On January 30, 2026, Front Line Defenders, a Channel Foundation grantee, announced the launch of Lighthouse, a global multi-donor fund that provides protection support to human rights defenders facing risks to their safety.

Coordinated by Front Line Defenders, Lighthouse is a new approach in building a stronger, more resilient human rights protection infrastructure as civic spaces worldwide shrink year by year.

In starting the new fund, Front Line Defenders partnered with five other organizations, including another Channel Foundation legacy grantee Urgent Action Fund, committed to the protection of the individuals central to the protecting human rights for all.

Lighthouse is committed to supporting human rights defenders at the individual, local and national level. The pooled fund accepts applications for individual protections, such as personal security or relocation support. Meanwhile, Lighthouse Fund also allocates grants for protection infrastructure and advocacy.

Lighthouse is led by a Steering Committee including the governments of Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom as well as The Carter Center, the Ford Foundation, and the Open Society Foundation. Czechia, Luxembourg, The Carter Center, and the United Kingdom are current funders of the initiative.

“Our support for Lighthouse’s work represents our shared commitment to human rights defenders and their ability to carry out their work safely. Their courageous efforts are needed now more than ever, but they are facing unprecedented challenges,” wrote the Lighthouse Steering Committee.

At a time where gender-based violence is on the rise, leaders like the Lighthouse Fund that focus on strengthening the security of women human rights defenders, are more crucial than ever.

Front Line Defenders invites those who stand with human rights defenders to learn more about the new initiative here: lighthousedefenders.org/.