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 hello@opentech.fund.
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
Organization | Fund |
Access Now | |
The Social Science Research Council | |
Internet Society Foundation | |
FOSS Responders | |
Digital Defenders Partnership | Incide |
United Nations (OCHA) | |
Agir Ensemble pour les Droits de l'Homme (AEDH) | |
University of York Centre for Applied Human Rights | |
International Media Support | |
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) | |
Freedom House | |
Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human Rights | |
Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF) | |
Justice and Peace Netherlands | |
Frontline Defenders | |
ProtectDefenders.eu | |
Civil Rights Defenders | |
World Organisation Against Torture | |
Joopea Foundation | |
Security Without Borders | |
Renewable Freedom Foundation | |
Defend Defenders | |
Derechos Digitales | |
Dignity for All | |
Lifeline | |
The Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) |
Rapid Response for Journalists & Scholars
Organization | Fund |
Free Press Unlimited | |
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) | |
Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) | |
International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) | |
La Maison Des Journalistes | |
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) | |
Rory Peck Trust | |
Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI) | |
Scholars at Risk Network | |
Cara | |
International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) | |
Institute of International Education |
In-Kind Digital Infrastructure
Organization | Fund |
eQualit.ie | |
CloudFlare | |
Amazon | |
Twilio |
US Government Internet Freedom and Security
Organization | Fund |
Department of State | |
ISC Project | |
National Science Foundation (NSF) | |
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) |
Privacy and Security
Organization | Fund |
Mozilla Foundation | |
NLNet Foundation | |
Prototype Fund | |
Cisco | |
Next Generation Internet (NGI) | |
Core Infrastructure Initiative | |
Open Source Technology Improvement Fund (OSTIF) | |
Calyx Institute | |
AirVPN | |
Library Freedom Project |
Digital Rights
Organization | Fund |
Reset | |
Mozilla | |
Digital Defenders Partnership | |
Freedom House | |
Access Now | |
Sigrid Rausing Trust | |
Hivos | |
Ford Foundation | |
Media Democracy Fund | |
Democracy Council | |
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) | |
Renewable Freedom Foundation | |
Digital Freedom Fund | |
The Developer Society (DEV) | |
ESRC Digital Good Network | |
Lacuna Fund | |
Responsible Technology Youth Power Fund |
Information and Communications Technologies for Development (ICT4D) including Deploying Internet Connectivity
Organization | Fund |
International Development Research Center (IDRC) | |
Microsoft | |
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) | |
Comcast | |
Internet Society | |
U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) | |
OpenCellular | |
Catholic Relief Services | |
CRDF Global | |
Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) | |
USAID Development Innovations | |
Peace Corps Small Grants Program | |
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation | |
Inveneo | |
Mercy Corps | |
SPIDER | |
International Development Evaluation Association (IDEAS) | |
Wehubit | |
Comic Relief | |
GSM Association | |
Motorola | |
NetHope | |
Digital Frontiers | |
European Commission | |
Microsoft | |
Microsoft | |
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (UK) | |
Newton Fund | |
World Wide Web Foundation | |
Nonprofit Technology Network | |
Internet Society | |
TechSoup | |
UNICEF |
Startup Incubators and Entrepreneurship
Organization | Fund |
Garage 48 | |
Mach37 | |
iHub | |
Hackers/Founders | |
United For Iran | |
3fs | |
National Science Foundation (NSF) | |
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) | |
Global Innovation Fund | |
PeaceTech Accelerator | |
MIT | |
DevLabs | |
Coinbase | |
Snap, Inc. | |
The Thiel Foundation | |
Samsung | |
Comcast NBCUniversal | |
Code for Science & Society |
Fellowships
Research
Organization | Fund |
The Social Science Research Council | |
National Science Foundation (NSF) | |
University of Illinois Fellowship Finder | |
The Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy | |
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation | |
Tinker Foundation Incorporated | |
Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society (HIIG) | |
Harvard Library Innovation Lab | |
Berkman Klein Center & MIT Media Lab | |
Stanford PACS Digital Civil Society Lab | |
Venture for America (VFA) | |
Al Jazeera Media Institute | |
Azavea | |
PrivacyCo/Top10VPN.com |
Policy & Advocacy
