Emergency Grants
Fellowships, Scholarships, Rest and Respite
Awards for Human Rights Defenders
Journalists & Writers
LGBTIQ*
Women*
Emergency Grants
Digital Defenders Partnership Grants
Incidental Emergency grants are for rapid support to journalists, human rights defenders, NGOs, activists and bloggers who are facing an urgent digital emergency because of their online activities.
EIDHR Small Grant for HRDs at Risk
The emergency fund for human rights defenders at risk managed under the EIDHR allows the Commission to give direct small grants to human rights defenders, be it individuals or organisations, who are in need of urgent support.
Euro Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF)
Emergency funding is available to help counter threats against defenders' lives and/or those of members of their family and reinforce the visibility and pursuit of their activities at a strategic timing.
Front Line Defenders Protection Grants
Protection Grants can pay for organisational and personal provisions to improve the security and protection of human rights defenders and their organisations.
Rory Peck Trust Assistance Grants
RPT provides individual grants to freelance journalists and their families who find themselves in a critical situation. This may include freelancers who have been threatened, imprisoned, injured, forced into hiding or exile, or killed.
Fellowships, Scholarships, Rest and Respite
Defenred Respite House Project
Offer human rights defenders the chance to travel to Spain, for a period of several weeks to provide a period of rest to be used for their physical and psychological recovery.
Hamburg Foundation for the Politically Persecuted
The Hamburg Foundation offers a year long rest and respite programme for human rights defenders at acute risk.
International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN)
ICORN is an independent organisation of cities and regions offering shelter to writers and artists at risk, advancing freedom of expression, defending democratic values and promoting international solidarity.
The Oak Institute for the Study of International Human Rights champions the struggles for dignity, freedom and justice for people throughout the world. It provides the opportunity for a front-line human rights activist operating in difficult or dangerous circumstances to come to Colby College every fall for respite and reflection.
National Endowment for Democracy- Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellows Program
The program is a federally funded, international exchange program that offers practitioners, scholars, and journalists from around the world the opportunity to spend five months in residence at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), in Washington, D.C., in order to undertake independent research on democracy in a particular country or region.
Institute of International Education - Scholar Rescue Fund Fellowships
IIE-SRF provides fellowships for professors, researchers, and public intellectuals who face threats to their lives and careers in their home countries. These year-long fellowships support temporary academic positions at accredited institutions of higher learning
Scholars at Risk protects scholars suffering grave threats to their lives, liberty and well-being by arranging temporary research and teaching positions at institutions in our network as well as by providing advisory and referral services.
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy - International Visiting Fellowship
TFD seeks to connect with experienced democracy and human rights practitioners to support their research and help build international networks.
Centre of Applied Human Rights Protective Fellowship Scheme
Human rights defenders are invited to come to York for periods ranging from three to six months. During this time they benefit both from time away from a difficult environment, and from educational resources designed to increase their effectiveness and their ability to influence policy and practice when they return home.
Awards for Human Rights Defenders
Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award
Awarded by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy for an individual or organization which has made major contributions through peaceful means to the development of democracy and human rights in Asia.
Civil Rights Defenders of the Year Award
Awarded by Civil Rights Defenders, the Civil Rights Defender of the Year is a person who, despite the risk to his or her own safety, continues to strive to ensure that other people’s civil and political rights are recognised and protected.
The Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk honours the work of human rights defenders who courageously make an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights of their communities, often at great personal risk.
Ginnetta Sagan Award for Women
The Ginetta Sagan Award recognizes individual accomplishment, but also serves as a beacon of hope to women everywhere who are fighting for human rights.
The Gleitsman Foundation International Activist Award
The Gleitsman International Activist Award, given biennially honors leadership in social activism that has improved the quality of life in countries and inspired others to do the same.
The prize recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment, often at great personal risk. It views grassroots leaders as those involved in local efforts, where positive change is created through community or citizen participation in the issues that affect them.
Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights is an award given by the May 18 Memorial Foundation to recognize individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace through their work.
Human Rights Defenders Tulip Award
The Dutch Government’s human rights award, the Human Rights Defenders Tulip has since 2008 been presented to an individual who has shown exceptional courage in protecting and promoting the rights of fellow human beings
International Women of Courage Award
The Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Award honors women around the globe who have exemplified exceptional courage and leadership in advocating for human rights, women’s equality, and social progress, often at great personal risk.
Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders
The Martin Ennals Award draws attention to Human Rights Defenders, who put themselves at risk to defend others' rights. They face personal threats, harassment, and legal hurdles.
