Background
PBI’s deliberately decentralised structure allows us to provide locally tailored support and protection to threatened human rights and environmental defenders. It also allows for diversified fundraising, flexible local implementation, and compliance with a range of jurisdictional requirements. Fundraising and financial management responsibilities are spread across a number of teams/offices, each with their own accounting and reporting obligations.
When it comes to fundraising, PBI teams in different countries receive grants from the donors based within their country and then often disperse those grants to other PBI offices, particularly our protection trams, either directly or via PBI’s International Secretariat (ISEC). This is helpful from both an accounting and a relational perspective. However, we recognise that it can make it difficult for external stakeholders to interpret the full global scope of our finances.
This page aims to make that easier, by combining recent approximate information regarding PBI’s entire global finances with the most recent formal and audited financial records of the International Secretariat (ISEC), which administers the largest portion of PBI’s global income.
Please note that PBI’s ISEC is registered as a 501(c)(3) registered nonprofit in the US, an ASBL (nonprofit) in Belgium, and an overseas association in Spain. It reports to the authorities in all three of these countries.
Our estimated global accounts for last year
According to initial accounting, in 2025, PBI’s combined global income totalled €6,117,173. This is made up of the approximately €2,441,517 of income received through the ISEC (reported through our global annual reports and the accounts we will submit to the US, Belgian and Spanish authorities), the €2,547,996 which was channelled through other PBI offices (and which will be reported through their own reports and accounts submitted to the national authorities), as well as in-kind contributions and direct payments made by other donors.
Initial accounting shows that €5,042,257 (or 81%) of our 2025 income was spent on the holistic protection we provide to human rights and environmental defenders. €710,276 was spent on governance and oversight, and €504,684 on program development and fundraising. Please note that these figures are subject to final accounting and auditing.
Our most recent audited accounts for PBI’s International Secretariat
As explained above, PBI’s International Secretariat (ISEC) raises, spends and distributes the largest portion of PBI’s overall income. The ISEC’s audited financial statements are submitted to both the Belgian and United States authorities, and are available below.
Audited Global Accounts delivered in Belgium.
IRS 990 Reports delivered in the United States.
Please note that the financial statements for the other PBI teams which fundraise and contribute for our global protection work can be found on their own websites.