Digital Defenders Partnership
/OVERVIEW: This funder supports internet freedom, women and girls, LGBTQ causes, focusing on human rights, journalism and marginalized groups.
IP TAKE: Digital Defenders Partnership is an important source of grants for organizations facing digital threats or working to prevent censorship and surveillance in the digital world. The organization accepts applications for grants, including emergency funding, via its website.
Whenever possible, this organization likes to invest long-term in its grantees making this a crowded grant space. However, they’re open-minded and supportive once you get a grant.
PROFILE: The Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP) was formed in 2012 by the Freedom Online Coalition to “advance internet freedom and to keep the internet open and free from emerging threats, specifically in internet repressive and transitional environments.” DDP currently operates out of the international NGO Hivos International. The partnership focuses on human rights-related activities and supports bloggers, cyber activists, human rights defenders, journalists, activists and others through its five grantmaking programs: incident and emergency funding, sustainable protection funding, community and network funding, regional partnership funding, global partnership funding and the Bessy Ferrera Emergency Fund. Additionally, the partnership provides training to organizations in its fields of interest, runs annual digital integrity fellowships and maintains an on-line digital first aid kit in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic and French.
Grants for Journalism
DDP supports journalism organizations and individual journalists mainly through its incident and emergency and sustainable protection funding programs. Both programs prioritize people and organizations working in human rights or working to disseminate information for and about oppressed or marginalized groups. Incident and emergency grants help journalists respond to digital threats or attacks and may be used to purchase or replace technology or technical assistance, provide physical security to threatened individuals or provide psychological support in response to digital threats and attacks. The sustainable protection program, by contrast, is proactive; it helps organizations build security through technology, technological assistance and training.
Grants for Security and Human Rights
Grants for human rights organizations stem from all five DDP grantmaking programs. While incident and emergency and sustainable protection grants focus on digital threats to organizations, regional partnership funding supports the development of digital freedom in geographic regions experiencing high threats of censorship and surveillance. Taking a broader approach, global partnership funding supports long-term projects that address internet freedom across several regions. Community and network grants support training and capacity building for collaborations and exchanges between organizations working toward internet freedom and security.
Grants for Women and Girls
DDP support initiatives for women and girls across all grantmaking programs. The partnerships recognizes the important role technology plays in women’s safety and security, especially in developing nations in Asia and Africa. In Lahore, Pakistan, DDP supported the Digital Rights Foundation, which runs a cyber-harassment helpline for women.
Grants for LGBTQ
With the support of private donors, DDP recently launched its Bessy Ferrera Emergeny Fund, which provides emergency funding to LGBTQIA+ groups or individuals working with the international development group Hivos or its partners. The fund, named for the late Honduran trans activist Bessy Ferrera, provides grants to cover the costs of legal, medical, psychiatric, safety or relocation expenses, to name a few areas of support. It is worth noting that the partnership has also supported LGBTQ organizations and journalists across its other grantmaking programs and encourages organizations representing the interests of LBGTQ people to apply for funding.
Important Grant Details:
DDP’s incident and emergency grants are awarded in the amount of €10,000. Both sustainable protection and community network grants are awarded in amounts up to €50,000. Global partnership grants are larger and usually represent a four-year commitment on the part of the partnership. The regional focus program has been paused temporarily. This funder does not provide information about its past grantees.
The partnership accepts applications for each of its funding programs, but eligibility, guidelines and due dates vary significantly by program. Grantseekers should review program pages carefully before submitting materials. General inquiries may be directed to the partnership staff via email.
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