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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: March 2025 Expires: March 2027

Human Rights Watch

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
Accreditation seal
(212) 290-4700
350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor
New York, NY, 10118
https://hrw.org
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Human Rights Watch meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to defend the rights of people worldwide."

Year, State Incorporated:
1976, NY

Human Rights Watch (HRW) investigates and reports on abuses happening in all corners of the world. The organization reports that it consists of roughly 500+ people of more than 70 nationalities who are country experts, lawyers, journalists, and others who work to protect the most at risk, from vulnerable minorities and civilians in wartime, to refugees and children in need. The organization directs its advocacy towards governments, armed groups, and businesses, pushing them to change or enforce their laws, policies and practices. HRW partners with organizations across the globe to protect embattled activists and to help hold abusers to account and bring justice to victims.

For the year ended June 30, 2023, Human Rights Watch's program expenses were:

Africa $9,335,184
Americas $4,768,607
Asia $11,010,989
Europe and Central Asia $7,749,453
Middle East and North Africa $8,370,773
United States $3,878,739
Children's rights $4,945,784
Women's rights $4,421,597
Disability rights $3,939,196
LGBT rights $2,610,790
Other programs $19,535,935
Total Program Expenses $80,567,047

Chief Executive
Tirana Hassan, Executive Director

Compensation*
$440,240

Chair of the Board
Amy Rao and Neil Rimer

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Executive Vice President, The Schmidt Family Foundation and Co-Founder and General Partner, Index Ventures

Board Size
25

Paid Staff Size
526

*2022 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Note: The highest compensated employee in 2022 was the former Executive Director, Kenneth Roth, who received compensation totaling $2,799,333 consisting of other reportable compensation ($2,270,259), base compensation ($466,489), retirement and other deferred compensation ($51,000), and nontaxable benefits ($11,585).

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Television, Grant proposals, Internet, Direct mail appeals, Radio

Fundraising costs were 21% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $100,185,239, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Human Rights Watch's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2023.

Source of Funds
Publications $4,157
Other revenue $202,558
In-kind contributions $2,551,491
Investment return, net $10,629,400
Special events, net $13,374,672
Contributions and grants $84,259,076
Total Income $111,021,354

Programs: 69% Fundraising: 18% Administrative: 12%

Total Income $111,021,354
Total expenses: $115,994,241
  Program expenses $80,567,047
  Fundraising expenses $21,451,645
  Administrative expenses $13,975,549
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $-4,972,887
Beginning Net Assets $227,450,217
Other Changes In Net Assets $1,052,943
Ending Net Assets $223,530,273
Total Liabilities $30,773,995
Total Assets $254,304,268

Note 1: According to HRW's audited financial statements - consolidated - for the year ended June 30, 2023, the organization received in-kind contributions totaling $2,551,491 in the form of professional services ($2,506,980), auctioned items ($25,180), and space rental ($19,331).

Note 2: In the financial section above, "other changes in net assets" refers to foreign currency translation income ($996,862) and a change in value of beneficial interest in split-interest agreements ($56,081).

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance