Vance Center Receives New Funding for Africa Initiatives, Public Interest Reporting

We are delighted to share that the Hewlett Foundation’s Gender Equity and Governance program has awarded a two-year grant to the Vance Center to support our work in Africa. The grant will enable the Vance Center to expand and strengthen our organizational efforts to provide pro bono legal support to civil society organizations working across the continent in all four of our thematic areas of practice: human rights and access to justice, the environment, institutional integrity, and public interest reporting. It will also contribute to the next phase of the Vance Center’s commitment to strengthen pro bono practice across borders, helping us evolve to meet emerging needs and respond to shifting global dynamics.

This is the first grant the Vance Center has received specifically for our efforts to fortify pro bono practice alongside members of our network in the legal profession across Africa. This generous support will enable us to bring on several key staffers and consultants to strengthen our coordination and build new relationships with CSOs working at the local, national, regional, and international levels in individual countries and across the continent. Under the leadership of Adaobi Egboka, Human Rights Program, Director of Africa Initiatives, this expanded capacity will facilitate more pro bono projects, promote new partnerships, and help us shape the future of public interest lawyering.

The Hewlett Foundation’s Gender Equity and Governance program seeks to foster inclusive societies so that all people, and especially women and girls, are able to fulfill their life aspirations. We are honored that the Foundation has recognized the essential role that pro bono legal support and frontline CSOs play in upholding the rights of groups, including women and girls, that often face barriers preventing them from full access to justice. We look forward to the opportunities and new relationships that will emerge from this generous funding.

The Vance Center’s Public Interest Reporting Program also received two grants from first-time Vance Center funders. Their funding will help us continue essential pro bono legal representation to independent journalism organizations in the U.S. and across the globe. At a moment when public interest media face growing threats, we are encouraged that funders are affirming their commitment to ensuring an informed society.

The Skyline Foundation has awarded a multi-year grant to our Lawyers for Reporters initiative, which provides legal support to local, independent, and mission-driven news organizations in the United States. The grant enables our team of lawyers to emphasize the safety of journalists and publishers, as well as address the diverse legal needs of our growing roster of clients, ranging from newsroom services to non-profit registration, regulatory compliance, and more. This expanded capacity will also facilitate outreach to more outlets in new locations, ensuring that financial constraints are not a barrier preventing them from accessing the legal services that they need.

Independent news sources are vital to keeping the public informed and engaged, as many parts of the U.S. have become news deserts; however, many outlets face significant financial, logistical, and operational challenges. Many operate with lean teams and budgets in an environment of growing threats to press freedom.

Through Lawyers for Reporters, we provide these newsrooms with expert guidance and services to navigate complicated regulatory and legal requirements, so they can devote their attention to their work. We are grateful that the Skyline Foundation has recognized the need to strengthen the safety and resiliency of local news organizations nationwide, as well as the role lawyers play in helping independent and local news keep operating.

Humanity United has committed support to our International Journalism work, which assists nonprofit international, regional, and local publishers worldwide on operational and reporting matters.

Over the last 10 years, we have served dozens of clients in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, MENA, and Latin America, responding to ever-evolving legal issues. The new funding will enable our program attorneys to serve current clients and reach out to new ones while growing our network of law firms that act as our co-counsel when and where we need support. Through this generous grant, Humanity United has ensured that the Vance Center can provide essential legal services to independent voices worldwide.