Common Questions
» How was the Fund for Global Human Rights formed?
» What is the Fund’s grantmaking philosophy?
» Who is eligible to receive a grant from the Fund for Global Human Rights?
» Does the Fund for Global Human Rights make grants to individuals?
Answers
QUESTION: How was the Fund for Global Human Rights formed?
While
human rights work on the ground has steadily increased, the funding for
such activities has not. Concern about this gap prompted a number
of US and European funders to explore ways to support human rights
organizations and movements around the world. By establishing the Fund
for Global Human Rights, they sought to create opportunities for new
funding and the exchange of ideas, strategies and mutual support among
otherwise isolated human rights groups.
The Fund for Global Human Rights was formed with the support of private
foundations and individuals based in the US and Europe. The Fund
serves as a mechanism to deliver financial resources to frontline human
rights organizations and to facilitate access to technical assistance
to strengthen the skills of and amplify the voices of human rights
defenders.
QUESTION: What is the Fund’s grantmaking philosophy?
The
Fund seeks to serve as a resource for human rights organizations
working to strengthen their institutional capacity, forge new
initiatives, and pursue far-reaching strategies to promote human
rights. We welcome input from the human rights community as to
how to operate more effectively. Aside from resources, we ask
grantees what the Fund might offer that would be most useful to them
and other human rights organizations.
We aim to select grantees in the most thoughtful, transparent manner
possible, and then pursue relationships based on trust, a shared
understanding of expectations and responsibilities, mutual
accountability, and a commitment to advancing the state of human rights
around the world. In all cases, recipients are selected on the
merits of proposals and on their potential to effect human rights
concerns within their respective countries or regions. We also
rely on a growing network of informal advisors to help connect with
local human rights movements, learn about initiatives of high local and
regional importance and bring people who are rarely heard into the
philanthropic process. The Fund also works with its grantees to
expand their contacts and technical resources. The Fund has
responded to grantee requests by helping with fundraising; introducing
grantees to local, regional and international colleague organizations;
facilitating grantee participation in training programs; and nominating
grantees for high-profile human rights awards.
QUESTION: Who is eligible to receive a grant from the Fund for Global Human Rights?
The
Fund does not have thematic restrictions and supports organizations
working to address a wide range of human rights problems. For
example, some of the Fund’s current grantees defend indigenous land
rights in Guatemala, promote women’s rights in Morocco, struggle for
accountability for war crimes in West Africa, and fight the practice of
bonded labor (a form of slavery) in India.
The Fund defines human rights activities as those that seek to
challenge the structures of power so that they defend, protect and
promote human rights. The Fund does not support service-oriented
development projects, but will consider funding for organizations that
also conduct development or income generation activities for their work
to promote human rights.
Examples of activities implemented by Fund grantees include: mobilizing
popular opinion through human rights skills-building and organizing;
exposing abuse through documentation; addressing violations through
direct action, policy/legal reform and litigation; and networking and
coalition building to further the effectiveness of human rights
work. While the Fund currently awards one-year grants, we are
committed to supporting human rights organizations over the long term
and many grants are renewed. For more information on eligibility
requirements, please refer to the Fund’s current Request for Proposals.
» Find out more about eligibility requirements
QUESTION: Does the Fund for Global Human Rights make grants to individuals?
No.
The Fund for Global Human Rights does not make grants to individuals,
for any purpose, including money for businesses, scholarships, travel,
university-based research, or supporting activities directly or
indirectly intended to support candidates for political office.
