The Fund for Global Human Rights seeks to strengthen the human rights movement globally through grantmaking to local, national and regional human rights organizations. Over the past decade, efforts to promote human rights have proliferated around the world, with activists often working under adverse and even dangerous conditions. Despite this critical work by grassroots human rights activists and increasing attention to human rights problems, many organizations on the front lines of the human rights struggle have little or no access to the resources they need to expand the scope and impact of their work. The FGHR is devoted to meeting the needs of these organizations by facilitating support for them where the need is great and the resources limited.

History

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.

At its January 2001 meeting, the International Human Rights Funders Group , a philanthropic association (affinity group) representing over eighty foundations and donors, created a committee to address the urgent need for resources for small human rights organizations worldwide. The committee developed a concept for the creation of an intermediary that would link funders with organizations in need of support. The concept was overwhelmingly endorsed by IHRFG at its July 2001 meeting and led to the creation of the Fund for Global Human Rights in 2002 with $1.6 million in initial seed money from Oak Foundation, Ruben and Elisabeth Rausing Trust, Moriah Fund, Ford Foundation, Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, The Philanthropic Collaborative, Anonymous, Open Society Institute, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Diamondston Foundation, and Global Greengrants, and two individuals.

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. Since grantmaking began in 2003, the Fund has disbursed over $4 million to over 140 human rights organizations in five regions of the world, $2 million of which was disbursed in 2005.

What the Fund Can Do For Donors:

The Fund makes it possible for funders to help vital and developing human rights organizations to strengthen their institutional capacity, forge new initiatives, and pursue far-reaching strategies to promote human rights. FGHR will:

• put donors in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere in touch with local, national and regional human rights organizations;
• provide a cost-efficient way for large foundations to deliver resources to small human rights groups that fall below their funding level screens; and
• enable private foundations and individual donors to make grants in this area without needing themselves to investigate, screen and monitor grants in other countries.

What the Fund Can Do for Grant Seekers:

The Fund seeks to assist local, national and regional human rights organizations by:

• facilitating their access to donors in the United States, Europe and elsewhere;
• identifying their resource needs and providing the support they require; and
• creating opportunities for the exchange of ideas, strategies and mutual support among otherwise isolated human rights groups.