As 2025 comes to a close, we at the Human Rights Foundation (HRF) are proud to acknowledge the collective progress we have made this year in the struggle against tyranny. We celebrated the release of prisoners of conscience. We released groundbreaking research, which illuminated the tactics used by dictators and the creative ways people are resisting repression. We invested in training, resources, and tools to empower activists on the front lines of freedom. Through global forums and campaigns, we engaged audiences around the world, amplifying stories of resilience and courage.
Still, the challenge of confronting tyranny persists. HRFтАЩs research shows that more than 75% of the world lives under authoritarianism. ThatтАЩs more than 5.9 billion people whose fundamental human rights and civil liberties are restricted. Over the past year, we witnessed dictators continue to brutally repress dissidents, sharing strategies with one another and weaponizing AI and other emerging technologies to tighten their grip on power. Dictators are not resting тАФ and neither can we.
We invite you to join the struggle for democracy by making a year-end gift today. Your support will allow HRF to continue defending, equipping, and giving a platform to human rights advocates boldly changing the realities of their countries. Donations made or postmarked by 11:59 p.m. ET tonight (Wednesday, Dec. 31) are tax-deductible for 2025.
HRFтАЩs Work in 2025
This year, HRF promoted and protected freedom where it was most at risk through creative campaigns, legal work, and community building. Among our many achievements:
- We hosted the 17th Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF) in Norway, where more than 1,400 attendees from around the world exchanged valuable tools, knowledge, and resources in the struggle for basic rights and individual liberties. The eventтАЩs theme, тАЬImagine,тАЭ invited attendees to envision a world without tyranny.
- We celebrated the release of four prisoners of conscience: Saudi womenтАЩs rights activist Salma al-Shehab, Belarusian pro-democracy activist Palina Sharenda-Panasiuk, Jordanian whistleblower Abdullah Ibhais, and Bolivian governor Luis Fernando Camacho. Our legal efforts, including petitions to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, as well as our public campaigns, contributed significantly to their releases.
- We launched AI for Individual Rights, the worldтАЩs first program to expose artificial intelligence used by autocrats as tools of repression and support open-source AI tools in the hands of dissidents. We held the first AI for Individual Rights Summit in November to forge partnerships between technologists and human rights defenders, and we announced our first round of grants to advance privacy-preserving AI tools for activists and civil society worldwide.
- We created spaces for activists to share strategies and strengthen their freedom movements, including the Resilience Retreat, the George Ayittey Democracy Retreat, and the Freedom Fellowship Working Retreat.
- We elevated the work of dissident artists at events across the globe, from SXSW to the sidelines of events like Art Basel and the UN General Assembly. Our Art in Protest Residency provided dissident artists with mentorship, artistic training sessions, and exhibition space to showcase their work.
By donating today, you can help us build upon these achievements and expand our programs in 2026:
The Tyranny Tracker, HRFтАЩs global classification of political regimes, which is set to launch on February 26, 2026;
Our Wear Your Values program, which raises awareness of the fashion industryтАЩs complicity in human rights abuses worldwide and supports designers seeking to deepen their commitment to ethical practices;
Our Impact Litigation Project, which provides pro bono legal representation and advocacy to prisoners of conscience in authoritarian regimes, bringing cases of arbitrary detention before international human rights bodies;
The CCP Disruption Initiative, which sheds light on the Chinese Communist PartyтАЩs ongoing attacks on civil liberties and supports young activists who are spearheading innovative approaches to stand up to tyranny;
Our Combating Kleptocracy program, which shines a light on how corrupt actors around the world use their illicit finances to undermine democracy and strengthen authoritarianism; and
The College Freedom Forum, which brings critical conversations about human rights and the dangers of authoritarianism to universities around the world.
None of our achievements this year would have been possible without the generous support of our global community. As a charitable organization without an endowment, HRF relies entirely on the generosity of our donors to continue our work. We hope you will donate today to support the struggle against tyranny.
To a more peaceful, prosperous, and free 2026. Happy New Year!
Ways to Support HRF
#1 Donate Cash | Donate to HRF or your favorite HRF program.
#2 Donate Bitcoin | HRF accepts Bitcoin donations via BTCPay Server, a self-hosted, open-source cryptocurrency payment processor.
#3 Donate Stock | Donate stock online at every.org/hrf or contact our team at [email protected] for our DTC (direct-to-consumer) information to make a stock gift to HRF.
#4 Donor-Advised Funds | Donor-advised funds, such as Vanguard Charitable, Schwab Charitable, and Fidelity Charitable, allow donors to make charitable contributions to organizations, receive an immediate tax deduction, and recommend grants from the fund over time.
#5 Corporate Gift Matching | Many US-based companies will match up to 100% of their employeesтАЩ charitable contributions, which can increase the impact of a single or recurring gift.
#6 Legacy Gifts | Leaving HRF a gift in your will or gifting a percentage of your estate allows you to create a lasting legacy of protecting human rights. Contact [email protected] to learn about legacy giving.
#7 Qualified Charitable Distributions | QCDs are tax-free gifts made from a traditional IRA and are the fastest-growing type of philanthropy. QCDs allow individuals who are 70┬╜ years old or older to donate up to $108,000 total to one or more charities directly from a taxable IRA instead of taking their required minimum distributions.
