The Fund for Global Human Rights 

The Fund for Global Human Rights seeks to increase the flow of financial resources to locally-based human rights organizations to strengthen human rights movements in countries around the world.  Grants are awarded through a competitive grant process. The Fund for Global Human Rights operates and accepts proposals in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Thai. For more information click here!

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May 18 Memorial Foundation 

The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights is awarded yearly by the May 18 Memorial Foundation.The award goes to one individual or organisation who has contributed to the promotion and advancement of human rights, democracy and peace in their work. Candidates must be nominated by other individuals or organisations by 1 March. More information is available on their website.

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Commonwealth Foundation - The Foundation's civil society responsivegrants programme 

The Commonwealth Foundation is an inter-governmental organization, resourced by and reporting to Commonwealth governments, that exists to promote and strengthen civil society's role in sustainable development, democracy and intercultural learning in the Commonwealth. The Foundation's grant works to fulfill its mission and objectives is by making grants to civil society organizations in Commonwealth Foundation member countries. The grants are intended to promote co-operationand sharing of skills, knowledge and ideas between developing Commonwealth countries. Grants are given for participationin activities such as training courses, workshops, seminars, conferences,cultural festivals, exchanges and study visits. Preference is given to support regional level activities as opposed to international ones. Application deadlines are late March and late September.

Information about the grant and for information about how to apply, click here !

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MacArthur Foundation - Grants for HumanRights and International Justice

This MacArthur Foundation grant aims to expand and strengthen the network of human rights organisations in Nigeria, Mexico, and Russia that provide the basic infrastructure for a national human rights culture based on the rule of law. Grants are awarded only to organisations that define clear objectives for their work and measures of progress toward those objectives. The foundation provides multi-year support. Proposals must fit clearly within the geographic and thematic priorities of the Human Rights and International Justice Programme.

Deadline for Applications: rolling deadline

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National Endowment for Democracy

The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a private, nonprofit organization created in 1983 to strengthen democraticinstitutions around the world through nongovernmental efforts. The NED supportsprojects that promote political and economic freedom, a strong civil society,independent media, human rights, and the rule of law. The Endowment's flexibleand efficient grants program is able to assist democratic activists in diversesituations, such as transitional countries where the goal is democraticconsolidation, authoritarian countries where the goals are liberalization, andthe protection of human rights.

Deadlinefor applications: April 2, 2010 

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Office of the United Nations HighCommissioner for Human Rights and United Nations Development Programme - ACT Project

Established in 1998 to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ACT (Assisting Communities Together) Project has supported individuals, institutions and NGOs that undertake human rightsactivities in local communities by providing micro-grants of up to USD$3,000.The Project was launched by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and is implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The ACTProject reinforces the role of civil societyin protecting human rightsby encouraging people at the grassroots level to promote human rights. At thesame time, the Project strengthens partnerships between the United Nations andlocal human rights constituencies.

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The Bromley Trust  

The Bromley Trust makes grants to UK charities working in Human Rights, Prison Reform, and Conservation and Sustainability. Currently, the Trust supports charities that fall within the area of Human Rights: Charities campaigning for Human Rights under the Universal Declaration for Human Rights and those working to abate the consequence of the acute violation of these rights. These include charities working with individuals and communities that have experienced genocide, torture, rape, false imprisonment, oppression and abuse. Current areas of focus are: Slavery and Trafficking, False Imprisonment (including detention without trial or due process) Torture. Cruel and Unreasonable Punishment (including Isolated, bereaved,abused, mentally ill offenders).

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The Finnish NGO Foundation for HumanRights (KIOS)

The Finnish NGO Foundation for Human Rights (KIOS) is an independent, non-political, non-religiousand non-governmental foundation. The overall goal of KIOS is to promote humanrights in developing countries, as human rights are defined in the treaties and instruments of the United Nations, and in regional human rights instruments. KIOS provides financial support to local civil society organisations in developing countries that work to promote or protect human rights. In Finland KIOS aims at increasing the knowledge of Finnish civil society on the human rights situation in developing countries.

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The Fund for Global Human Rights

The Fund for Global Human Rights finds and funds local human rights heroes whooften work at great personal risk to strengthen and bring globalattention to their struggles. Currently the Fund makes grants to human rightsorganizations based in the following countries: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia,India, Pakistan, Mexico, Guatemala, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Thailand, and the Philippines. The Fundaims to provide funding for human rights organizations over the longer term.  

