1,851,289 (3%)
    25 Grants (5%)
  • Expression and Information Rights

    $1,159,826 (2%)
    19 Grants (4%)

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

  • Migrants & Refugees

    $14,757,551 (21%)
    82 Grants (16%)
  • Women & Girls

    $13,745,629 (19%)
    133 Grants (26%)
  • Children & Youth

    $11,057,910 (15%)
    61 Grants (12%)
  • LGBTQI

    $5,098,594 (7%)
    46 Grants (9%)
  • Indigenous Peoples

    $3,574,743 (5%)
    46 Grants (9%)
  • People with Disabilities

    $2,164,177 (3%)
    14 Grants (3%)
  • Human Rights Defenders

    $1,112,460 (2%)
    43 Grants (8%)
  • Sex Workers

    $71,360 (0%)
    5 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.

Sample Grants

  • The Atlantic Philanthropies
    Reprieve (United Kingdom)
    To reduce excessive and abusive U.S. counter-terrorism practices through litigation and other legal advocacy strategies.
  • The Fund for Global Human Rights
    Unissons-Nous pour la Promotion des Batwa (Burundi)
    To provide legal representation to Batwa victims of discrimination in strategic legal cases in national and regional courts.

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