Organization | Fund |
Ford Foundation/Mozilla | |
Open Society Foundations | |
CIPE/NDI/CIMA | |
Shuttleworth Foundation | |
Human Rights Watch | |
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) | |
Echoing Green | |
Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society | |
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) | |
Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, Harvard Kennedy School | |
Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) | |
Eisenhower Fellowships | |
Data & Society | |
Internet Law & Policy Foundry | |
Voqal | |
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) | |
International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) | |
Princeton University | |
Mozilla | |
TechCongress | |
CrossCulture Programme | |
Kairos Fellowship |
Coding and Software Development
Organization | Fund |
Python Software Foundation (PSF) | |
Mozilla | |
SAGE | |
Protocol Labs | |
Outreachy | |
Rails Girls | |
General Assembly | |
Coding it Forward | |
Cybersecurity Tech Accord/UN Office of Disarmament Affairs | |
Microsoft |
Social Justice and Global Challenges
Organization | Fund |
Laura and John Arnold Foundation (LJAF) | |
Omidyar Network | |
Knight Foundation | |
The Reva & David Logan Foundation | |
Siegel Family Endowment | |
Bond | |
Ariadne: European Funders for Social Change and Human Rights | |
National Endowment for Democracy (NED) | |
Swedish International Development Agency (Sida) | |
CIVICUS | |
Open Society Foundations | |
Finland Ministry of Foreign Affairs | |
Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) | |
Enabel (Belgian Development Agency) | |
Cisco | |
Dropbox | |
Humanity United | |
Oak Foundation | |
Open Society Foundations | |
Overbrook Foundation | |
Hewlett Foundation | |
Fund for Global Human Rights | |
Human Rights First | |
Oak Foundation | |
FIDH | |
Protection International | |
Human Rights Foundation (HRF) | |
European Endowment for Democracy (EED) | |
UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) | |
Ashoka | |
Counterpart International | |
Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation | |
European Commission, Democracy and Human Rights | |
MIT | |
Skoll Global Threats Fund | |
Human Rights Funders Network | |
The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law |
Community
Gender & LGBTQ
Organization | Fund |
American Refugee Committee | |
Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice | |
Coalition of African Lesbians | |
Governments of Indonesia and Australia | |
Mediterranean Women's Fund | |
Third Wave Fund | |
Women Living Under Muslim Laws | |
Women's Rehabilitation Center (Nepal) | |
Women Development Advocacy Center (Nepal) | |
Freedom House | |
Womanity Foundation | |
Mama Cash | |
International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF) | |
GiveOut | |
FRIDA |
Journalism & Media
Organization | Fund |
MacArthur Foundation | |
Scripps Howard Foundation | |
Ethics & Excellence Journalism Foundation | |
Free Press Unlimited | |
Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF) | |
Open Society Foundations | |
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) | |
Rory Peck Trust | |
Social Science Research Council/Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership | |
University of Toronto | |
Moment Magazine | |
Mother Jones | |
Open Society Foundation | |
University of Oxford | |
World Press Institute (WPI) | |
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) | |
Dutch Journalism Fund | |
International Media Support | |
The Walkley Foundation | |
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development (CFI) | |
UNESCO | |
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting | |
Thomson Foundation | |
Poynter | |
Stanford University | |
DW Akademie | |
Journalists for Human Rights | |
BBC Media Action |
Capacity Building
Organization | Fund |
Creative Commons | |
Open Knowledge International | |
Internet Freedom Festival (IFF) | |
Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL) | |
Arcadia Fund | |
Linux Foundation | |
Software Freedom Conservancy | |
RIPE NCC |
Region-Specific
Middle East
Organization | Fund |
Arab Human Rights Fund (AHRF) | |
Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders (EMHRF) | |
Department of State |
Asia-Pacific
Organization | Fund |
Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development | |
Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) | |
Information Society Innovation Fund Asia (ISIF Asia) |
South and Latin America
Organization | Fund |
Indela (Initiative for digital rights in Latin America) | |
Open Society Foundation | |
Fund for Internet Strengthening in Latin America and the Caribbean |
Africa
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