Human Rights Grants Awarded at The Overbrook Foundation's December Board Meeting

At its final Board Meeting of 2011, The Overbrook Foundation’s Board of Directors approved 14 grants totaling $550,000 for the Human Rights Program. The Foundation applauds these organizations for their existing achievements and it looks forward to their progress in promoting human rights and social justice in the upcoming year with this added support from The Overbrook Foundation.

The Foundation’s work to build a Domestic Human Rights Movement will be furthered through the approval of a $50,000 grant to the National Economic & Social Rights Initiative.

A grant of $25,000 will be awarded to Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders for its project to challenge the constitutionality of the Defense Against Marriage Act as a part of the Foundation's efforts to promote marriage equality in the United States.

To honor our commitment to Reproductive Justice in the United States, Overbrook will award grants to the National Advocates for Pregnant Women for $25,000 and to the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum for $30,000. Additionally, Overbrook approved a $40,000 grant to the Third Wave Foundation for its work on Reproductive Health, a $50,000 grant to the Tides Center/Groundswell Fund’s Catalyst Fund and a $30,000 grant to the Western States Center for its Gender Justice Initiative.

To promote nonprofit media in the United States, Overbrook will award grants to Breakthrough USA for its work on human rights-based videos and interactive games, to the Center for Public Integrity for investigative reporting on the money in American political campaigns, and to the New Press for its publication and promotion of books related to Human Rights in the United States. The Foundation will support these organizations with grants of $45,000, $45,000 and $35,000 respectively.

Four of the approved grants fit into the Foundation's International Human Rights program offering support to advocates of Gender Rights and Human Rights Defenders in Latin America. Disability Rights International will receive a $50,000 grant to build capacity of activists to prevent and end violence against women and girls with disabilities in Mexico and Guatemala, and Ipas will receive a $40,000 grant for advocacy and action on abortion policy in Latin America. To support their work with Latin American Human Rights Defenders, Overbrook will also award Front Line with a $50,000 grant for the protection of Latin American Human Rights Defenders and Reporters Without Borders with a $35,000 grant to defend freedom of information in Latin America.

Again, we are proud to support these organizations that are tirelessly working to advocate for and protect a large variety of critical human rights for people in the United States and Latin America! More information about 2011 grantees will soon be posted on The Overbrook Foundation Website.