The United Nations
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) administers the United Nations’ funds to support civil society actors and organisations working towards the strengthening of human rights. There are five main grants offered; the OHCHR Humanitarian Funds for victims of torture and slavery, the Fund for Indigenous Population, the Special Fund of the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against torture, the Assisting Community together project, and the UN Democracy Fund. The UN developed a manual for NGO workers to better understand how to access their resources and working with them. The manual is free to download here.
Private Foundations
There are many private foundations willing to sponsor projects dedicated to human rights. Here you will find a selection of major organisations to give you ideas of whom to approach in relation to the geographical region in which you work.
1) The Ford Foundation was established in 1936 to financially support projects aiming to create a more just global society. In 2011, the Foundation received 40,000 applications and granted 1,400 projects. Thus, remember to apply well in advance, as the waiting list is long. The Foundation sponsors projects developed in the United States, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The priority areas of the Foundation are: to strengthen democratic values, to reduce poverty and injustice, to advance human knowledge, creativity and achievements. If your project falls in one of the priority areas, you should submit a Grant Enquiry for first assessment.
2) The Open Society Foundations work to build more tolerant societies through the funding of several projects around the world. There are four separate funding schemes open to organisations working in the field of human rights with geographical restrictions. The Human Rights Data Initiative focuses on human rights organisations and their use of data; The Human Rights Fund supports human-rights related organisations across Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Mongolia; the Marek Nowicki Small Grants Fund supports initiatives from the Commonwealth of Independent States; and The Women’s Rights Fund promotes human rights in Central and Easter Europe and Mongolia.
3) The Arab Human Rights Fund was launched in 2008 to provide financial assistance to organisations based in Arab speaking countries to strengthen their activities and human rights in the region. In order to apply for a grant, whose maximum budget is of $ 40,000, candidates must register their profiles through the Fund’s Internet portal and fill in the relevant documents.
4) KIOS The Finnish NGO Foundation for Human Rights was born in 1998 as a consortium of eleven Finnish organisations working for human rights with the intent to fund projects in developing countries. For 2011-2015, the geographical focuses of KIOS are East Africa (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda) and South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet). KIOS does not sponsor international NGOs, political and religious organisations, and Nordic organisations. Candidates should submit their proposals online and via KIOS’ portal. A helpful guide on how to write and submit applications is also available here.
5) The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) supports initiatives dedicated to the growth and strengthening of democratic institutions. NED works in more than 90 countries around the globe. Candidates shall submit their proposals before one of the four annual deadlines (September, January, April, and June). The average grant amounts to $ 50,000.
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