The Freedom Fund

The Freedom Fund takes up a hotspot model to effectively combat modern slavery. It concentrates its resources on geographic areas known for high incidences of slavery, ensuring measurable reductions within five years. It invests in community-based organisations, empowering them to protect at-risk individuals, liberate and rehabilitate victims, and prosecute perpetrators. Its model is guided by six principles: concentrating resources, supporting frontline organizations, building coalitions, investing in organizations, prioritizing data and research, and amplifying frontline voices globally. It focuses on select hotspots, empowering grassroots organisations, fostering collaborations, investing in organisational development, prioritizing data-driven approaches, and providing global exposure. Examples of its hotspot projects include combating child labour in Northern India, commercial sexual exploitation in Central Nepal etc.

The Freedom Fund implements global initiatives that aim to influence Governments, inter-governmental organisations, businesses, and funders in their efforts to end modern slavery. These initiatives address key issues and approaches related to preventing and eradicating modern slavery, connecting global strategies with grassroots approaches for enhanced collaboration and impact. The Corporate Accountability initiative of the Freedom Fund is dedicated to addressing forced labour as a driver across all sectors of the global economy. The initiative aims to bring about broader systemic change by increasing pressure on businesses to address and rectify forced labour issues within their supply chains.

Freedom Rising, launched by the Freedom Fund, seeks to build a representative anti-slavery movement led by women and survivors. With over 70% of those in slavery being women and girls, the programme aims to address gender discrimination and empower underrepresented leaders. It offers 12 months of leadership and technical skills training, focusing on personal growth, organisational management, and movement-building. It emphasizes inclusivity, local context, and building stronger organisations. Participants are introduced to an alumni network for continued support and connections. Freedom Rising addresses the lack of support for women and survivors in the anti-slavery movement, prioritizing their recruitment and highlighting the value of lived experience. It equips both male and female participants to advocate for gender justice and survivor leadership. By empowering emerging leaders, the programme aims to create a more effective and inclusive movement against slavery.

It supports survivor-led organisations battling modern slavery through unrestricted grants. It aims to empower these organisations to make a significant impact by providing funding without restrictions on its use. The fund recognizes the importance of survivor-led initiatives in meeting the needs of victims and survivors and driving systemic change. The first round of funding targets Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania. Survivor-led organizations in these countries can apply for grants of up to $20,000, allowing them to allocate the funds as needed.

The Freedom Fund and the Polaris Project are jointly creating the Global Modern Slavery Directory, which aims to provide a comprehensive list of organisations combating modern slavery worldwide. The directory includes verified information on organisations, their areas of operation, and the types of slavery they address. It is easily accessible through a searchable website. Version 2 of the directory will expand the information to include financial and governance details, as well as encourage standardized data collection. Currently, over 1,500 organisations have been identified and mentioned.