Access Now marks 10 years of resourcing digital rights activism
For a decade, Access Now Grants has partnered with grassroots and frontline organizations globally to support the people and communities most impacted by digital rights violations. We know those closest to the problem are always best placed to develop and deploy solutions, so we aim to ensure they have the resources they need to pursue their vision and fight for their communities’ rights. Now, as we look ahead to the next 10 years, we’re celebrating 10 grantees doing extraordinary work to defend and extend human rights in the digital age.
Below we share quotes and stories from our incredible grantees (posts one, two, and three), a brief look at our history, what we hope to accomplish, and how you can help.
MEET 10 DIGITAL RIGHTS CHAMPIONS
THE STORY SO FAR
We launched Access Now Grants in 2015 to respond to increasing digital rights violations, which mirrored and exacerbated the violence and oppression that people in marginalized communities, particularly in the Global Majority, were already experiencing. Authoritarian and democratic governments alike leveraged the internet and digital technology in ways that deepened inequality, eroded privacy, and silenced dissent. In many cases, tech companies were failing to protect their users. We recognized that protecting human rights in this evolving landscape required us to directly support those working on the frontlines — following their lead to ensure effective, locally relevant, and culturally appropriate support.
Since then, our grants program has grown to deliver flexible, short- and long-term support in three strategic areas:
1. Raising awareness of the human impact of digital rights violations:
From Africa to Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America and the Caribbean (LATAM) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), to Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA), the work of our grantees has led to increased public awareness and activism around digital rights, and has helped to amplify the voices of people from impacted communities who are actively leading and shaping the discourse. Many have strengthened regional and international coalitions, while others have documented the impact of digital technology on human rights, successfully bringing these issues into mainstream public and media conversations.
2. Advocating for public and private policy change to meet the needs of impacted communities at risk:
Grantees have influenced laws and policies and contributed to the creation of legal precedents. They have created policy positions backed by evidence and based on the impacts and lived experiences of the communities they represent. They have built alliances and bases of support to shift policymakers’ positions and demand action to protect people’s rights.
3. Building and maintaining digital security knowledge within the communities most harmed by digital rights violations:
Grantees have supported communities most at risk in becoming better equipped to prevent, respond to, and recover from digital attacks. By expanding services, shoring up local infrastructure, and building capacity, grantees have facilitated people’s access to trusted digital security support and helped human rights defenders and activists proactively integrate digital security into their work.
To achieve these goals, we prioritize funding for three priority groups in the Global Majority:
Community-based organizations who represent and organize a constituency to identify shared problems, develop solutions, and mobilize this base of support to advocate for their rights;
Frontline organizations operating in highly repressive contexts where the impact of digital authoritarianism is most severe and where digital rights groups most need support and allies; and
Feminist organizations that are explicitly working to protect the digital rights of women, LGBTQ+ people, and gender-nonconforming people.
Within this framework, we prioritize support for organizations that have fewer resources and less access to institutional funders.
ACCESS NOW GRANTS 2015-2025,
BY THE NUMBERS
In 2015, we distributed a total of $36,850 USD, divided in six grants to six organizations, who received an average grant of $6,142 USD each.
In 2024, we distributed $1.029 million USD in grants to 50 organizations and individuals, with an average grant size of $20,592 USD.
Total awarded through 2024:
415 grants totaling $10,033,353 USD in 68 countries, with an average grant size of $24,177 USD.
On average, 37% of grants had a significant focus on gender or sexuality rights or were intended to support people who identify as women, non-binary, or LGBTQ+.🏳️🌈
GRANTS DISTRIBUTED OVER THE PAST DECADE
WHAT**’**S AHEAD AND HOW YOU CAN HELP
A lot has changed over the past 10 years. Today, the digital rights community faces significant global challenges. We are navigating shrinking funding landscapes, increasing digital threats, the erosion of international human rights norms, and the rise of anti-rights movements. Resourcing and standing in solidarity with community-led, frontline, and feminist groups and initiatives is more critical than ever.
Looking ahead, we aim to evolve our grantmaking structures to better balance agility and responsiveness with long-term, strategic support. We hope to contribute to a more inclusive, resilient, and responsive digital rights ecosystem. As we continue to provide timely funding that meets urgent needs, we will explore ways to offer longer-term, reliable support, as such funding is crucial for building organizational capacity and driving meaningful change.
We are also reflecting on how to strengthen our support beyond funding. We are committed to working with our grantees and partners to better understand what this kind of support should look like, and how we might move forward thoughtfully and sustainably. Today, and every day, we reaffirm our commitment to working shoulder-to-shoulder with the organizations that are defending digital rights around the world. If you’d like to support Access Now’s work, consider making a donation.