The Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP) is pleased to announce the opening of two calls for grant applications: for Sustainable Protection Funding and Regional Partnership Funding.
Through Sustainable Protection Funding, DDP will support human rights organisations (including journalists, grass-roots social movements, etc) build their digital security capacities over a longer period with grants of up to €50,000 for a period of 1 year starting in August or September 2020.
Sustainable Protection Funding can be used to cover a number of costs, which contribute to strengthening an organisation or collective's capacity to respond to digital threats. These can include, for example:
New computers, servers, or hosting for data or websites;
Migration to more secure platforms;
Technical support in implementing new systems;
Training or accompaniment processes on digital security or other aspects of security and protection;
Measures to improve physical security (which relate to information management and digital security)
Measures to address the psychological and psychosocial impacts of digital threats.
Through Regional Partnership Funding, DDP will support initiatives (organisations or collectives) promoting online freedom and protection of human rights defenders from a holistic perspective, with grants of up to €50,000 for a period of 1 year starting in August or September 2020.
A wide variety of activities in support of internet freedom and/or protection of human rights defenders can be supported through Regional Partnership Funding. These can include, but are not limited to:
Supporting internet access in cases of shutdowns, slowdowns, censorship or infrastructural damage;
Training or accompaniment on digital security, or other aspects of security and protection to human rights defenders at risk;
Expert advice, digital forensic analysis, hosting or other technical services to civil society;
Lobby and advocacy work for digital rights and internet freedom;
Coverage of core costs for organisations or collectives with particularly high potential for impact and limited alternative opportunities in this regard.
You can find out more about how to apply on the Regional Partnership Funding section of our website
The deadline for Concept Notes for both funding types -- to be based on the questions in the attached documents -- is 22 May 2020. Projects which are short-listed will then be invited to submit full applications.
Finally, as those of you who clicked on the links above may have noticed, we are also delighted to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website at https://digitaldefenders.org, with beautiful designs by the artist Diana Moreno. We hope you will find this website a useful source of information about our programmes and ongoing developments.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind regards
The Digital Defenders Partnership Team