irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $8.25MMIDDLE EAST & NORTH AFRICA - FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH HAS WORKED TO EXPOSE AND CURB A WIDE RANGE OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. WITH A STAFF OF MORE THAN 30 PEOPLE, WE REPORT ON 17 COUNTRIES IN THE REGION FROM OUR LOCALOFFICES IN TUNISIA, LEBANON, ISRAEL, JORDAN, AS WELL AS FROM OUR OTHER INTERNATIONAL OFFICES.
- #2 $6.86MTHE EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA DIVISION OF HRW MONITORS AND PROMOTES HUMAN RIGHTS IN ASIAN COUNTRIES FROM AFGHANISTAN TO THE EAST. HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH SENDS INVESTIGATIVE MISSIONS TO COLLECT INFORMATION AND REPORTS ITS FINDINGS TO THE PUBLIC.
named programs · 3 · from sources
What they call their work
Accountability and Oversight Campaign
Calls for investigations into federal agents and DHS officials responsible for abuses and advocates for independent oversight mechanisms and legal reforms.
Advocacy for Immigration Reform
Pushes for policy changes to end mandatory detention, prohibit racial profiling, and protect sensitive locations like schools and healthcare facilities from immigration enforcement.
Operation Metro Surge Investigation
Documented human rights violations during a 2025 federal immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, including unlawful killings, arbitrary detention, racial profiling, and impacts on health and education.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Human Rights Advocacy & Accountability 2 activities
- Advocates for accountability and policy change through public and institutional engagementUses findings from investigations to advocate for justice and systemic reform by engaging policymakers, issuing public calls for accountability, submitting freedom of information requests, and collaborating with international bodies. Tactics include "naming and shaming," media outreach, and direct appeals to government officials.
- Conducts human rights investigations in approximately 100 countriesDocuments human rights abuses globally through on-the-ground research, including interviews, statistical analysis, satellite imagery, and geolocation of digital evidence. Investigations cover war crimes, discrimination, policing practices, and abuses in closed societies.
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Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
- Builds capacity and collaboration within the human rights communityRecruits staff, connects with academic and activist networks, collaborates with local organizations, and provides resource guides to partner groups on funding, training, security, and advocacy tools to strengthen collective human rights efforts.
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Human Rights Advocacy and Public Education 1 activity
- Publishes detailed reports and multimedia content on human rights abusesProduces and disseminates comprehensive reports, often 60–300 pages long, documenting abuses in specific countries or sectors. Reports are published in accessible formats including Easy-to-Read, Braille, and with alternative text and transcripts for multimedia components.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$84.97M
Contributions & grants$81.27M96%
Program service revenue$9910%
Investment income$2.98M4%
Other revenue$717K
expenses
Total expenses$101.62M
Program expenses69%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising18%
Salaries & benefits$65.07M
Grants paid out$3.98M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$216.74M
Cash$20.85M
Investments$130.66M
Liabilities$20.98M
Net assets$195.76M
Liquid reserves17.9 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue +9.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 18
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| TIRANA HASSAN | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR | 40 | $559K |
| WALID AYOUB | FORMER IT DIRECTOR | 0 | $478K |
| WISLA HENEGHAN | FORMER COO | 0 | $428K |
| MEI FONG | CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER | 40 | $401K |
| BRUNO STAGNO UGARTE | CHIEF ADVOCACY OFFICER | 40 | $369K |
| LAUREN CAMILLI | GENERAL COUNSEL | 40 | $368K |
| MARUSYA LAZO | CHIEF FINANCIAL & OPERATING OFFICER | 40 | $358K |
| JOSEPH SAUNDERS | DEPUTY PROGRAMS DIRECTOR | 40 | $342K |
| MINJON THOLEN DIRECTOR | DIVERSITY, EQUITY, & INCLUSION | 40 | $340K |
| SARI BASHI | PROGRAMS DIRECTOR (THRU 03/31/25) | 40 | $339K |
| ANGELA DEANE | CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER | 40 | $329K |
| JAMES D ROSS | LEGAL AND POLICY DIRECTOR | 40 | $313K |
| JOSEPH LISI | CHIEF OF PEOPLE AND CULTURE OFFICER | 40 | $299K |
| ABIR GHATTAS | CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER | 40 | $274K |
| VERONICA MATUSHAJ | DIRECTOR, DOC VID & PHOTO | 0 | $266K |
| ALAN FELDSTEIN GEN COUNSEL | FOR OPERATIONS/FMR. ACTING GC | 40 | $228K |
| VALENTINA ROSA | FORMER CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER | 0 | $191K |
| FEDERICO BORELLO | CHIEF PROGRAMS OFFICER | 40 | $166K |
board members · 6
- AKWASI AIDOO — VICE CHAIRMAN
- ALICIA MINANA — DIRECTOR
- AMBASSADOR ROBIN SANDERS — VICE CHAIRMAN
- AMY RAO — CO-CHAIRMAN
- ANDREW ZOLLI — DIRECTOR
- BRUCE SIMPSON — VICE CHAIRMAN (THRU 5/18/25)
relationships · 38
Who they work with
- (RE)CLAIM Partner — Jointly conducted research and co-published a report on discriminatory police fining practices in France
- Action Locale pour un Développement Participatif et Autogéré Partner — Partner organization involved in supporting Human Rights Watch’s research on violence against women in Cameroon.
