Airwars is a not for profit company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales. We are funded by philanthropic organisations and by public donations, along with significant pro bono contributions from our volunteers.

Our key supporters include the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, which since 2015 has supported Airwars in its monitoring of civilian harm. Funding from the Open Society Foundations supports our work in Iraq, Syria and Libya. And we also employ a full-time researcher in the Netherlands focused on Dutch and Belgian airstrikes and transparency – kindly funded by Stichting Democratie en Media.

We have also received generous support from the Reva and David Logan Foundation and the J. Leon Foundation for a forthcoming media-focused project.

Foreign Public Charity Equivalence certification ​(US)

Airwars is deemed to be the equivalent of a US charity, as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the US Internal Revenue Code (IRC), which has the following requirements:

“To be tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, an organization must be organized and operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may inure to any private shareholder or individual. In addition, it may not be an action organization, i.e., it may not attempt to influence legislation as a substantial part of its activities and it may not participate in any campaign activity for or against political candidates.”

Airwars’ current Foreign Public Charity Equivalence Determination (ED) certificate is available via NGOsource.org

Airwars ethical funding policy

To help guarantee the availability of ongoing funds to pay for its work, Airwars aims to maintain a broad base of funding sources, and actively seeks opportunities to work together with external organisations and individuals that share its aims and values.

However, it is vital that Airwars maintains its independence and does not allow any external partnership to bring its name into disrepute. We have a responsibility to all our stakeholders to consider the ethical implications and risks of working with, or accepting funding from, any state, organisation or individual, and to maintain both accountability towards – and transparent relationships with – all our partners, by regularly monitoring and evaluating their own work. Airwars also complies with all relevant legislation, including money laundering rules, sanctions requirements and the UK Bribery Act.

Airwars therefore considers accepting financial support from organisations and individuals on the following conditions:

• There are strong grounds for believing that such support will benefit Airwars and its partners
• The aims, values and activities of donors do not conflict with those of Airwars
• Donors are not involved in, or associated with, any form of criminal or illegal activity, or human rights abuses
• Airwars is satisfied that association with donors will not: compromise Airwars’s aims and values, or its independent status; result in adverse publicity or other reputational damage; lead to a decline in support for Airwars, or in the resources available to fund its work; damage its longer term fundraising prospects
• There is no attempt on the part of donors to influence Airwars policy or actions, either explicitly or implicitly
• It is not a requirement of financial support to advertise or promote any company or organisation.

Avoidance criteria

All decisions to accept funding are ultimately made by the Directors and Executive Board on a case-by-case basis. However Airwars will not normally accept financial support from organisations, or from governments or individuals involved in, or associated with, any of the following:

• The manufacture, sale or distribution of arms/weapons.
• Direct military involvement in any of the countries that are the focus of Airwars’s work.
• The manufacture of tobacco products, alcohol or fossil fuels.

Purchasing

Airwars will not knowingly purchase goods or services produced or delivered by organisations engaged in the activities listed above, or under conditions which involve any form of abuse or exploitation of third parties. Evidence (not exhaustive) of such abuse and exploitation includes:

• The use of child labour
• Failure to pay employees a living wage
• Excessive working hours
• Any form of inhuman, unreasonable or discriminatory treatment of employees.

Airwars expects suppliers to accept responsibility for the labour and environmental conditions under which products are made and services are provided.

Banking

As an organisation which strives to be ethical in its own practices, Airwars will ensure wherever possible that its own banking services are provided by suppliers who can demonstrate a clear commitment to ethical investment principles and practices.