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THE INTERNATIONAL COALITION OF SITES OF CONSCIENCE
New York, NY · EIN 204874389 · Form 990 · FY2024 · NTEE A035 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Medium ($1M-$10M) · sitesofconscience.org
revenue
$5.0M
expenses
$5.4M
net assets
$554K
employees
20
program ratio
83%
mission · from form 990

TO CONNECT PAST STRUGGLES TO TODAYS MOVEMENTS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS. WE TURN MEMORY INTO ACTION.

profile · synthesized from sources

The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience is a global network that supports historic sites, museums, and memory initiatives in using lessons from the past to advance human rights and civic engagement. It provides training, grants, and technical support to over 400 member sites in 80 countries, helping them foster dialogue on contemporary social issues. Founded in 1999, the organization works across post-conflict and democratic contexts to strengthen public memory and promote justice.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $552K
    METHODOLOGY & PRACTICE - SUPPORTS MEMBER SITES AS WELL AS NON-MEMBER MUSEUMS, HISTORIC SITES, MEMORY INITIATIVES AND MEMORIALS AND OTHER PUBLIC SPACES IN BECOMING DYNAMIC CENTERS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH CONSULTATION AND PERSONALIZED TRAINING; AS WELL AS GATHERS AND DISSEMINATES PROGRAM METHODOLOGIES FROM MEMBER SITES TO TRAIN PARTICIPANTS IN DIALOGIC INTERPRETATION IMPLEMENTATION, IMPACT EVALUATION, AND STRATEGIC PLANNING.
  2. #2 $357K
    GLOBAL NETWORKS - THE GLOBAL NETWORKS DEPARTMENT AIMS TO CONNECT AND SUPPORT MORE THAN 350 MEMBERS IN 65 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH LEARNING EXCHANGES AMONG SITES DURING YEARLY REGIONAL MEETINGS, SHARING OF DIFFERENT APPROACHES AND METHODOLOGIES OF MEMORIALIZATION, REINFORCING THE CAPACITY OF SITES TO BUILD STRONG PUBLIC PROGRAMS, AND WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR SITES ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS.
named programs · 5 · from sources

What they call their work

Digital Mapping and Documentation in the Middle East and North Africa
Documents former sites of torture and detention in the MENA region using digital maps with victim testimonies and visual materials for accountability and community engagement
Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation
Supports transitional justice processes by working with survivors’ groups and memory initiatives to ensure victims' voices are central in truth commissions and accountability efforts
Global Networks
Supports over 400 member sites in 80 countries through regional networks, learning exchanges, and capacity-building initiatives including annual meetings and thematic collaborations
Methodology & Practice
Provides personalized training and technical support to member and non-member sites in dialogic interpretation, impact evaluation, and strategic planning to become centers for community engagement
Project Support Fund (PSF)
Provides grants of up to $10,000 paired with technical support and advocacy guidance to help members design and implement new programs
activities · 12 groups

What they do

  • Human Rights Advocacy & Accountability 3 activities
    • Advance victims' voices in transitional justice processes
      Works with survivors’ groups in The Gambia to ensure victims’ perspectives are central to transitional justice efforts addressing the legacy of the 1994–2016 dictatorship.
    • Conduct long-term evaluation of global impact of Sites of Conscience
      Conducts ongoing research to assess how Sites of Conscience influence human rights reform, violence prevention, and transitional justice worldwide.
    • Map sites of torture and detention with victim testimonies
      Supports 14 member organizations across eight Middle East and North African countries in documenting former sites of torture and detention on a digital map incorporating survivor accounts and media for accountability and education.
  • Human Rights & Peace Education Curriculum 2 activities
    • Develop and share resources on memory, dialogue, and social issues
      Creates and disseminates practical resources on program design, dialogue facilitation, transitional justice, and urgent topics such as race, gender, migration, and contested histories.
    • Provide training and grants to support participatory programs at Sites of Conscience
      Offers training and financial support to Sites of Conscience to develop programs that use memory, arts, and culture to promote dialogue, human rights, and community building.
  • Holocaust and Genocide Remembrance Education 2 activities
    • Engage global publics using historical lessons for contemporary challenges
      Engages tens of millions of people annually in applying historical memory to current threats to democracy and human rights.
    • Support impact-driven programs at global Sites of Conscience
      Supported member sites in South Africa, the United States, and Bangladesh to shift public opinion, raise awareness, improve intergroup relationships, and increase civic engagement around historical atrocities.
  • Community Capacity Building & Leadership Networks 1 activity
    • Build capacity of museums and communities to combat historical erasure
      Equips museums, historic sites, and communities with skills to address historical exclusion and inequality that contribute to cycles of conflict.
  • Regional Chapter Network Support 1 activity
    • Connect and strengthen global network of Sites of Conscience
      Supports over 350 member sites in 65 countries through regional learning exchanges, sharing of memorialization methods, and collaborative project development.
  • Nonprofit Capacity Building Services 1 activity
    • Deliver personalized support for program development at member sites
      Provides tailored technical, programmatic, and financial guidance to members developing new initiatives that connect historical memory to present-day challenges.
  • Restorative Justice and Peer Mediation Programs 1 activity
    • Facilitate dialogue programs connecting past and present conflicts
      Facilitated a youth dialogue program in Sierra Leone linking civil war experiences to current school violence and co-developing community-based solutions.
  • General Operating Support Grants 1 activity
    • Fund member organizations through grantmaking program
      Funds member organizations via the Project Support Fund, awarding grants up to $10,000 with technical support and consultations for program implementation.
  • SDG Advancement & Global Advocacy 1 activity
    • Organize global summits for shared civic action
      Hosts international conferences and summits to address critical social issues and build consensus on action among Sites of Conscience members.
  • Organizational Newsletter Production and Distribution 1 activity
    • Produce educational newsletters highlighting truth and justice work
      Produces a quarterly newsletter featuring interviews, articles, and profiles that highlight the work of members, staff, and partners in advancing truth and justice through memory.
  • Human Rights Advocacy Funding 1 activity
    • Provide financial, programmatic, and network support to member sites
      Offers financial assistance, advocacy, and access to experts and activists to support member Sites of Conscience globally.
  • Uncategorized 4 activities
    • Co-organize multi-stakeholder dialogues on memory and violence prevention
      Co-organized a roundtable in Sarajevo bringing together diverse stakeholders to examine how collective memory can help prevent violence.
    • Create rapid-response tools for current events dialogue
      Develops immediate-use dialogue tools to help organizations facilitate conversations about emerging events and community needs.
    • Launch global initiatives on transitional justice
      Launched "The Hive Mind Series" in May 2026 under its Transitional Justice Consortium to advance global dialogue and action on memory and justice.
    • Support regional capacity building and public engagement
      Strengthens regional memory practices through joint projects, workshops, and campaigns that promote collective remembrance of struggles for freedom.
financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$4.96M
Contributions & grants$4.75M96%
Program service revenue$205K4%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$2K
expenses
Total expenses$5.42M
Program expenses83%
Admin / overhead14%
Fundraising3%
Salaries & benefits$2.13M
Grants paid out$2.12M
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.11M
Cash$912K
Investments$0
Liabilities$556K
Net assets$554K
Liquid reserves2.0 mo
6 years on record · 2019–2024 · YoY revenue -74.4%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024

