Hivos strengthens and resources organizations and movements with the potential to improve a broad range of human, civil, and political rights. In particular, if they are directly at risk of being targeted or if they have the potential to spark popular mobilization for a transformative progressive agenda. Hivos also uses its lengthy experience to create supportive environments for civil society organizations.
Flexible support
Whether our support consists of long-term capacity sharing, alliance building, or short-term emergency funding, it can count on our decades-long track record of working closely with individuals, their projects or organizations, and movements across the world. This lets us support both established and emerging initiatives in or outside the mainstream, and work with creative and courageous people, to address sensitive and under-resourced issues, often in volatile or complex environments.
Participatory grant-making
We take pride in our grant-making role — key to resourcing initiatives that are under (political or financial) pressure or struggle to access funding directly — but understand the complexities of power dynamics that this brings. That is why participatory grant-making and people-led Communities of Action are central to our program development.
Safe spaces for activism
We also understand that activism and advocacy in complex contexts might need to take place in secure spaces and spheres. So, in addition to supporting in-person gatherings and actions when safe and effective to do, we have co-created programs that allow people to safely meet online.
Partnerships
Standing with people and their movements against injustice is also the criteria we use in selecting program partners, funders, and allies. We partner with and seek funding from and for institutions that support power distribution at the global, national, and increasingly local level.
Amplifying local voices globally
Lastly, we are uniquely positioned to combine the expertise of our partners with our own to contribute to global knowledge production and advocacy on issues that affect civil society organizations and movements. Using our experience in advocating at global fora, we amplify local voices, bring organizations together regionally, and advocate for their solutions globally. Hivos takes a clear public stance when civil and political rights are under attack, joining the voices of those most affected, or taking the side of our outspoken partners. When helpful, we speak truth to power on our own.