Alternative Sources of Support

Funding for Internet freedom, journalism, software development, and human rights projects from sources other than OTF.

The following table contains alternate funding sources which support efforts relevant to the fields of Internet freedom, software development, journalism, and human rights, broadly speaking. Sources are organized by general subject matter. We're always seeking to grow this resource and make it as useful and inclusive as possible, so if you know of a funding source that should be on here, please let us know by contacting us at [e-mail].

Note: This list is shared for information purposes only. OTF cannot assist with fundraising efforts of individual projects or refer projects to specific funders. Inclusion of a funding entity on this list does not represent an endorsement by OTF.

You can stay up to date on all OTF submission deadlines and open submissions windows for other alternative funders by joining the OTF-announce mailing list, where we send a monthly update on upcoming application deadlines. Click here to join the OTF-announce mailing list.

Categories

• Rapid Response

  • Rapid Response for Journalists & Scholars

  • In-Kind Digital Infrastructure

• US Government Internet Freedom and Security

• Privacy and Security

• Digital Rights

• ICT4D

• Startup Incubators and Entrepreneurship

• Fellowships

  • Research

  • Policy & Advocacy

• Coding and Software Development

• Social Justice and Global Challenges

• Community

  • Gender & LGBTQ

  • Journalism & Media

  • Capacity Building

• Region-Specific

  • Middle East

  • Asia-Pacific

  • South and Latin America

  • Africa

Rapid Response

Organization	Fund
Access Now	Digital Security Helpline - Access Now
The Social Science Research Council	Rapid-Response Grants on Covid-19 and the Social Sciences
Internet Society Foundation	Emergency Response Grant Programme: COVID-19
FOSS Responders	COVID-19 Emergency Funds
Digital Defenders Partnership	Incide
United Nations (OCHA)	Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l'Homme (AEDH)	Emergency Fund
University of York Centre for Applied Human Rights	Protective Fellowship Scheme
International Media Support	Safety Fund
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)	Grants for HRDs at Risk
Freedom House	Emergency Assistance to Frontline Activists
	Embattled CSOs (Emergency)
	Embattled CSOs (Advocacy)
	LGBTI Assistance Program
Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights	Rapid Response Grant
	RR - Africa
Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF)	Urgent Grants
Justice and Peace Netherlands	Shelter City
Frontline Defenders	Protection Grants
	Emergency Contact
ProtectDefenders.eu	Emergency Support
Civil Rights Defenders	The Emergency Fund
World Organisation Against Torture	Emergency HRD Support
Joopea Foundation	JAssist
Security Without Borders	Security Assistance
Renewable Freedom Foundation	Digital Rights Fund
Defend Defenders	East and Horn of Africa
Derechos Digitales	Fondo de Respuesta Rápida
Dignity for All	LGBTI Assistance Program
Lifeline	Embattled CSO Assistance Fund
The Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC)	Human Rights Defenders Fund

Rapid Response for Journalists & Scholars

Organization	Fund
Free Press Unlimited	Reporters Respond
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)	IFJ Safety Fund
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE)	Journalists in Distress Fund
International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF)	IWMF Emergency Fund
La Maison Des Journalistes	Assistance
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)	Individual Support
	Berlin Scholarship Program
Rory Peck Trust	Assistance Grants
Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI)	Legal Assistance
Scholars at Risk Network	Support for Scholars Under Threat
Cara	Support for Academics Under Threat
International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN)	Writers/Artists at Risk
Institute of International Education	Fellowships for Threatened Scholars Around the World

In-Kind Digital Infrastructure

Organization	Fund
eQualit.ie	Deflect
Google	Project Shield
CloudFlare	Project Galileo
Amazon	AWS Imagine Grant Program
Google	Impact and Community Grants
Twilio	Twilio.org

US Government Internet Freedom and Security

Organization	Fund
Department of State	Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL)
ISC Project	Information security and Internet freedom grants
National Science Foundation (NSF)	Secure and Trustworthy Cyberspace (SaTC)
	Computer Systems Research (CSR)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)	Cyber Security Solicitations

Privacy and Security

Organization	Fund
Mozilla Foundation	Mozilla Open Source Support (MOSS)
	MOSS - Foundational Technology
	MOSS - Mission Partners
	MOSS - Secure Open Source
NLNet Foundation	Open Call - Network and Internet Technology
	Internet Hardening Fund
	Standards in Real-Time Communication
	DNSSEC Fund
Prototype Fund	Open Source Project Support (Germany)
Facebook	Secure the Internet Grants
Facebook	Research Awards
Cisco	Research & Open Innovation
Next Generation Internet (NGI)	NGI Open Calls
Core Infrastructure Initiative	Grants
Open Source Technology Improvement Fund (OSTIF)	Grants
	Managed Audit Program (MAP)
Calyx Institute	Calyx Institute
AirVPN	Project Support
Library Freedom Project	Library Freedom InstituteL

