Freedom House

Freedom House, Inc. (FHI) is a "conservative research, publishing, networking, and selective human rights organization." Freedom House's work is linked to the "democracy promotion" efforts of the National Endowment for Democracy which also funds the bulk of FHI's projects.

Background
Freedom House describes itself as non-partisan and broad-based, "a clear voice for democracy and freedom around the world." It was founded "nearly sixty years ago by Eleanor Roosevelt, Wendell Willkie, and other Americans concerned with the mounting threats to peace and democracy, Freedom House has been a vigorous proponent of democratic values and a steadfast opponent of dictatorships of the far left and the far right."

Freedom House sees itself "at the center of the struggle for freedom ... It was an outspoken advocate of the Marshall Plan and NATO in the 1940s, of the U.S. civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s, of the Vietnam boat people in the 1970s, of Poland's Solidarity movement and the Filipino democratic opposition in the 1980s, and of the many democracies that have emerged around the world in the 1990s ... Freedom House has vigorously opposed dictatorships in Central America and Chile, apartheid in South Africa, the suppression of the Prague Spring, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, genocide in Bosnia and Rwanda, and the brutal violation of human rights in Cuba, Burma, China, and Iraq ... It has championed the rights of democratic activists, religious believers, trade unionists, journalists, and proponents of free markets. In 1997, a consolidation took place whereby the international democratization training programs of the National Forum Foundation were incorporated into Freedom House."

Board of Trustees
The Freedom House Board of Trustees is self-described as "composed of leading Democrats, Republicans, and independents; business and labor leaders; former senior government officials; scholars; writers; and journalists." Diana Barahona's description of their board of trustees is "a Who's Who of neoconservatives from government, business, academia, labor, and the press."


 * Freedom House: Previous Principals

Funding
Freedom house collected $23.5M in revenue during 2005. 
 * Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
 * Between 2001 and 2010, Freedom House received more than $3 million from the conservative Bradley Foundation.
 * Byrne Foundation
 * Carthage Foundation
 * Scaife Foundations
 * Eurasia Foundation
 * Ford Foundation
 * The Freedom Forum
 * Grace Foundation, Inc.
 * Lilly Endowment, Inc.
 * LWH Family Foundation
 * National Endowment for Democracy provides about 80% of FHI's budget
 * Pew Charitable Trusts
 * Sarah Scaife Foundation (Scaife Foundations)
 * Schloss Family Foundation
 * Smith Richardson Foundation, Inc.
 * Soros Foundations
 * Tinker Foundation
 * Unilever United States Foundation, Inc.
 * US Agency for International Development
 * US Information Agency


 * F. M. Kirby Foundation

Related Organizations

 * American Committee for Peace in Chechnya
 * Freedom of Expression Project
 * Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
 * Jamestown Foundation
 * Gozaar
 * Freedom House: Dialogue on Reform in the Arab World

NB: These organizations often co-host events, there is personnel overlap, and at some point have shared offices.


 * Joshua Gordon - former press officer

New York Office

 * 120 Wall Street, Floor 26
 * New York, NY 10005
 * Phone: 212-514-8040
 * Email: info AT freedomhouse.org
 * Web: www.freedomhouse.org

Washington D.C. Office

 * 1301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 6
 * Washington, D.C. 20036
 * Phone: 202-296-5101