OVERVIEW: The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative supports projects related to humanitarian relief, human rights and higher education across the globe.
IP TAKE: This funder is better known for its Aurora Prize than it is for its grantmaking. The Aurora Prize is is an annual award for an individual who’s made a significant contribution to humanitarian causes, while the initiative’s grantmaking is often conducted in direct response to emergent natural or humanitarian disasters. Armenia is a geographic focus for this funder, and a significant portion of its non-emergency funding supports cultural projects there. Aurora is highly selective and doesn’t accept unsolicited requests for funding, so grantseekers will need network to get on this funder’s radar.
PROFILE: The Aurora Humanitarian Initiative is the organization that administers the Aurora Prize, a $1 million award given to individuals who have made a significant impact on advancing humanitarian causes. It seeks to “address on-the-ground humanitarian challenges around the world with the focus on helping the most destitute.” The initiative was created by Vartan Gregorian, Noubar Afeyan, and Ruben Vardanyan to honor those who helped survivors of the Armenian Genocide, the first genocide of the twentieth century in which as many as 1.5 million Armenians were systematically murdered. Aurora’s illustrious board includes actor and humanitarian George Clooney, Benjamin Ferencz, Chief Prosecutor for the US Army at the Einsatzgruppen Trial held in Nuremberg in 1947, and Shirin Ebadi, Iran’s first female judge and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Its grants support humanitarian relief, human rights, and higher education around the world.
Grants for Humanitarian and Disaster Relief, Security and Human Rights, and Higher Education
Aurora’s grantmaking is based on the principle of “Gratitude in Action,” which is rooted in the idea “that countless people around the world who have received aid in time of crisis can best express their gratitude by offering similar assistance to someone else.” One of the primary funding recipients is the United World Colleges (UWC) network of schools, which seeks to “inspire young people to put their talents and energy into social change, no matter which future path they choose.”
Aurora’s signature programs and initiatives include:
- The Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity, which is given “to recognize and support those who risk their own lives, health or freedom to save the lives, health or freedom of others suffering as a result of violent conflict, atrocity crimes or other major human rights violations.” The prize winner receives a $1 million award to recognize their courage, commitment, and impact.
- The Aurora for Artsakh program works to help “the people of Artsakh [who face] a grave humanitarian crisis in the aftermath of the 2020 Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) war.” The program has supported 80 projects in Artsakh with $1,740,000 in grants to both local and international partners. It has also given to the Hayastan All Armenian Fund to support humanitarian assistance to the people of Artsakh.
- Aurora Dialogues works to bring together many of the “world’s leading humanitarians, academics, philanthropists, business leaders, and civil society […] for a series of insightful discussions about some of today’s most pressing humanitarian challenges.” Additionally, the dialogues seek to amplify those who are working to address pressing issues and create real, tangible change.
- The Young Aurora program supports educational initiatives, and work to preserve and promote Armenian heritage and history. Supported projects in education include both research grants and scholarships, including individual scholarships “named after Lamya Haji Bashar (given to Yazidi students), Amal Clooney (given to a female student from Lebanon with strong interest in human rights) and Charles Aznavour (awarded to students from France and Francophone countries).”
Important Grant Details:
Aurora’s grants range from about $10,000 to $2 million. Given that this funder’s grantmaking is highly selective, initiatives are not open to unsolicited applications or requests for funding. Grants are frequently made in direct response to either humanitarian or natural disasters.
This funder via email at info@auroraprize.com or by submitting a message on its contact page. The foundation’s phone number is listed as (202) 408-3947.
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