Digital Rights

Organization	Fund
Reset	reset.tech
Mozilla	Grants
Digital Defenders Partnership	Sustainable Protection Funding
	Regional Partnership Funding
Freedom House	Various Programs
Access Now	Grants
Sigrid Rausing Trust	Grants
Hivos	Freedom and Accountability
Ford Foundation	Internet Freedom
Media Democracy Fund	Grants
Democracy Council	About
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS)	Digital Extension Grants
Renewable Freedom Foundation	Funding Sources List
Digital Freedom Fund	Grants
The Developer Society (DEV)	Funding Sources List
ESRC Digital Good Network	About
Lacuna Fund	About
Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund	RFP Invitation

Information and Communications Technologies for Development (ICT4D) including Deploying Internet Connectivity

Organization	Fund
International Development Research Center (IDRC)	Funding
Microsoft	Grants
	Airband Initiative
Association for Progressive Communications (APC)	Access
Comcast	Innovation Fund
Internet Society	Grants & Awards
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)	Partnership Opportunities
	Development Innovation Ventures (DIV)
OpenCellular	OpenCellular Grants
Catholic Relief Services	ICT4D
CRDF Global	Grants
Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT)	ICT
USAID Development Innovations	Grants
Peace Corps Small Grants Program	Grants
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation	Global Grand Challenges
Google	Impact Challenge
Inveneo	Advice
Mercy Corps	Grants
SPIDER	Grants
International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS)	Grants
Wehubit	Grants
Comic Relief	Tech For Good
GSM Association	Connected Society Innovation Fund for Rural Connectivity
Motorola	Motorola Solutions Foundation
NetHope	Devices for Impact
Digital Frontiers	Grants
European Commission	Affordable High-Tech for Humanitarian Aid
Microsoft	AI for Humanitarian Action
Microsoft	AI for Accessibility
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK)	Research Grants
Newton Fund	Grants
World Wide Web Foundation	Web We Want
Nonprofit Technology Network	Digital Inclusion Fellowship
Internet Society	Beyond the Net Funding
TechSoup	TechSoup Global Network
UNICEF	Innovation Fund

Startup Incubators and Entrepreneurship

Organization	Fund
Garage 48	About
Mach37	About
iHub	Support for Africa-based tech startups
Hackers/Founders	Accelerator and Founders’ Cooperative
United For Iran	IranCubator
3fs	About
National Science Foundation (NSF)	America’s Seed Fund (Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Program)
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)	Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR)
Global Innovation Fund	About
Google	Google for Startups
PeaceTech Accelerator	About
MIT	Innovation & Entrepreneurship Bootcamp
DevLabs	About
Coinbase	Coinbase Ventures
Snap, Inc.	Yellow
The Thiel Foundation	The Thiel Fellowship
Samsung	Samsung Next
Comcast NBCUniversal	LIFT Labs
Code for Science & Society	Digital Infrastructure Incubator

Fellowships

Research

Organization	Fund
The Social Science Research Council	Social Data Research and Dissertation Fellowships
	Just Tech Fellowship
National Science Foundation (NSF)	Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW)
	Graduate Research Fellowship Program
University of Illinois Fellowship Finder	Database of Fellowships for Graduate Students
The Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy	Grants for current PhD candidates
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation	Sloan Research Fellowships
Tinker Foundation Incorporated	Field Research Grants
Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG)	Internet and Society Fellowship
Harvard Library Innovation Lab	Summer Fellowship
Berkman Klein Center & MIT Media Lab	Assembly
Stanford PACS Digital Civil Society Lab	Non-Resident Fellowship
Venture for America (VFA)	VFA Fellowship
Al Jazeera Media Institute	Al Jazeera Fellowship
Azavea	Summer of Maps
PrivacyCo/Top10VPN.com	Digital Rights Research Grant

Policy & Advocacy

Organization	Fund
Ford Foundation/Mozilla	Open Web Fellowship
Open Society Foundations	Open Society Fellowship
CIPE/NDI/CIMA	Open Internet for Democracy Leaders Program
Shuttleworth Foundation	Fellowship
Human Rights Watch	Fellowships (pdf)
Google	Public Policy Fellowship
National Endowment for Democracy (NED)	Fellowships
Echoing Green	Social Entrepreneurship Fellowship and Leadership Development Programs
Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society	Fellowship Program
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)	Science & Technology Policy Fellowships
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School	Technology and Democracy Fellowship
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP)	Legal Fellowships
Eisenhower Fellowships	Global Programs
Data & Society	Fellows Program
Internet Law & Policy Foundry	Fellowships
Voqal	Fellowships
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)	EPIC Law Fellowship
International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)	Westin Fellows
Princeton University	Siegel Public Interest Technology Summer Fellowship
Mozilla	Fellowships
TechCongress	Congressional Innovation Fellowship
CrossCulture Programme	Strengthening Civil Societies
Kairos Fellowship	Fellowship

Coding and Software Development

Organization	Fund
Python Software Foundation (PSF)	PSF Grants Program
Google	Faculty Research Awards
Mozilla	Research Grants
SAGE	Concept Grants
Protocol Labs	Research Grants
Outreachy	Mentorships and internships
Rails Girls	Summer of Code
Google	Summer of Code
General Assembly	Social Impact
Coding it Forward	Civic Digital Fellowship
Cybersecurity Tech Accord/UN Office of Disarmament Affairs	Apps 4 Digital Peace
Microsoft	FOSS Fund

