Who we are
Working toward a future where everyone has equal access to justice
About the Legal empowerment fund
Access to justice is a fundamental right, yet it remains inaccessible for over two-thirds of the global population. The Legal Empowerment Fund (LEF) was established in 2019 in partnership with Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Namati, and the International Development and Research Centre to support the growing legal empowerment movement and close the global justice gap. The LEF is a program hosted by the Fund for Global Human Rights.
Legal empowerment enables grassroots communities to know, use, and shape the law, fostering just, democratic and sustainable societies. By supporting people-centered, community-led initiatives, the LEF helps marginalized groups create accessible, effective, and inclusive solutions to their legal challenges.
The LEF empowers grassroots movements by offering unrestricted funding, fostering peer-led networks, and fueling sustainable lasting change. Since its launch in 2021, the LEF has awarded over $7 million in flexible funding to 175 grassroot grantee partners across 58 countries around the world.
About the Fund for Global Human Rights
The LEF is a program hosted by the Fund for Global Human Rights. The Fund for Global Human Rights brings more than 20 years of experience in making grants to grassroots organizations, closely accompanying them, and providing capacity building and movement building support to better effect change.
Since its founding in 2002, the Fund has raised and invested more than $154 million into the work of 1,100+ activists and organizations in more than 80 countries. Groups supported by the Fund have overturned unjust laws, pushed for progressive policies, and challenged entrenched systems of oppression. The Fund was chosen to host the LEF, given its comprehensive support system and its commitment to fostering strong, resilient human rights movements worldwide.
Our team
Atieno Odhiambo
Director
Atieno Odhiambo is the director of the Legal Empowerment Fund. A lawyer by training, Odhiambo’s experience ranges from advocating for the rights of marginalized populations through innovative legal reforms and policy initiatives to leading efforts to enhance access to justice and empower communities globally. She has a BA in History from Rice University and a JD from Tulane University School of Law.
Natalie Chodoriwsky
Senior Manager of Strategic Partnerships
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Natalie is an advocate for people-centered access to justice and power-shifting to local communities. She brings extensive legal compliance knowledge, project management skills and stakeholder engagement experience from previous professional roles in Canada, Palestine, and Afghanistan. Natalie completed her Juris Doctor in Law at Osgood Hall Law School, in Toronto Ontario.
Aimee Seligstein
Program Officer
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Aimee Seligstein joined the Fund for Global Human Rights in 2019 and the Legal Empowerment Fund in 2021. She has a BA in International Business from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s in international development from American University. Aimee enjoys puzzles and game shows.
Paul Waiswa
Learning and Assessment Manager
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Paul Waiswa is the Learning and Assessment Manager at the Legal Empowerment Fund, with over a decade of experience supporting marginalized populations. His expertise spans education, livelihoods, and civic participation across development, humanitarian aid, and philanthropy. Paul focuses on implementing evidence-based strategies for community empowerment. He holds a Masters in Monitoring and Evaluation.
Haya Natsheh
Communications and Engagement Specialist
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Haya Natsheh is a seasoned Communications Specialist with extensive experience in strategic messaging, crisis communication, and stakeholder engagement. She has led communications at different organizations in Palestine and Germany. Haya holds an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics.
Maria Alesi
Program Officer
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Maria Alesi has 9 years of experience in human rights, feminist organizing, and advocacy. She hopes her work can contribute to building a more just world for marginalized communities and holds a BA in Social Work and Community Development. Maria is currently pursuing an MA in Development Studies.
Jessie Macias-Doyle
Manager of Grantmaking Models and Policy
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As Manager of Grantmaking Models and Policy, Jessie leads new funding initiatives and compliance frameworks. She has managed various programs at the Fund over 6.5 years and holds an MA in French and International Relations from the University of Aberdeen. Jessie speaks English, Spanish, and French.
Beatriz de la Rosa Molina
Grants Specialist
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Beatriz is a Grants Specialist at the Legal Empowerment Fund, supporting the Program with grant making operations. Beatriz has over 10 years of experience supporting and empowering marginalized communities in the non-profit sector. She holds a BA in Social Work from Granada University and a master’s in human Rights from UNED. Beatriz is bilingual in Spanish and English.
Staff at the Fund for Global Human Rights also regularly collaborate with the LEF team and provide a range of practical support across our activities.
Governance Structure
The LEF’s Steering Committee—which includes the founding stakeholders and six legal empowerment activists and practitioners—sets the vision and strategy for the program. The Grants Selection Committee—which comprises legal empowerment practitioners, LEF grantee partners, and members of the Grassroots Justice Network—is responsible for reviewing applications and awarding grants through a participatory process.
The LEF is supported by
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
The Mott Foundation supports projects around the world that promote a just, equitable, and sustainable society.
William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
The Hewlett Foundation is a nonpartisan, private charitable foundation that advances ideas and supports institutions to promote a better world.
Namati advances social and environmental justice by building a movement of people who know, use, and shape the law.
The Nationale Postcode Loterij is a Dutch charity lottery that raises money for social and environmental causes. They have raised over 10 billion euros for various charities since their founding in 1989.
Clooney Foundation For Justice
The Clooney Foundation for Justice provides free legal support to victims of human rights abuses in over 40 countries around the world. It wages justice to create a world where human rights are protected and no one is above the law.
Porticus is a philanthropic organisation focused on creating a just and sustainable future where human dignity flourishes.
The Grassroots Justice Network brings justice defenders together to connect, learn and act. They make grassroots justice a reality by putting the power of law in the hands of people.
Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies
The Pathfinders is a cross-regional impact hub of 46 member states, as well as partners across international organizations, civil society, and the private sector committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goal targets for peace, justice, inclusion, and equality (SDG16+).
International Development Research Centre
As part of Canada’s foreign affairs and development efforts, IDRC champions and funds research and innovation within and alongside developing regions to drive global change.