The awards are dedicated to the work of freelance cameramen and camerawomen in news and current affairs. They honour quality of camerawork but also take into account individual endeavour and journalistic integrity.
Journalists & Writers
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression / Journalists in Distress Fund
CJFE's Journalists in Distress program provides humanitarian assistance to journalists around the world whose lives and well-being are threatened because of their work.
Committee to Protect Journalists
CPJ provides support to frontline journalists, and rapid response assistance to journalists who are injured, imprisoned, or forced to flee because of their work.
FOJO supports underground and independent media in order to build up a high quality of journalism, to enhance the capacity of media and to promote openness and democracy.
International Federation of Journalists / Safety Fund
Is the only international assistance fund for journalists established by journalists to help pay hospital bills of injured journalists, supported exiled journalists and contributed to legal costs in court actions.
The PEN America Writers’ Emergency Fund is an emergency fund for professional—published or produced—writers in acute, emergency financial crisis. There is also the Fund for Writers and Editors with HIV/AIDS, for those who face serious financial difficulties because of HIV or AIDS-related illness.
Reporters sans Frontieres / Assistance Desk
The Assistance Desk of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) provides financial and administrative assistance to professional journalists and citizen-journalists who have been the victims of reprisals because of their reporting.
LGBTIQ*
Astraea Lesbian Foundation For Justice
Astraea supports lesbian, trans, intersex and LGBTQI groups that promote racial, economic, and gender justice. They work with organizers that are mobilizing communities to challenge oppression and claim rights.
Facilitating strategic planning around LGBT issues internationally, strengthening global networks, and enhancing access to UN mechanisms. Strengthening capacity of LGBTI.
Work to ensure that individuals and families around the world of every sexual orientation and gender identity, race, and ethnicity are able to live their lives with dignity and respect.
Coalition of African Lesbians /Women Human Rights Defenders
The Project focuses on psycho-social well-being and not on safety and security and evacuations. An option for a fully or partly financed activist health break or a study break is available.
Funders and advocates in support of groups and organizations that strive to provide equal rights and protections for all LGBT people.
Freedom House Dignity for All: LGBTI Assistance Program
Provides HRDs and CSOs, who are facing threats due to LGBTI human rights work, with small, short-term emergency financial support to address urgent needs.
Developing critical partnerships at global, regional, and national levels to build capacity, document violations, advocate for inclusion and equality, and hold leaders accountable for protecting the rights of all LGBTIQ people.
Providing training and support to its member organisations and other LGBTI groups in Europe on advocacy, fundraising, organisational development and strategic communications.
Women*
The African Women’s Development Fund
AWDF works to strengthen and support the work of African women’s organisations.
Asia-Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development
APWLD empowers women in the region to use law as an instrument of change for equality, justice, peace and development. APWLD uses research, training, advocacy and activism to strengthen women’s human rights.
Association for Women's Rights In Development
AWID is an international, feminist, membership organisation committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and women’s human rights. Provides many resources and a donor list for WHRDs.
Global Fund For Women fund and partner with women-led groups who are courageously fighting for justice in their own communities.
International Women's Rights Watch
IWRAW focuses on building and supporting capacity – both among NGOs and within the treaty bodies – for using the entire international treaty system as a key to accountability for women’s human rights.
Seeks to build women’s political influence, ensure their access to resources, and protect their safety as activists.
Mama Cash supports visionary women, girls and trans people who are fighting for their rights around the world; financially, by sharing knowledge and networking opportunities.
Open Society Institute - Women’s Program
Through grant making and advocacy, the Women’s Rights Program supports efforts to strengthen women’s rights organizations and movements, advance sexual and reproductive rights and justice, and promote economic rights.
Women Living Under Muslim Laws
International solidarity network for women whose lives are shaped or governed by laws and customs said to derive from Islam. Aims to strengthen women’s individual and collective struggles for equality and their rights, especially in Muslim contexts.
Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human Rights (UAF) is a global women’s fund that exists to protect, strengthen and sustain women human rights defenders at critical moments in time
UAF-Africa links the activities of women with the resources they require to respond to conflict and to take advantage of opportunities to advance women’s human rights.
UN Trust Fund to eliminate violence against women
The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women (UN Trust Fund) awards grants to initiatives that demonstrate that violence against women and girls can be systematically addressed, reduced and, with persistence, eliminated.
Resource and advocacy network for the protection of women human rights defenders