Twenty years of work. More than 2,200 projects supported. Over 1,300 civil society organizations reached.
Founded in 2006, the Brazil Human Rights Fund set out to implement innovative mechanisms to support Brazil’s organized civil society. The foundation was conceived by human rights activists who understood the challenges facing our democracy and committed to building a more just country.
From the outset, our ambition was to reach where others did not: grassroots organizations with little or no access to funding, created to tackle rights violations in their territories.
Organizations of mothers who lost their children to state violence; groups from the Black movement and the Indigenous movement; organizations led by women and by LGBTQIAPN+ people. From the very beginning, we have trusted these groups’ ability to point the way forward in confronting structural problems. Over two decades, they have shaped public debate. They have exposed violations, put forward solutions and, through their diligent work, expanded the boundaries of our democracy, making it more inclusive.
Brazil in 2026 is different from the country it was 20 years ago. The work of the Brazil Human Rights Fund has contributed to the progress the country has made, while also expanding its reach and adapting to change.
In 2006, we launched a single call for proposals. That first public call would later become known as the Annual Call. At the time, 21 projects were supported. By 2025, we were operating 22 calls for proposals, together supporting around 280 projects.
Alongside our Annual Call, new areas of work emerged. In the world’s third most incarcerating country, the Brazil Human Rights Fund created a line dedicated to supporting organizations that advocate for a more just, anti-racist criminal justice system. As the climate crisis deepened, we launched Raízes – Climate Justice for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, supporting peoples and local communities in their fight for climate justice. We also created Labora – Fund for Decent Work, focused on an agenda that has historically received limited funding.
Over 20 years, our ways of working have evolved and strengthened, responding to the urgencies of human rights in each historical moment, while sustaining support for core democratic issues that continue to receive little backing from other funding sources.
What has not changed is our founding commitment to supporting Brazil’s progressive civil society in all its diversity.
In 2026, we will celebrate these 20 years of collective progress and achievements. The celebrations will run throughout the year. To mark their beginning, the Brazil Human Rights Fund launches its commemorative logo.
As we celebrate 20 years of the Brazil Human Rights Fund, we also reaffirm a core conviction: a strong, inclusive democracy, for everyone, is only possible with a vibrant organized civil society. That is what drives our work.
We invite you to celebrate this journey with us.
