Corporate Philanthropy Needs a Human Rights Approach
Corporate human rights obligations should extend to philanthropic initiatives for sustainable and meaningful systemic change
Today, the term “human rights” can be found throughout the corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) reports of many of Canada’s largest companies. The introduction of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in 2011 formally set out the expectation that corporations need to be proactive in avoiding causing or contributing to adverse human rights impacts through their own activities and addressing impacts when they occur. The commitments to protect, address and remedy human rights now underlie many current initiatives in the CSR space and the work towards achieving these commitments are leading to more sustainable solutions and stronger and more profitable companies.
Human rights responsibilities, however, don’t have to be limited to a company’s business activities, such as supply chain, procurement and labour policies. Philanthropic initiatives are a typical level one entry point when building a company’s CSR program, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be discerning or purposeful. Philanthropy can help to signal a company’s total commitment to their human rights responsibilities through a “human rights approach” to funding.
Human rights grantmaking is defined by the Advancing Human Rights initiative as “funding in pursuit of structural change to ensure the protection and enjoyment of rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent human rights treaties.” A human rights approach to grantmaking is when the realization of human rights becomes the ultimate goal of funding.
Companies don’t have to be intimately familiar with UN treaties to undertake a human rights approach: they’re likely already funding human rights-focused charities and programs. But what a human rights approach requires is an assessment of how funding can support systemic structural change and how this can complement the traditional grantmaking a company already does.
Here are some examples of what a human rights approach to funding can look like in practice:
- To respond to climate change, moving past conservation initiatives and supporting indigenous groups working on access to land rights, recognition of cultural rights and food sovereignty.
- Along with building health services, focus on supporting marginalized communities working against stigmatization and discrimination in order to increase access.
- Beyond building economic skills for women, investing in programs that challenge and try to change rigid gender norms.
A human rights approach to giving encompasses not just the “what”, but also the “how” of funding. It’s not only about outcomes, but also about principles like participation, accountability and non-discrimination. It can help to push a company to assess and refine its internal selection process to ensure that there is a diversity of voices on a funding committee, to engage in an intersectional approach to funding and to build a social purpose within the company, which can all lead to more sustainable and effective funding.
It’s time for companies to take bold steps to deeply embed their commitment to human rights throughout all of their CSR initiatives. Philanthropy is a part of the movement that can’t be left behind if the realization of human rights and a better world for everyone are our goals.
Further reading:
Advancing Human Rights: The State of Global Foundation Grantmaking
Addressing Equity and Social Change Through Corporate and Individual Philanthropy (Stanford Social Innovation Review)
Grantmaking at the Crossroads: An Intersectional Approach (pdf, Council of Michigan Foundations)
Race, Class, and Gender: An Intersectional Approach to Social and Racial Justice Work (pdf, The Simmons Foundation)
