Security & Human Rights
Most Recent
Headed by a Billionaire and a Movie Star, a Foundation Fights Gender-Based Violence
The Kering Foundation, affiliated with the French luxury goods company, is putting a star-studded focus on a deeply underfunded problem affecting women across the globe.
One in Three Women: These Funders Are Working to End Gender-Based Violence
Around the world, one in every three women experience violence in their lifetimes, but relatively few philanthropic funders prioritize the problem. Here are some key grantmakers who do.
Melinda French Gates Charts a Course for a “New Chapter.” Here Are Some Takeaways
As she departs from the Gates Foundation, Melinda French Gates is quickly ramping things up with a multifaceted, $1 billion commitment focused on women’s rights. What does this all tell us about how her giving might evolve?
How a Global Participatory Grantmaking Experiment in Seed Funding Took Shape
The Imago Dei Fund’s new Gender Equity Seed Fund has relied on a co-creation committee of participatory grantmakers to shape its work. Susan Barnett tells us how it all came together and what the process was like.
How Grassroots International Is Funding in Gaza and Haiti Amid Devastating Violence
Grassroots International backs global movements for justice, with two of its longest-running programs in Palestine and Haiti. Organization leaders discuss the situations on the ground in both places and how funders can respond.
How Do Grantmakers Get Started On Climate? Here’s How One Human Rights Funder Began
Humanity United isn’t a climate funder, but it is coming to recognize just how interconnected climate issues are with its global human rights work. It’s one among many grantmakers reckoning with realities that impact every field.
Unlocking Girls’ Leadership Starts with Asking the Right Questions
Guest author Jayanthi A. Pushkaran shares how EMpower–The Emerging Markets Foundation has developed a participatory funding model in India that empowers girls as experts on their own lives.
Who Is Binaifer Nowrojee, the New President of Open Society Foundations?
OSF announced this week that a human rights lawyer and advocate, and longtime staffer at the massive grantmaker, will take over as president. Here’s what you need to know about Binaifer Nowrojee.
After More Than $1 Billion in Funding, MacArthur’s Big Bets Are Winding Down. What Happens Now?
Over the next few years, the MacArthur Foundation is bringing to a close four “Big Bets” on issues ranging from criminal justice to climate change. What impact did these programs have? And how will the shift affect grantees?
With “A Little Courage,” Ipas Is Shifting Money to the Front Lines of Abortion and Contraceptive Access
By redirecting money from its own operating expenses, the international reproductive justice organization has been able to double the number of grantees receiving support through its Ipas Collaborative Fund.
With Housing a Growing Global Concern, Habitat for Humanity Targets Informal Settlements
Housing has become a huge philanthropic priority, globally and domestically, and one of the largest charities in the space is Habitat for Humanity. We take a look at its latest global program targeting slums, barrios and favelas.
With $500 Million Committed So Far, Howard Buffett Stays the Course in Ukraine
When we last spoke with the mega-donor, his foundation had moved nearly $150 million to the Ukraine recovery effort. He’s now committed more than a half-billion, demonstrating a unique level of commitment and flexibility.
Ford Launches Global Network to Help Social Justice Groups Manage Risks and Rewards of Tech
Front-line organizations in the Global South face unique threats and challenges when it comes to digital technology. With $15 million in seed funding from Ford, the Digital Resilience Network will provide technical support.
How Philanthropy is Responding to the Israeli-Palestinian Crisis So Far
As devastating casualties mount in Israel and Gaza, a number of foundations, major donors, corporations and pooled fundraising efforts are channeling support to the region. Here’s an overview of the funding response to date.
A Grassroots Legal Empowerment Organization Attracts Global Climate Justice Dollars
Namati trains paralegals who can work as grassroots climate justice and land rights advocates in their own communities. It’s an approach that has garnered attention from big names in philanthropy.
Here Are Some of the Funders Working to End Modern Slavery Around the Globe
Although some may think of slavery as a thing of the past, close to 50 million people are enslaved today. These philanthropic funders are backing work toward truly putting slavery behind us.
How a Dutch Princess Is Leading a Global Fight to End Child Marriage
Mabel van Oranje, a princess of the Netherlands, has emerged as a leader in the fight to end child marriage. We spoke with her about the groups she’s launched and how they’re channeling funds toward work on the ground.
More Cuts at Open Society Foundations: Nearly Half of Staff to Depart, Offices Close
OSF plans to let go of 40% of staff as it reaches a new stage in its longtime bid to bring focus to its legendarily complex operations. Critics point to a consolidation of power amid low morale and a shrinking global footprint.
Beyond Borders: A Regional Look at MacKenzie Scott’s Global Giving
Though most of Scott’s giving so far has taken place in the U.S., her global philanthropy is also expansive. Three regions in particular have received lots of attention: Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and South Asia.
Inside This Abortion Care Backer’s Move to an “Anti-Colonialist” Decision-Making Model
As it seeks to expand abortion and contraception access, Ipas is making major changes to its organizational model, in part to bolster a global abortion ecosystem it sees as limited by top-down funding.
In a World Beset by Conflict, Could Better Ways to Measure Peace Change the Funding Equation?
Despite the need for peacebuilding dollars, U.S. philanthropies’ support for that work suffers from a lack of viable metrics. Search for Common Ground is tackling a complex task: how to better measure peace.
A Top Science Funder Wants to Keep Ukraine’s Scientists at the Blackboard
The war in Ukraine offers scope for funders to draw on their strengths to assist the embattled nation. For the Simons Foundation, that means helping Ukraine’s physicists, biologists and other scientists continue their work.
“You Have to Show Up.” The Howard G. Buffett Foundation’s Expansive Support for Ukraine
The Howard G. Buffett Foundation has moved nearly $150 million to Ukraine since the war began. Buffett himself has spent a lot of time in the country, learning about needs and responding with a wide-ranging set of grants.
Report: What Philanthropy Can Do About Workers’ Struggles in a Digitalized Global Economy
Though touted as a force for progress, digital technology has negatively impacted many workers, especially in the Global South. A new report backed by the Ford Foundation lays out the problem and how funders can respond.
Funders Partner with the Biden Administration to Back Workers’ Rights Around the Globe
With support from major U.S. funders, a new initiative called M-POWER is combining the forces of government, philanthropy and labor organizations to bolster workers’ rights and advance democracy.
Child Marriage Severely Limits Opportunity for Girls. This Powerhouse Trio Is on the Case
Michelle Obama, Melinda French Gates and Amal Clooney joined forces this fall to take on child marriage, a human rights violation that affects an estimated 23 girls a minute. Here’s what each philanthropist is bringing to the table.
How One Organization Is Tapping Into the Lucrative Wedding Industry to Combat Child Marriage
The wedding industry has a $160 billion market value, and it continues to grow. With organizational support from some big funders, VOW for Girls is channeling a slice of those profits toward ending child marriage.
Don’t Give Up on Funding Human Rights
Despite the doom-and-gloom headlines, local civil society around the world is making real progress on human rights. Outgoing head of the Fund for Global Human Rights encourages funders to stay diligent, and offers a path forward.
Visual Storytellers and Journalists Face Growing Risks. What Can Funders Do to Protect Them?
Backed by the Ford Foundation and others, a recent report from the Safer Storytellers Project outlines the steps funders can take to protect creators from increasing attacks and threats to their safety.
As Shelling Continues in Ukraine, an Arts Funder Backs Efforts to Preserve its Cultural Heritage
Although international law forbids it, destruction of sites with cultural significance is common during war. In Ukraine, hundreds of such places have been damaged. Getty recently backed an effort to protect the nation’s heritage.
