Soros Giving $100 Million to Human Rights Watch

(JTA) -- Billionaire philanthropist George Soros will give Human Rights Watch $100 million to expand its work throughout the world.

The gift, announced Tuesday, is the largest ever by Soros and the largest received by Human Rights Watch, The New York Times reported.

Soros, 80, told the Times that the gift is the first of a series of large gifts that he plans to make.

Soros this year has donated some $700 million to several causes. He earned $3.3 billion from his hedge fund in 2009, the Times reported.

The gift is a challenge grant requesting that Human Rights Watch raise $10 million over the next decade from new, international sources. The organization will get the money even if it is not successful.

Human Rights Watch, which monitors human rights abuses worldwide, said it will add about 120 staff members to its current 300 posted in capitals around the world, open new offices and expand the translation of its approximately 100 reports a year, the Times reported.

Based in New York, the organization was founded in 1978. It is funded solely by private donations.