Who runs it

paid leadership · 7
NameTitleHours/wkCompensation
Elizabeth Silkes EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 32 $261K
Ereshnee Naidu SR PROGRAM DIR: TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE 32 $186K
Susan Azor DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS 32 $163K
Ana Teresa Vazquez DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT 32 $157K
Gwen Nelson DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS 32 $140K
Sara Bradshaw PROGRAM DIRECTOR 32 $133K
Braden Paynter DIRECTOR OF METHODOLOGY AND PRACTICE 32 $133K
board members · 6
  • ALISSANDRA CUMMINS — Chair
  • BRUCE RABB — Secretary
  • DOUDOU DIENE — Member
  • GAYNEL CURRY — Member
  • PAULO ABRAO — Vice Chair
  • W RICHARD WEST JR — Treasurer
relationships · 17

Who they work with

  • Africa Regional Network Network — Regional network under the Global Networks Department that coordinates members in Africa to strengthen collective memory and civic engagement.
  • Asia and the Pacific Regional Network Network — Regional network under the Global Networks Department that coordinates members in Asia and the Pacific to strengthen collective memory and civic engagement.
  • Europe Regional Network Network — Regional network under the Global Networks Department that coordinates members in Europe to strengthen collective memory and civic engagement.
  • Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation Network — Hosts the Global Initiative for Justice, Truth and Reconciliation as part of its work on transitional justice.
  • Global Initiative for Justice, Truth, and Reconciliation Coalition — Sub-initiative of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience focused on transitional justice, operating in countries including The Gambia and Bangladesh.
  • ICSC members Coalition — Network of over 350 member organizations in more than 65 countries engaged in truth and justice work through memory practices.
  • Kigali Memorial Network — Member site of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience.
  • Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Network Network — Regional network under the Global Networks Department that coordinates members in Latin America and the Caribbean to strengthen collective memory and civic engagement.
  • MENA Regional Network Network — Regional network under the Global Networks Department that coordinates members in the Middle East and North Africa to strengthen collective memory and civic engagement.
  • North America Regional Network Network — Regional network under the Global Networks Department that coordinates members in North America to strengthen collective memory and civic engagement.
  • Project Support Fund Partner — Internal grantmaking program providing financial and technical support to member sites for new initiatives.
  • Sites of Conscience Network — Global network of member sites that co-develop and use resources for dialogue and transitional justice.
  • Sites of Conscience Network — Global network of over 400 member sites in 80 countries that preserve historical memory and promote civic action.
  • TIAA-CREF Government — Provides pension plan services for employees with a match after 90 days of employment.
  • Teresa Vazquez Partner — Director of Development at the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, contact for learning about the organization's work and involvement opportunities.
  • Transitional Justice Consortium Coalition — ICSC operates the Transitional Justice Consortium as part of its programming.
  • partners Partner — Collaborates with partner organizations to advance truth and justice through shared programming and visibility in Coalition initiatives.
strategies · 3

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.

  • Dialogue Across Difference to Build Civic Resilience
    methodology: dialogue-across-difference
    By structuring dialogue around shared historical experiences and cultural expression, the organization strengthens community trust and resilience in the face of current crises, because inclusive, memory-based conversations promote mutual understanding and collective agency.
  • Memory as a Preventive Tool for Social Injustice
    methodology: memory-as-prevention
    By activating historical memory through sites of conscience, the organization fosters public dialogue and civic engagement to prevent cycles of conflict and injustice, because confronting the past enables communities to recognize and transform patterns of inequality and violence in the present.
  • Peer-Led Knowledge Sharing to Scale Impact
    methodology: peer-led methodology dissemination
    By disseminating effective practices through peer-to-peer learning networks, the organization builds field-wide capacity for human rights education and dialogic programming, because lived experience and shared methodology strengthen adoption and adaptation across diverse contexts.