When was Freedom House founded?
Freedom House was founded in October 1941 and formally incorporated on the 31st of October 1941. Wendell Willkie and Eleanor Roosevelt served as its first honorary chairpersons.
Questions about Freedom House
Short answers, pulled from the story.
What does Freedom House do?
Freedom House is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C. that advocates on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. It publishes annual reports including Freedom in the World and Freedom on the Net.
Who funds Freedom House?
Most of Freedom House's funding comes from the U.S. State Department and other government grants. In 2022, federal grants accounted for $79,606,961 of its $93,705,255 in total revenue.
Why has Freedom House been criticized for bias?
Critics from the 1970s through the 2000s alleged that Freedom House favored American interests because of its government funding. A 2000 study by Kenneth Bollen and Pamela Paxton found measurement bias of 0.38 standard deviations against Communist countries and 0.5 standard deviations favoring Christian countries, while a 2018 National Review article accused the organization of an anti-conservative shift.
What is the Freedom in the World report?
Freedom in the World is Freedom House's annual report, published every year since 1973, that assesses political rights and civil liberties in 195 countries and 15 territories.
How did the 2025 funding freeze affect Freedom House?
In 2025, a foreign aid freeze tied to executive order 14169 forced Freedom House to terminate more than 80 percent of its global programs and lay off a large portion of its staff. The organization continued operating with greater reliance on private donations.