Channel Foundation is a left-of-center grant maker that supports groups focused on gender equity, racial justice, feminism, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The Channel Foundation supports groups that are pro-abortion, advocate for left-leaning LGBT interests, and support environmentalism. The Channel Foundation has funded organizations taking creative legal actions and gender justice.
Channel Foundation started making grants in 2009. 1 It supports groups working on issues related to population and poverty; biodiversity, indigenous peoples’ land rights, and sustainable economic development; and indigenous peoples’ rights; and human rights, all from a gender equity perspective. 1 It declares that its core values and ideals are feminism, racial justice, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. 2
The foundation asserts that women’s human rights are greatly underfunded and that women around the world suffer disproportionately from certain human rights abuses. 3 Channel Foundation funds groups that advance indigenous rights, gender equality in media and technology, ending violence against women, ensuring women’s participation in conflict resolution, ending legal inequality, promoting the rights of women with disabilities, sexual and reproductive rights, strengthening the women’s funding movement, and women’s leadership. 4
Channel Foundation distributes toolkits on gender-based violence and emergency response, mobilizing resources, sexual and reproductive justice, global map of advocates, gender justice, an oral history of feminism, and an app on women, peace, and security. 5
In 2021, the Channel Foundation provided grants including $30,000 to the left-of-center Praxis Project for the pro-abortion group RESURJ, $30,000 to left-of-center Panorama Global, $130,000 to the Urgent Action Fund, $150,000 to the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, $90,000 to the left-of-center LGBT advocacy organization OutRight Action International, $150,000 to Inroads, $50,000 to Cultural Survival, $90,000 to the Fund for Global Human Rights, $110,000 to the Global Fund for Women, and $50,000 to the Women’s Learning Partnership. 9
Channel Foundation has supported the founder of Women’s Link Worldwide, an organization that uses litigation in “innovative and creative ways” to fight for women and girls in the courts of Latin America, East Africa, and Europe. 10 Channel Foundation has focuses on reform in Iran, women’s rights in Afghanistan, and women impacted by the war in Ukraine. 11
Finances
In 2021, the Channel Foundation had net assets of $19,077,788. 9 According to the organization’s tax returns, in 2021 the Channel Foundation recorded $9,341,928 in revenue and $2,217,506 in expenses. 9 In 2020, the Channel Foundation raised $2,572,789 in revenue and $1,658,093 in expenses. 7
All-time grants given statistics from Candid dataset:
Total Grant Value:$14,206,075
Number of Grants:501
Number of Recipients:121
Selection of highest value grants given from the last seven years:
Amount
Year
Funder
Subject
$50,000
2023
Association of Women in Development (awidorg)
To support the Access Fund for the 15th AWID International Forum scheduled to take place December 2-5, 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand. The AWID Forum is the “world’s largest event that wholeheartedly centers feminist and gender justice movements in all their diversity,” and takes place every few years. Indeed, the Forum “is a transformative space created by and for the movements – where Global South feminists and historically marginalized communities take centerstage, strategize to shift power, and connect with allied movements, funders and policy-makers.” Program Support
$50,000
2023
Consorcio para el Diálogo Parlamentario y la Equidad Oaxaca A.C.
Three year general operating grant to support their ongoing work ending gender based violence (GBV), promoting gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights, and integrated protection for women human rights defenders in Oaxaca, Mexico. Funds will be used to continue promoting a life free of violence and in defense of human rights for women of Oaxaca and to employ strategies for strengthening the organization’s internal cohesion which will include security, self care and wellbeing measures.
Three year general operating grant to Cultural Survival to continue supporting their work advocating for Indigenous Peoples’ rights and supporting Indigenous communities, and particularly for their work to elevate Indigenous women’s rights and leadership. Funds will also be used to build out the organization’s infrastructure at the nexus of five themes: land and livelihoods, climate change solutions, cultures and languages, Indigenous community media, and the leadership of Indigenous women and youth as a cross-thematic thread.
$50,000
2023
Dalan Fund
To support their launch (via fiscal sponsor Women Win Foundation Inc) as they focus on establishing themselves as an organization, resource mobilization, the development of grantmaking programs, knowledge production, communications, and advocacy.
$50,000
2023
Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era
Two year general operating grant to support DAWN’s mission and work as a South feminist network of scholar-activists who combine analysis, advocacy, social mobilization and capacity building for gender equality and women’s human rights in the context of global and regional development. DAWN’s work includes several programs in the context of their overall mission including an in-person DAWN Training Institute (DTI), and online and in-person trainings on the political economy of gender-based violence (GBV)
$50,000
2023
Disability Rights Fund Inc.
Two year grant to support the Disability Rights Fund (DRF) for its ongoing work promoting and supporting disability rights with a specific focus on their work at the intersection of gender and other marginalized identities and on the implementation of DRF’s Gender Guidelines.
$50,000
2023
ELAS Fundo de Investimento Social
Three year general operating grant to ELAS to support their ongoing work strengthening women’s human rights movements in Brazil via grantmaking to women’s groups, capacity building, technical assistance, and through convenings and advocacy.
