Adaptability & Learning

Human rights funders should recognize the importance of innovation, experimentation, and creativity in driving social change. This requires moving beyond our comfort zones to build new capacities and fund emerging groups and evolving strategies. At the same time, we are mindful that the drive for innovation can discard time-honored and effective practices. We should therefore complement our openness to new approaches with ongoing commitment to tried and true strategies.


Recognizing that systemic change requires a long-term commitment, we should adjust our timelines and expectations for impact accordingly and be mindful that, in some contexts, human rights work means holding one’s ground and preventing changes that erode human rights. We should foster a culture of learning and speak honestly about failures, unexpected outcomes, and mistakes. We must also create space for open and candid conversations with our grantees to build a community of practice that makes us all more effective in advancing human rights.


Write us at principlesproject@hrfn.org to recommend additional resources.

Resources

Article/Blog

Building Equitable Evidence:

It's Time to Look to Participants as Experts in Their Own Experience

Lymari Benitez, Yessica Cancel, Mary Marx,

& Katie Smith Milway

The Center for Effective Philanthropy

Article/Blog

Adaptability and Learning are Core to Enhancing Human Rights Outcomes

Salima Namusobya

Initiative for Social and Economic Rights

Article/Blog

Is Philanthropy Finally Ready to Embrace Intelligent Failure?

Donika Dimovska

Alliance Magazine

Article/Blog

My Decade of Failure

Charles Keidan

Alliance Magazine