Call for Evidence: Anti-Racism Grant Effectiveness in Finland
Are Anti-Racism Funds Delivering Real-World Aid? We Need Your Input.
The Finnish Human Rights Agency (FHRA ry) is conducting an important factual review concerning the effectiveness of the 2025 discretionary government grants awarded for anti-racism activities in Finland.
Our objective is straightforward: to document whether state-funded organisations are providing tangible, accessible aid - such as legal or advocacy support - to individuals who are victims of discrimination or hate crimes. This is a purely objective review to judge the effectiveness and responsible use of public money, not to criticise.
By order of the Prime Minister's Office (VN/13789/2025-VNK-1), ten organisations received public funding to carry out anti-racism work. We have a duty to report factually on the state of affairs to ensure tax dollars are funding their claimed human-rights objectives.
If you have sought assistance from any organisation that received these grants for a case of discrimination, hate crime, or a similar issue, your experience is invaluable to our report.
We are looking for evidence regarding the services provided by these funded organisations.
What Kind of Evidence Are We Looking For?
We are seeking factual information and documentation from individuals who have attempted to seek help related to discrimination or hate crimes from a grant-recipient organisation:
Correspondence: Copies of emails, letters, or messages (including social media direct messages) where you requested assistance.
Response Details: Any official replies you received detailing whether the organisation could or could not offer legal counsel, advocacy, or referral services for your specific case (e.g., a hate crime report or a police complaint).
Testimonies: Your account of the process - what kind of help you sought, what response you received, and whether the aid was useful and accessible. Note: We will only use testimonies with your explicit permission, and we can anonymise details completely.
How to Submit Your Evidence
Please submit your evidence and accounts as factually as possible. The more documentation (like emails or screenshots) you can provide, the more robust our final report will be.
Please send your submission to: [INSERT DEDICATED FHRA EMAIL ADDRESS HERE]
When submitting, please include:
Your contact details (these will be kept confidential and are only for follow-up if clarification is needed).
The name of the organisation you contacted.
The approximate date you sought assistance.
The documents (e.g., email receipts, screenshots) and/or your written testimony.
All communications will be kept neutral and professional. Our focus is strictly on documented findings to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, in line with the State Aid Act (688/2001) and the Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003).
Your contribution will help inform our short field-research report, which will be part of FHRA ry's overall case study on public funds and equality obligations in Finnish and EU law.