To EDGE’s Movement Participation Fund to support the participation of movement representatives (particularly disability inclusion) at the EDGE 2023 Annual Conference, “Funding Boldly: Systemic Change and Alternatives,” which took place in Berlin, Germany Oct. 18-20, 2023.
$50,000
2023
Femena USA Non Profit
To support their mission to advocate for women human rights defenders (WHRDs) and feminist movements in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Asia. The grant supports Femena’s technical assistance, training, and advocacy work on their three main initiatives: violence prevention; protecting and expanding civic space; and the Yara WHRD Center, a space for WHRDs from the MENA region to gather and “learn about the importance of self-care, wellness, and holistic security.” This includes programs such as WHRD Voices, an initiative focused on WHRDs in Iran, Afghanistan, North Africa, and Palestine, that highlights their work through video interviews.
$50,000
2023
Frida: The Young Feminist Fund
Three year general operating grant to the FRIDA Young Feminist Fund to continue supporting its work providing support to young feminist activist groups around the globe via grantmaking and capacity building opportunities as well as its advocacy work within the philanthropic sector.
$50,000
2023
Front Line USA Foundation
Three year grant to Front Line Defenders (via fiscal sponsor the Front Line USA Foundation) to support Front Line Defenders (FLD) Protection Grants and Training and Capacity Building activities for women human rights defenders (WHRDs) in Central Asia and Eurasia. Program Support
Three year general operating grant to support GNWP’s ongoing work elevating the power of women and amplifying their voices to build sustainable and inclusive peace. Funds will support GNWP as it works closely with the United Nations, governments, and local women and youth-led organizations from all over the world over the next three years.
$50,000
2023
Global Press Institute
Three year general operating grant to Global Press to continue supporting their work training and employing local women journalists to produce ethical, accurate news coverage from the world’s least-covered places.
$50,000
2023
Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti
Three year general operating grant for the ongoing work of IJDH and its Haiti-based partner, Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI), to advocate, litigate, build constituencies, and nurture networks to create systemic pathways to justice for marginalized communities in Haiti.
$50,000
2023
International Civil Society Action Network Inc
A general operating grant to ICAN to support its work promoting inclusive and sustainable peace in countries affected by violent conflict, extremism, militarism, and closing political space. Funds will help ICAN to continue its advocacy, funding and capacity strengthening initiatives, via programs such as its Innovative Peace Fund (IPF), the “first and only independent, multi-donor, global fund dedicated to supporting women-led peacebuilding organizations,” the Women’s Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL), and the She Builds Peace campaign amongst others.
$50,000
2023
International Indigenous Women's Forum
Three year general operating grant to FIMI to continue supporting their work promoting Indigenous women’s individual and collective human rights and the achievement of their wellbeing.
$50,000
2023
International Network for the Reduction of Abortion Discrimination and Stigma
Three year general operating support grant to inroads for the continued implementation of their mission to shift the conversation on abortion and create a world free of abortion stigma. The grant is intended to strengthen inroads network members’ capacity and also build tools and an evidence base that supports stigma reduction more widely.
$50,000
2023
International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific
Three year general operating grant to support IWRAW-AP’s ongoing work towards the effective implementation and application of international human rights standards at the local, national, regional and international levels and ultimately, to act as catalysts in building capacity for change and for enhancing the realization of substantial equality and women’s human rights.
To support its Crisis Relief grantmaking to women’s groups in Gaza and Afghanistan and its advocacy on behalf of and alongside those women. Program Support
$50,000
2023
Minas List Inc
Three year general operating grant to Mina’s List to support their continued efforts to build just and peaceful societies by advancing women’s political leadership and participation globally, and particularly in Afghanistan.
$50,000
2023
Mobility International USA
Three year grant to support MIUSA’s mission and Women’s Empowerment Programs, which support leadership development, technical and financial assistance, as well as movement building and networking opportunities for women and girls with disabilities at local grassroots, national and international levels. Program Support
$50,000
2023
Mongolian Women's Fund
A direct general operating grant to the Mongolian Women’s Fund (MONES) to continue supporting their work in feminist movement building, ending workplace sexual harassment and supporting disability rights in Mongolia.
$50,000
2023
Numun Fund
Two year general operating support grant to the Numun Fund through the fiscal sponsorship of Women Win Foundation Inc. to support the Numun Fund mission to “mobilize and redistribute diverse resources for a growing ecosystem of feminist tech activism, in order to strengthen the power of social justice movements and build technology for the world we want.”
$50,000
2023
Purposeful
To support the Global Resilience Fund (GRF), a participatory rapid-response funding initiative housed at Purposeful to move flexible resources to girls and young feminists responding to threats and crises in their countries and regions. Program Support
$50,000
2023
Resurj Alliance
Three year general operating support grant to the RESURJ Alliance (via fiscal sponsor The Praxis Project Inc., fiscal sponsorship program) for their long-term goal of amplifying the voices and strengthening the advocacy capacity of RESURJ members and young feminist allies and their organizations in Africa, Asia, Pacific, South West Asia, Latin America, and Caribbean, who are advocating for sexual and reproductive justice in their communities, countries and regions.
