irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $109KIHRAF Events.
- #2 $860IHRAF Creative Awards: We have three awards, the Creators of Justice Literary Award, Rhonda Williford Poetry Prize and the Art of Unity Creative Award, receiving more than 1000 entries from 90+ countries
named programs · 8 · from sources
What they call their work
Art of Unity Creative Award
Monetary award honoring artists whose creative work promotes unity and positive social change.
IHRAM African Secretariat
Regional hub based in Nigeria and Zimbabwe that supports African artists through publishing, workshops, interviews, and events.
IHRAM Books
Publishes anthologies of global writers using literature as a tool for human rights advocacy and social justice.
IHRAM Festival
Annual festival in New York City featuring performances by international artists focused on human rights and social change, reaching over 5,000 in-person audience members across eight editions.
IHRAM Publishes
Quarterly literary magazine that highlights writers from over 100 countries and 37 U.S. states, providing international visibility for marginalized voices.
International Fellows
Year-long program supporting individual creators worldwide in awareness-raising and change-making initiatives, including stipends and mentorship.
Rhonda Gail Williford Poetry Award
Monetary poetry prize recognizing poets who use their work to advance human rights and social justice.
Youth Fellows
Year-long program supporting young creators globally in human rights advocacy through art and storytelling.
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Artist Residencies and Studio Programs 3 activities
- Provides international platforms for at-risk artist-activistsOffers a public platform for at-risk artists to publish and share their work, including anonymous publishing, social media amplification, and international visibility. Provides safeguarding support to artists in high-risk countries such as Uganda, Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, Palestine, Kenya, Cameroon, Kazakhstan, Kashmir, and Bangladesh.
- Runs capacity-building programs for emerging artist-activistsOffers one-year fellowship and training programs for international and youth creators focused on using art for awareness raising and social change, established following formal incorporation in 2018.
- Supports artist-activists with direct aid and advocacyProvides direct action funding, crowdfunding support for housing and equipment, letters of introduction, and public amplification for at-risk artists such as Mbizo Chirasha and Buwaso Ibrahim. Supports participation in international festivals and connects artists to broader networks like the PEN Artist-at-Risk Program.
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Artist Support Grants 1 activity
- Administers international creative awards and fellowshipsRuns an annual awards program launched in 2019 that includes the Creators of Justice Literary Award, Rhonda Williford Poetry Prize, Art of Unity Creative Award, and the IHRAM International Fellowship, receiving over 1,000 entries from more than 90 countries and providing monetary awards and stipends to artist-activists.
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Curated Art Exhibitions and Public Displays 1 activity
- Organizes annual International Human Rights Art FestivalsHosts annual week-long or weekend-long festivals in New York City, typically around Human Rights Day in December, featuring performances, documentary presentations, and works by international artist-activists. The 2023–2025 festivals were held at The Tank Theater, with earlier events dating to March 2017 at Dixon Place, collectively featuring over 2,000 artists from more than 115 countries.
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Podcast and Radio Production 1 activity
- Produces a podcast featuring global artist-activistsProduces a podcast that highlights artists from around the world creating art under socially challenging and life-threatening conditions, with episodes released in March and April 2025 featuring creators from Iran, Cameroon, and Bangladesh.
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Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
- Produces and publishes literary and artistic contentCurates and publishes original works addressing human rights and social justice through a quarterly literary magazine launched in 2019, themed anthologies, digital platforms, and records. Features writers and artists from over 100 countries and 37 U.S. states, with anthologies distributed to sponsors and the public.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$77K
Contributions & grants$66K86%
Program service revenue$7K9%
Investment income$2K3%
Other revenue$1K
expenses
Total expenses$118K
Program expenses100%
Admin / overhead0%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$0
Grants paid out$150
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$73K
Cash$114K
Investments$0
Liabilities$0
Net assets$73K
Liquid reserves11.6 mo
5 years on record · 2021–2025 · YoY revenue -65.8%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 8
- Bryan Driscoll — Board Member
- Danielle Strandson — Board Member
- Michael Ruffner — Board Member
- Mihir Shah — Board Member
- Patty McGoldrick — Board Member
- Sarah Feingold — Board Member
- Sumesh Menon — Board Member
- Thomas Block — Executive Director
relationships · 29
Who they work with
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Partner — U.S. Congresswoman who publicly referenced the organization’s human rights advocacy work with the Cameroon American Council and activist Geraldine Sinyuy.
