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Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF)

Website:

emhrf.org/
Type:

Grantmaking Foundation
Formation:

2004
Location:

Copenhagen, Denmark
Budget (2022):

Revenue – €3,782,088
Expenses – €3,729,288

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The Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF) is a left-of-center grantmaking foundation that was established as a Danish foundation in 2004 by EuroMed Rights. 1

EMHRF primarily provides financial support to regional, national, and local human rights organizations in the South Mediterranean region and has a council of representatives that consists of “regular and associate members” of EuroMed Rights that convene every three years to discuss the financial reports and activity of EMHRF, as well as the foundation’s budget and future direction. 2

Member organizations of the council of representatives include anti-Israel organizations such as Al-Haq, a major supporter of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement targeting Israel, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, an NGO that opposes Israeli law and aims to establish Palestine as an independent nation with Jerusalem as its capital. 3 4 5 6

Background

The Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF) is a left-of-center grantmaking foundation based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The organization was established as a Danish foundation in 2004 by EuroMed Rights, an international network of 68 organizations active in 30 countries that advocate for the protection of human rights within the southern and eastern Mediterranean regions of Europe. 7

The organization is governed by its board of directors, which makes all decisions on all grants. The board is comprised of twelve members, all of whom volunteer for the role, and are nominated for a six-year term which may be renewed. 8

EMHRF primarily provides financial support to regional, national, and local human rights organizations in the South-Mediterranean region. The organization provides the option of urgent grants, which provide a maximum of €6,000 (around $6,366) to an organization but can be accepted by EMHRF’s board of directors within a maximum of ten days. The organization also provides standard grants, of up to €40,000 (approximately $42,446) which are discussed at the biannual board meetings. 9

EMHRF notes that it has created “structured collaborations” with other human rights organizations such as Ariadne, the EU Human Rights Defenders’ Mechanism, and the Human Rights Funders’ Network. 10

Affiliated Organizations

The Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders has a council of representatives which consists of “regular and associate members” of EuroMed Rights. The council of representatives convenes every three years to discuss the financial reports and activity of EMHRF, as well as the foundation’s budget and future direction. 11

Member organizations of the council of representatives include anti-Israel organizations such as Al-Haq, a major supporter of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, an NGO that opposes Israeli law and aims to establish Palestine as an independent nation with Jerusalem as its capital. 12 13 14 15

EMHRF is a strategic partner to EuroMed Rights, which regularly lobbies in the European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) regarding the conflict in Israel. EuroMed Rights works towards the “end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory.” EuroMed Rights also called on the EU and its member states to “prevent the entry of illegal settlement goods into the EU market.” 16 17

EMHRF is a member of the Human Rights Funders Network, a network of grantmakers and recipients focused on human rights. While not directly providing grants, HRFN provides research and publications on available funding. 18

Financials

The Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders received a total of €3,782,088 (around $4,012,209) in 2022, and its total expenses amounted to €3,729,288 (approximately $3,956,196) that year. The organization had a total of €4,587,283 (around $4,866,396) in assets that year. 19

Funding

The Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders received grants from various governmental agencies in 2022. The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency granted a total of €1,012,948 (around $1,074,580) to EMHRF in 2022 while the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs granted the organization €255,307 (approximately $270,841) the same year. The European Commission granted a total of €432,055 (around $458,343), and the United Nations granted €30,231 ($32,070). 20

EMHRF has also received grants from private grantmaking foundations. The Open Society Foundations (OSF) is a private grantmaking foundation created and funded by billionaire financier and liberal philanthropist George Soros. OSF granted a total of €226,598 (around $240,385) to EMHRF in 2022. 21

National Endowment for Democracy (NED) is a private nonprofit grantmaking organization that supports the development of democratic institutions around the world. Though formally private, the NED is almost entirely funded by the U.S. Congress. The organization granted EMHRF a total of €134,996 (around $143,209) in 2022. 22 23

The Rockefeller Brothers Fund was created in 1940 as the charity for the five sons of John D. Rockefeller. The fund granted EMHRF $75,000 in 2019 to “scale up the provision of legal aid and representation services for Egyptian activists and nongovernmental organizations. ”24

The Sigrid Rausing Trust is a grantmaking organization that provides funding for several programs that support efforts toward defending human rights. EMHRF, which has been “supported since 2010” by the Sigrid Rausing Trust, was granted £900,000 (around $1,094,251) over three years in 2021. The Sigrid Rausing Trust also notes that EMHRF, excluding the 2021 grant, has received a total of £1,575,000 (approximately $1,914,940) from the grantmaking organization. 25

References

  1. “Who we are.” EuroMed Rights. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://euromedrights.org/who-we-are/.
  2. “Council of Representatives.” EMHRF. May 23, 2018. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/council-of-representatives/.
  3. “Council of Representatives.” EMHRF. May 23, 2018. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/council-of-representatives/.
  4. “Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) statement on BDS movement.” April 4, 2023. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.alhaq.org/palestinian-human-rights-organizations-council/6442.html.
  5. “THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE CENTRE’S WORK.” Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://pchrgaza.org/en/philosophy/.
  6. “ABOUT.” Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://pchrgaza.org/en/about-pchr/.
  7. “Who we are.” EuroMed Rights. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://euromedrights.org/who-we-are/.
  8. “Board.” May 23, 2018. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/board-2/.
  9. “How do we work.” May 23, 2018. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/how-do-we-work/.
  10. “How do we work.” May 23, 2018. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/how-do-we-work/.
  11. “Council of Representatives.” EMHRF. May 23, 2018. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/council-of-representatives/.
  12. “Council of Representatives.” EMHRF. May 23, 2018. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/council-of-representatives/.
  13. “Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) statement on BDS movement.” April 4, 2023. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.alhaq.org/palestinian-human-rights-organizations-council/6442.html.
  14. “THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE CENTRE’S WORK.” Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://pchrgaza.org/en/philosophy/.
  15. “ABOUT.” Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://pchrgaza.org/en/about-pchr/.
  16. “Palestine, Israel and the Palestinians Working Group.” EuroMed Rights. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://euromedrights.org/working-group/palestine-israel-and-the-palestinians-working-group/.
  17. “50 years of occupation, 50 years of impunity.” EuroMed Rights. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.euromedrights.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/50-years-of-occupation-4-pager.pdf.
  18. “4 Posts for Partners Category.” May 23, 2018. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/category/partners/.
  19. “Annual Report 2022.” EMHRF. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/EMHRF-Annual-Audited-Report-2022_eng.pdf
  20. “Annual Report 2022.” EMHRF. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/EMHRF-Annual-Audited-Report-2022_eng.pdf.
  21. “Annual Report 2022.” EMHRF. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/EMHRF-Annual-Audited-Report-2022_eng.pdf.
  22. [1] “Annual Report 2022.” EMHRF. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://emhrf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/EMHRF-Annual-Audited-Report-2022_eng.pdf.
  23. “About the National Endowment for Democracy.” NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.ned.org/about/.
  24. [1] “Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders.” Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.rbf.org/grantees/euro-mediterranean-foundation-support-human-rights-defenders.
  25. “Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders.” The Sigrid Rausing Trust. January 1, 2010. Accessed October 30, 2023. https://www.sigrid-rausing-trust.org/grantee/euro-mediterranean-foundation-of-support-to-human-rights-defenders/.
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