Social Justice and Global Challenges

Organization	Fund
Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF)	Grants
Omidyar Network	About
Knight Foundation	Technology Innovation
	Governance, Norms and Values - Research on the Future Internet
The Reva & David Logan Foundation	Social Justice, Scholarship, the Arts and Investigative Journalism
Siegel Family Endowment	About
Bond	Funding Opportunities
Ariadne: European Funders for Social Change and Human Rights	About
National Endowment for Democracy (NED)	Grants
Swedish International Development Agency (Sida)	Research Calls and Grants
CIVICUS	Donor Finder
Open Society Foundations	Information Program
	Grants
Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs	INGO Support
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)	Grants
Enabel (Belgian Development Agency)	Grants
Cisco	Cisco Foundation
	Global Impact Cash Grants
Dropbox	Dropbox Foundation
Humanity United	Grants
Oak Foundation	International Human Rights
Open Society Foundations	Human Rights Initiative
Overbrook Foundation	Human Rights Defenders
Hewlett Foundation	About
Fund for Global Human Rights	Grants
Human Rights First	Human Rights Defenders
Oak Foundation	Grants
FIDH	Support for Local HRDs
Protection International	About
Human Rights Foundation (HRF)	About
European Endowment for Democracy (EED)	Grants
UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF)	Grants
Ashoka	Changemakers
Counterpart International	Business Opportunities
Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation	Grants
European Commission, Democracy and Human Rights	Calls for Proposals
MIT	Solve
Skoll Global Threats Fund	About
Human Rights Funders Network	Resources for Grantseekers
The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law	Supporting Justice Innovation

Community

Gender & LGBTQ

Organization	Fund
American Refugee Committee	Gender-based Violence and Response
Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice	Grants
Coalition of African Lesbians	About
Governments of Indonesia and Australia	Komnas Perempuan (Indonesia's National Commission on Violence Against Women)
Mediterranean Women's Fund	Mediterranean Women’s Fund
Third Wave Fund	Mobilize Power Fund
Women Living Under Muslim Laws	About
Women's Rehabilitation Center (Nepal)	About
Women Development Advocacy Center (Nepal)	Digital Empowerment Fellowship
Freedom House	Dignity for All: LGBTI Assistance Program
Womanity Foundation	About
Mama Cash	Grants
International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF)	Emergency Fund
	Elizabeth Neuffer Fellowship
	Fund For Women Journalists
	Kim Wall Memorial Fund
GiveOut	The Suki Sandhu LGBTQI Asia Fund
FRIDA	The Young Feminist Fund

Journalism & Media

Organization	Fund
MacArthur Foundation	Grants
Scripps Howard Foundation	Grants
Ethics & Excellence Journalism Foundation	Grants
Free Press Unlimited	About
Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF)	About
Google	Journalism Emergency Relief Fund
Open Society Foundations	Program on Independent Journalism
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)	About
Rory Peck Trust	Support for freelance journalists
Social Science Research Council/Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership	Abe Fellowship for Journalists
University of Toronto	Fellowship in Global Journalism
Moment Magazine	Daniel Pearl Investigative Journalism Initiative (DPIJI)
Mother Jones	The Ben Bagdikian Fellowship Program
Open Society Foundation	Moving Walls Fellowship
University of Oxford	Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism
World Press Institute (WPI)	WPI Fellowship
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)	Vaclav Havel Journalism Fellowship
Dutch Journalism Fund	About
International Media Support	About
The Walkley Foundation	Grants
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (CFI)	Media Development
UNESCO	International Programme for the Development of Communication
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting	Grants
Thomson Foundation	Media Training and Development
Poynter	International Fact-Checking Network
Stanford University	John S. Knight Journalism Fellowships
DW Akademie	Media Development
Journalists for Human Rights	About
BBC Media Action	About

Capacity Building

Organization	Fund
Creative Commons	Community Activities Fund
	Bassel Khartabil Free Culture Fellowship
Open Knowledge International	About
Internet Freedom Festival (IFF)	IFF Community Development Fellows Program
Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL)	Open Source Center Strategic Grants
	Open Source Center Catalytic Grants
Arcadia Fund	Open Access Grants
Linux Foundation	CommunityBridge
Software Freedom Conservancy	Project Funding
RIPE NCC	Community Projects Fund

Region-Specific

Middle East

Organization	Fund
Arab Human Rights Fund (AHRF)	Grants
Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF)	Standard grants
Department of State	U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)

Asia-Pacific

Organization	Fund
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development	Human Rights Defenders Programme
Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD)	About
Information Society Innovation Fund Asia (ISIF Asia)	About

South and Latin America

Organization	Fund
Indela (Initiative for digital rights in Latin America)	About
Open Society Foundation	Latin America Program
Fund for Internet Strengthening in Latin America and the Caribbean	FRIDA Funds

Africa

Organization	Fund
RAITH Foundation	Funding
Fund for Internet Research and Development (FIRE Africa)	Grants