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The John Merck Fund

 The John Merck Fund fosters innovative advocacy and problem solving in the fields of Developmental Disabilities, Environment, Reproductive Health, Human Rights, Job Opportunities, and Civic Engagement/ Defense of the Public Interest.The Human Rights program concentrates on the defense and promotion of human rights in Latin America. Approximately 70% of the program'sbudget goes to human rights organizations based in six countries in the region: Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. The remaining 30 percent of program resources supports activities of key U.S. groups dedicated to advancing human rights.

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The Libra Foundation

The Libra Foundation believes that all people are born with equal and inalienable rights and fundamentalfreedoms and have a right to live in a healthy environment and in peaceful, just and equitable societies. Promoting these human rights is the highest purpose envisioned for the grantmaking of The Libra Foundation. The Foundation has two grant cycles per year and accepts invited proposals. Please note that the Foundation only accepts invited proposals. However, if your organization, projector program is aligned with the Foundation's guidelines, brief letters of inquiry (LOI) will be accepted on a rolling basis.

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The Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF)

The Norwegian Human Rights Fund was established in 1988 by Norwegian non-governmental organisations to protect and promote human rights internationally. Through The Norwegian Human Rights Fund, the owner organisations want to give financial support to projects in low- and middle income countries where the human rights situation is particularly difficult, either in general or for specific groups of the population. The Fund provides financial support to organisations that are not covered by other Norwegian governmental or non-governmental support schemes.

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 The Open Society Institute -The Human Rights andGovernance Grants Program

The Open Society Institute  works to build vibrant and tolerant democracies whose governments are accountable to their citizens. The Human Rights and Governance Grants Program of the Institute supports national and international advocacy organizations promoting political and civil rights at local, national and regional levels. Priority is given to projects that address the needs of vulnerable and marginalized groups, and those that have strong monitoring and legal advocacy components.

Deadline: proposals are accepted on an ongoing basis

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The Overbrook Foundation

The Overbrook Foundation strives to improve the lives of people by supporting projects that protect human andcivil rights, advance the self-sufficiency and well being of individuals andtheir communities, and conserve the natural environment. The Foundation's Human Rights Program joins together the Foundation's commitment to international and domestic human rights to support human rights work inside and outside of the United States. It recognizes that all the work the Foundation has traditionally supported is joined together by a commitment to the values expressed in the UniversalDeclaration of Human Rights-political, economic and social.

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The Sigrid Rausing Trust

The Sigrid Rausing Trust is a grant-givingfoundation based in London. It was founded in 1995 by Sigrid Rausing to supportthe international human rights movement. The Trust run fours programmes: Civil and Political Rights, Women 's Rights, Minority Rights and Social and Environmental Justice. The trust gives two key types of grants: Main Grants currently vary in size between £15,000 and £850,000. The trustees make decisions about main grants at their meetings three times a year, usually in February, June and October. Small Grants are grants of up to £15,000. They are awarded throughout the year and are intended for small organisations, who find it difficult to fundraise from international funding agencies. Several of our small grantees have gone on to receive main grants. Applications for a small grant must come with a recommendation from an existing grantee or another funding agency.

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 The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy - InternationalGrants Program

The Taiwan Foundation for Democracy is the first national democracy assistance foundation to be established in Asia,and is devoted to strengthening democracy and human rights in Taiwan and abroad. The TFD's international grants programis designed to assist organizations based outside of Taiwan to carry out projects to promote democracy and human rights. International non-governmental organizations, academic institutions or think tanks, and other related organizations are eligible to apply. Geographically, the program places a priority on support for projects that address the Asian region, but projects in other regions occasionally receive funding.

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The U.S. Human Rights Fund

Although social justice organizations are increasingly using human rights to strengthen their advocacy and organizing work, the domestic human rights movement still faces challenges with respect to capacity, coordination and communications. The U.S. Human Rights Fund seeks to address these gaps by supporting the growth and development of organizations actively engaged in human rights framing, documentation, organizing and advocacy. Within its Human Rights Training & Education docket, the USHRF has supported arrange of diverse training activities. Grants in this area aim to increase the quality and effectiveness of U.S. human rights organizing and advocacy work.

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Various Grants Databases/Directories/Links

Funds for NGOs.org - http://www.fundsforngos.org/

Ford Foundation Grants Database - http://www.fordfound.org/grants/database

IFMSA Grants Database - http://www.ifmsa.net/public/grantselect.php

InternationalHuman Rights Funders Group - http://www.hrfunders.org/funders/index.html