- Artists at Risk Connection Partner — Partner organization providing direct support for artists at risk.
- Avant-Garde Artists Partner — Collaborates to create networks that aid and highlight artists.
- Avant-Garde Lawyers Partner — Partner organization specializing in freedom of expression legal support.
- Cameroon American Council Partner — Collaborated on advocacy work related to human rights in Cameroon, acknowledged by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
- Cameroon American Council Partner — Collaborated with IHRAM on advocacy efforts related to immigration relief for survivors of Cameroonians lost at sea.
- Charles E. Schumer Partner — U.S. Senator who contributed a video message for the founding International Human Rights Art Festival in March 2017.
- Defend Defenders Partner — Partner organization supporting human rights defenders in East and Horn of Africa.
- Dignity for All Partner — Partner organization supporting LGBTQ activists and small organizations.
- Dixon Place Partner — Hosted the founding of the International Human Rights Art Movement in Manhattan in 2017.
- European Network of Migrant Women Partner — Partners to create networks that aid and highlight artists.
- Human Rights Campaign Partner — Partner organization offering global LGBTQ resources.
- John Lewis Partner — U.S. Representative and Civil Rights leader who created a video message on the importance of art to social movements for the organization.
- Kathleen Turner Partner — Participated in a festival event, covered by media outlets including Playbill, Broadway World, and NBC New York.
- NYC Commission on Human Rights Government — Collaborates to create networks that aid and highlight artists.
- Norman Lear Partner — Created a video message for the founding International Human Rights Art Festival in March 2017.
- PEN Artist-at-Risk Program Partner — Referral and collaboration partner for supporting at-risk artists.
- PEN Artists-at-Risk program Partner — Collaborates to create networks that aid and highlight at-risk artists.
- Rainbow Railroad Partner — Partner organization assisting LGBTQ individuals at risk.
- Res Arts Partner — Partner organization providing resources for artists at risk.
- Society of Young Nigerian Writers Partner — Collaborated with the Society of Young Nigerian Writers through Wole Adedoyin to expand artistic reach in Africa.
- Spotify Partner — Distributes the ArtForce podcast through its platform.
- The Culture Project Partner — Co-presented the "Prologue To Progress" event in October 2017.
- The Tank Theater Partner — Host venue for the annual International Human Rights Art Festival.
- UNESCO-RILA Partner — Partners to create networks that aid and highlight artists.
- Wei Jingsheng Partner — Chinese human rights defender who participated in the International Human Rights Art Festival, covered by Huffington Post and Voice of America.
- businesses Partner — Collaborates with businesses through donations and partnerships
- foundations Partner — Collaborates with foundations through donations and partnerships
- governmental agencies Government — Collaborates with governmental agencies through donations and partnerships
strategies · 5
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.
- Amplification of At-Risk Artists to Drive Awareness and Protectionmethodology: amplifying-at-risk-artistsBy centering and amplifying the voices of at-risk artists through media, digital platforms, and high-profile partnerships, the organization increases global awareness of human rights issues and enhances the safety of artists, because international visibility acts as a protective mechanism against repression.
- Art as a Tool for Human Rights Advocacy and Social Changemethodology: arts-for-social-changeBy leveraging artistic expression and creative engagement, the organization advances human rights and social change because art enables subversive critique of authoritarianism, fosters political understanding, and amplifies marginalized voices in ways that traditional advocacy cannot.
- Artist Empowerment Through Dignity, Compensation, and Self-Determinationmethodology: artist-empowermentBy paying artists and supporting self-determined engagement, the organization strengthens artists’ agency and commitment to human rights work, because financial recognition affirms dignity, reduces dependency, and empowers artists to lead change on their own terms.
- Inclusive Dialogue and Cross-Sector Engagement for Cultural Infiltrationmethodology: infiltration-over-revolutionBy uniting artists, activists, government figures, and cultural leaders in non-confrontational, inclusive programming, the organization fosters social change through cultural and political infiltration rather than opposition, because sustained dialogue across power divides builds empathy and opens pathways to systemic influence.
- Strategic Use of High-Profile Endorsements to Bridge Artists and Decision-Makersmethodology: celebrity-and-leadership-endorsementBy engaging celebrity and leadership figures in honorary and amplification roles, the organization increases the visibility of artists and human rights issues, because association with influential figures opens access to decision-making spaces and legitimizes artistic advocacy in political contexts.