Human Dignity Foundation

OVERVIEW: The Human Dignity Foundation supports nonprofit organizations protecting and helping children living in Africa and Asia. 

IP TAKE: This is no longer an accessible funder. In 2009, this funder became a “limited life foundation” and is currently in its sunset phase, so don’t consider this funder if you’re interested in developing a long-term funding relationship. When it funds, it invests in innovative nonprofit organizations with established roots in the communities in which they work. 

PROFILE: The Human Dignity Foundation (HDF) was established in 2004 by Dr. John Climax, co-founder and chairman of clinical research firm ICON. Based in Basel, Switzerland, HDF was founded to address “the under-resourced issues of online child sexual exploitation and abuse and female genital mutilation/cutting” in Africa and Asia. HDF takes a holistic approach in its funding and supports families and communities actively safeguarding children; organizations helping children be better able to protect themselves; and systems safeguarding children against sexual abuse and harmful practices. It awards sizable human rights grants, focusing on child sexual abuse and female circumcision. All of the foundation’s funding is conducted through a gender lens.

Grants for Global Security and Health, Human Rights and Violence Prevention

The Human Dignity Foundation’s child sexual abuse grantmaking works to address the “global industry” of child exploitation, especially “technology-assisted abuse” that employs a network of procurers, producers, and consumers on the dark web. The foundation promotes “borderless solutions that have the speed and agility to face down a truly global network of abuse.” In the sunset phase of its grantmaking, HDF is particularly interested in “identifying and rescuing victims and disrupting the supply of online child abuse material.” Previous grantees include UNICEF, which received funding for its Preventing and Ending Online Child Sexual Exploitation program; and Girls Not Brides, which received a grant to support its campaign to end child marriage worldwide.

The Human Dignity Foundation’s female genital mutilation grantmaking addresses widespread, persistent female circumcision practices that are “integrated into social norms and cultural practice” in certain parts of the world. HDF works through “community engagement, media campaigns, leader training and research” to bring about legislation against female circumcision while also effecting a change in cultural norms practices that “proudly retains cultural relevance and prioritises the rights of the child.” Past grantees in this space include the Azad Foundation, which received funding for its program training female taxi drivers; and Beyond FGM, which received funding to support its program to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya.

Important Grant Details:

Grant amounts range widely from $10,000 to over $5 million; however, the majority of grants fall in the $25,000 to $500,000 range. To learn more about recent HDF grantees, explore its legacy page. Grantseekers should note that this foundation is currently in a “sunset phase” and winding down its grantmaking. 

HDF is not currently accepting unsolicited grant applications or requests for funding. Inquiries may be made via the organization’s contact page.

PEOPLE:

Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).

LINKS: