About

Background


In 2019, our three donor networks, Ariadne–European Funders for Social Change and Human Rights, Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN), and Gender Funders CoLab (formerly named Philanthropy Advancing Women’s Human Rights), joined forces to launch the "Principles Project."


As a field, human rights funding aims to move money to those working to protect and advance human rights. Yet, among funders who share that value, we see that the practice does not always meet the vision. We established the Principles Project to build a framework for how to enact a human rights approach to grantmaking and to challenge our networks to live up to a higher standard.


We knew we couldn’t do this in isolation if it was going to have an impact. Initially, our three networks worked with an advisory committee composed of our members. Seeing the need to make the principles align with movements’ funding experiences, we later extended this group to include civil society advisors as well. The development itself was also collaborative and iterative. First, we surveyed our networks and developed a set of aspirational principles based on the findings. We then broadened the net, collecting feedback from funders and organizations that receive human rights grants through surveys, in-person meetings, and virtual town halls. This process itself was vital to ensuring that the principles were grounded in the realities faced by grantmakers and movements. We launched the principles in September 2020.


Advisors


We are grateful to the following people who, in addition to our staffs, have contributed in various capacities to the development and promotion of the principles.


  • Rahaf Abu Shahin, Gulf Center for Human Rights

  • Monica Aleman, Ford Foundation

  • Claudia Bollwinkel, Dreilinden

  • Jenna Capeci, Consultant

  • Lesley Carson, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund

  • Juliette Decoster, Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation

  • Tracey Gurd, American Jewish World Service

  • Bhanumathi Kalluri, Dhaatri

  • Kutlwano Magashula, The Other Foundation

  • Salima Namusobya, Initiative for Social and Economic Rights

  • Mariana Prandini Assis, Federal University of Goiás and Margarida Alves Collective

  • Valeria Scorza, Avina Fundación

  • Yervand Shirinyan, Open Society Foundations

  • Tulika Srivastava, Women’s Fund Asia

  • Kristina Stockwood, Gulf Center for Human Rights

  • Olivia Tchamba, TrustAfrica