The Justice Company Humanitarian Foundation – Founding Principles
Purpose
The Justice Company Humanitarian Foundation exists to direct resources towards people whose lives have been damaged by serious human rights abuses. Our aim is to increase the capacity of the most vulnerable populations to recover from these abuses.
It is the philanthropic arm of The Justice Company, and its work is inseparable from the philosophy that created it.
The Justice Company’s investment approach is designed to avoid companies materially involved in genocide, war crimes, apartheid, or grave violations of international law. The Foundation addresses the other side of that commitment: the people living with the consequences of those violations.
We believe that markets shape the world, for good or ill. The careful construction of investments can allow participation in the market without exposure to human rights violations. At the same time, philanthropy should seek to alleviate the consequences of severe abuses of international law and build resiliency in the people and communities that are directly impacted.
Principles
Need takes precedence over geography.
We will strive to maximise the impact of our activity.
Our decisions are informed by evidence and the direct experience of those closest to the communities impacted by human rights abuses.
We conduct ourselves with transparency and humility. We are independent, but defer to the expertise of our partner groups.
Our philanthropy mirrors the moral commitments that guide The Justice Company platform.
Scope
The Foundation has no fixed geographic focus. It follows the evidence of need, wherever that leads. Funding is directed towards groups working with the most vulnerable populations — primarily women, children, and displaced communities — in areas where human rights conditions are most severe and resources most scarce.
We assess our priorities regularly based on conditions on the ground, informed by the Foundation’s advisory relationships with international NGOs, academic institutions, legal organisations, and frontline aid workers.
Funding
The Foundation is funded structurally. A fixed percentage of the TER of The Justice Company’s investment products flows directly to the Foundation. This commitment is written into the products’ structure. It is not discretionary, and it does not depend on the goodwill of any individual.
Additional funding comes from the personal charitable commitments of The Justice Company’s founders, contributions that predate the company itself and reflect a long-standing dedication to humanitarian giving.
The Foundation does not accept outside donations. We are not a fundraising organisation. The Foundation exists to honour the structural commitment of The Justice Company’s investment products.
Individuals wishing to support the causes it champions are encouraged to give directly to the organisations the Foundation identifies and supports.
How the Foundation works
The Foundation’s trustees identify and evaluate organisations doing specific, measurable work with vulnerable populations. It does not run open grant programmes or accept unsolicited applications. Our grant-making decisions are made independently of The Justice Company’s investment platform.
Partner organisations are selected based on their proximity to the communities they serve, the specificity of their work, the rigour of their operations, and the degree to which modest contributions can produce meaningful outcomes.
Relationships with partner groups are formalised and ongoing. The Foundation favours sustained commitments over one-time donations wherever the circumstances and the relationship support it.
Giving may also be directed towards educational institutions and programs that support students whose access to education has been disrupted by conflict, displacement, or systemic human rights abuses. Education is a key mechanism through which affected communities recover the capacity to rebuild.
Governance
The Foundation meets quarterly. Its meetings bring together the Foundation’s trustees and external advisers with direct knowledge of conditions in affected regions. The Foundation actively seeks perspectives from people working closest to the crises it addresses.
Secretarial and administrative support is provided by independent professional services to ensure proper governance and documentation.
A wider purpose
The Foundation’s ambition extends beyond its own giving. By publicly identifying and supporting organisations doing serious humanitarian work, the Foundation aims to raise the profile of groups and causes that receive less attention than they deserve, and to serve as a resource for individuals who wish to direct their own giving towards specific, accountable work.