Freedom House
/OVERVIEW: Freedom House offers emergency assistance to frontline human rights defenders, activists, civil society organizations, survivors of religious persecution and defenders of religious freedom.
IP TAKE: Grantseekers may apply for a Freedom House grant at any time. This is a wonderfully accessible funder that only suppresses its grantee list in order to protect such organizations and individuals, who risk their lives to conduct their work. Supportive and responsive, Freedom House is dedicated to helping its grantees succeed beyond grants. They also move quickly to fund in emergency situations, which reflects a lack of bureaucracy larger organizations can’t boast.
PROFILE: Founded in 1941, Freedom House is “an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom and democracy around the world,” and was “the first American organization to champion the advancement of freedom globally.” Freedom House advocates for the collaboration of like-minded global leaders opposing dictatorships, totalitarian regimes, and oppression. In addition, this funder supports human rights defenders and civic activists facing work-related persecution. In addition to its Regional Programs, which support human rights and civil society organizations around the world, it also offers Emergency Assistance Funding programs aimed at assisting frontline human rights defenders, activists, civil society organizations, and survivors of religious persecution in more than 100 countries and territories around the world.
Grants for Global Security and Human Rights
Freedom House’s Regional Programs support local human rights and civil society organizations around the world through “trainings, international exchange programs, grant giving and networking activities.” Freedom House operates in over thirty countries from its fourteen offices.
Its Asia-Pacific Programs primarily center around “China’s repressive domestic policies as well as its growing global influence,” as well as supporting civil society groups in Myanmar and the Philippines in their research and advocacy.
Its work in Europe is limited, but it primarily works to “educate policy makers about critical threats to fundamental rights and freedoms in individual countries, across the region, and beyond.” Its current focus is on protecting and supporting journalists and legal professionals in Turkey.
Its Eurasia Programs provide research funding, general operating support, and capacity building to human rights and civil society organizations throughout the region, with a focus on “promoting the rule of law, improving media freedom, and supporting civil society’s engagement in national reform efforts” in Moldova and working to “resist censorship, advocate in support of human rights and good governance, conduct public oversight over the law enforcement and security sector, and protect activists and journalists from persecution and violence” in Ukraine.
The Freedom House directs support for human rights groups through its Latin America programs, which aid human rights groups in “documenting and presenting evidence of their governments’ abuses to international organizations” in Cuba, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Venezuela.
The foundation’s Middle East and North Africa Programs work to promote “rule of law, government transparency, and citizens’ access to information” in the region, with a focus on capacity building for grassroots organizations that defend the rights of women, ethnic minorities, and LGBT individuals.
Finally, its Sub-Saharan Africa Programs grant direct support to a wide range of organizations that work to resist authoritative regimes, maintain the rule of law, promote freedom of expression, combat corruption, and end discrimination against women, ethnic minorities, and LGBT individuals in Ethiopia, South Africa, southern Africa, Uganda, and Tanzania.
Freedom House offers emergency financial assistance to civil society organizations (CSOs) that are being threatened or attacked. Grants are awarded through its Lifeline Embattled CSO Assistance Fund, Frontline Activists program, and Dignity for All: LGBTI Assistance program. Examples of non-emergency grantees are the International Refugee Rights Initiative and CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation.
Grants for LGBTQ
Freedom House’s Regional Programs support local human rights and civil society organizations around the world through “trainings, international exchange programs, grant giving and networking activities.” While its priorities vary by region, current programs with a focus on LGBTQ rights and advocacy include Ukraine, Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Freedom House also offers Emergency Assistance funding for frontline human rights defenders, activists, civil society organizations, and survivors of religious persecution in more than 100 countries and territories around the world. One of these emergency assistance grants is the Dignity for All: LGBTI Assistance Program, which provides “emergency assistance, security, opportunity, and advocacy rapid response grants (SOAR grants), and security and assessment training to human rights defenders and civil society organizations under threat or attack due to their work for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) human rights.” These grants may go to fund emergency expenses including legal representation, temporary relocation, and even medical expenses. Grantseekers must have a proven record of LGBTI activism to be eligible.
Important Grant Details:
Grants typically range from $50,000 to $150,000. Freedom House does not individually list the names of its emergency assistance grantees. This is common practice to protect the identities of human rights defenders and preserve the safety of its grantees and their organizations.
Freedom House accepts unsolicited emergency assistance grant applications and requests for funding. Grantseekers should direct their inquiries to emergency.assistance.inquiries@gmail.com.
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