Humanity United Announces Launch of Activist-Led Collective Action Fund

Humanity United and our sister organization the Humanity United Charitable Fund (HUCF) are thrilled to announce the launch of the Collective Action Assistance Fund (CAAF) in partnership with Ford Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, and DT Institute. This participatory fund, led and advised by frontline activists and human rights defenders from around the world, provides creative and flexible funding and services to support nonviolent movements advancing rights, climate action, gender equity, democracy, and sustainable peace.

The goals of the fund are to:

• protect and expand support for movements and their ecosystems;
• build alliances among unlikely partners that have shared goals across sectors and borders, and
• center those most proximate to today’s challenges in spaces of decision-making and power.

CAAF officially launched at the World Movement for Democracy in Johannesburg on November 22, 2024. The fund is a critical tool to break down silos that keep movements and coalitions from achieving success by enhancing intersectional and cross-border strategizing, action, and learning.

Nonviolent movements – which are rooted in communities and led by the very people facing injustice –  have catalyzed greater coordination among actors across sectors and borders, bringing together a broad range of knowledge, critical skills, and networks to tackle crises from multiple fronts. However, the sheer scale, complexity, and intersectional nature of today’s most pressing challenges are not something we have seen before. And no one, be it movements and allies in civil society, governments, foundations, and multilaterals, are equipped to deal with what we’re seeing on our own.

This fund is a direct response to the demands of activists and human rights defenders who insist that donors coordinate better to be able to effectively support and leverage nonviolent campaigns. CAAF will pool funders’ financial resources, non-financial offers, and expertise to deliver meaningful support to movements and their ecosystems across a range of geographies.

This is uncharted territory.  But we have an opportunity.

The first call for ideas (not proposals) for the CAAF will be posted here in January. Please contact caaf@humanityunited.org for any queries.