- Africa Division Partner — Provides advisory support to the Africa Division of Human Rights Watch.
- Americas Division Partner — Provides advisory support to the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch.
- Amnesty International Partner — Partner organization whose library serves as a research resource for human rights work.
- Asia Division Partner — Provides advisory support to the Asia Division of Human Rights Watch.
- Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (APAM) Partner — Collaborated with APAM through interviews and engagement with its former president, Ian Simbota, for research on discrimination against people with albinism.
- Cercle des Educateurs Solidaires des Quartiers Reunis Partner — Local partner organization that collaborated with Human Rights Watch on research in Cameroon.
- Children's Rights Division Partner — Provides advisory support to the Children's Rights Division of Human Rights Watch.
- China Government — Subject of human rights reporting on education and cultural suppression policies in Tibet.
- Crisis and Conflict Partner — Provides advisory support to the Crisis and Conflict program of Human Rights Watch.
- Disability Rights Division Partner — Provides advisory support to the Disability Rights Division of Human Rights Watch.
- Environment and Human Rights Division Partner — Provides advisory support to the Environment and Human Rights Division of Human Rights Watch.
- Europe and Central Asia Division Partner — Provides advisory support to the Europe and Central Asia Division of Human Rights Watch.
- European Union Government — Subject of human rights reporting on export regulation policies.
- Front Line Partner — Partner organization that protects human rights defenders, referenced as a resource for security and protection.
- Global Security Services Group (GSSG) Partner — Abu Dhabi-based security company implicated in the deployment of Colombian fighters to Sudan, documented in HRW reporting.
- HURIDOCS Partner — Partner organization that provides free software for documenting human rights violations.
- Health and Human Rights Division Partner — Provides advisory support to the Health and Human Rights Division of Human Rights Watch.
- Interights Partner — Partner organization that supports NGOs through legal training and maintains an online database of legal documents.
- International Campaign to Ban Landmines Coalition — Founding member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
- International Campaign to Ban Landmines Partner — Collaborated on the global campaign to ban landmines, which led to the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.
- International Criminal Court Government — Cooperating with investigations into serious international crimes committed in eastern Congo.
- International Service for Human Rights Partner — Partner organization that facilitates communication with UN-affiliated groups and provides training on international human rights mechanisms.
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program Partner — Provides advisory support to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program of Human Rights Watch.
- Maison Communautaire pour un Développement Solidaire Partner — Parisian community organization that initiated the research, conducted interviews, and co-published a report on abusive fining practices with Human Rights Watch
- Open Society Justice Initiative Partner — Partner organization that provides legal and litigation assistance to NGOs, referenced as a resource for legal support.
- Physicians for Human Rights Partner — Collaborated on medical and human rights analysis of deaths in ICE custody, including clinical assessment of care adequacy.
- Rwanda Defence Force Government — Subject of human rights reporting on involvement in abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Student Task Force Partner — Provides advisory support to the Student Task Force of Human Rights Watch.
+ 8 more
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Coalition-Strengthened Advocacymethodology: movement_strengthening_through_partnershipBy partnering with local and international NGOs, HRW amplifies its advocacy impact and ensures contextual accuracy, because collaborative networks increase legitimacy, broaden reach, and strengthen the collective power of the human rights movement to influence policy and protect vulnerable populations.
- Evidence-Based Investigation and Advocacymethodology: evidence-based investigationBy conducting rigorous, multi-source investigations—combining testimonies, digital forensics, legal records, and expert analysis—HRW produces credible documentation of human rights abuses, which serves as the foundation for advocacy and policy change, because authoritative evidence increases pressure on decision-makers and strengthens legitimacy in public discourse.
- Name and Shame Accountability Mechanismmethodology: name and shameBy publicly exposing human rights abusers through media and direct policy engagement—naming governments and institutions responsible for violations—HRW generates reputational and political pressure that incentivizes compliance, because public stigma and loss of legitimacy can compel behavioral change in state and non-state actors.
- Technologically-Enhanced Fact-Findingmethodology: hybrid fact-findingBy integrating on-the-ground investigations with digital tools like satellite imagery, photogrammetry, and statistical analysis, HRW strengthens the credibility and scope of human rights documentation, because technological verification allows for remote corroboration and overcomes access restrictions in high-risk environments.