Perspectives October 28, 2026
A Message from the Founding Families: Carrying the Torch Forward
Eighty-five years ago, in 1941, totalitarian forces were aggressively advancing across the world. To address this challenge, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie, her husband’s Republican opponent in the previous election, came together to lead the formation of Freedom House, a philosophically and professionally diverse group of prominent citizens committed to the cause of liberty. At that pivotal moment in American history, when isolationism was prevalent, Roosevelt and Willkie set aside partisan differences in the shared belief that American leadership would be essential in the approaching global struggle for freedom.
And indeed, it was. After World War II, when Nazi Germany and its aligned powers were vanquished and Soviet communism emerged as a new totalitarian threat, Freedom House campaigned for the institutions and ideals that defined the modern democratic order, including the Marshall Plan, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the NATO alliance. The organization also worked to advance the realization of the United States’ own democratic ideals, standing in steadfast opposition to McCarthyism and joining the fight for civil rights for all Americans.
Today, our liberal democratic heritage, both abroad and at home, is once again at risk, and Freedom House needs your support.
According to the latest edition of Freedom House’s widely cited flagship report, Freedom in the World, global freedom has declined for the 20th consecutive year. Democratic institutions have come under increased pressure from authoritarians, and civil liberties are under ever greater assault. The need to resist and reverse these trends has never been more urgent. Overseas, the brave activists on the front lines of the struggle for democracy must not be abandoned.
After 85 years, Freedom House continues to meet the moment, informing the world through its celebrated reports about threats to freedom, mobilizing global action, and supporting democracy’s defenders in repressive environments. But the endurance of this work depends on the strength and commitment of all those who believe in it.
Freedom House remains the oldest and most prominent US organization dedicated to advancing and defending human rights worldwide. For more than eight decades, Freedom House has worked with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to strengthen American support for principled leadership on the global stage and to stand with those risking their lives for freedom.
As the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie, we are proud to support Freedom House at the time of its 85th anniversary and we invite you to join us in marking this milestone year by making a meaningful gift to Freedom House in honor of these two great Americans who fought for our freedoms.
Wendell Willkie once said, “Freedom is an indivisible word. If we want to enjoy it…we must be prepared to extend it to everyone.” Eleanor Roosevelt reminded us, “Our obligation to the world is, primarily, an obligation to our own future.”
Your support will help sustain Freedom House’s global impact—defending journalists and political prisoners, strengthening democratic institutions, and ensuring that the vision set forth in 1941 continues to guide the world toward a better future for our next generations.
With our utmost gratitude,
The grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Eleanor Roosevelt and Wendell Willkie,
Co-Founders and Honorary Co-Chairs of Freedom House