Home > Funded support > Responsive assistance

Responsive assistance


Open Briefing operates a rapid response mechanism to provide fully-funded holistic security mentoring and remote accompaniment to human rights defenders and other civic society actors at risk of physical, digital, or psychological harm.

This support is available to civil society organisations, collectives, or activists meeting the following criteria:

  1. Using non-violent means to agitate and advocate for rights and justice.
  2. Have been targeted or are at high risk of attacks and reprisals.
  3. Cannot otherwise fund or realistically secure funding for the support.
  4. Working anywhere in the global majority or in a country outside the United States with a closed, repressed or obstructed civic space.*
    * The US exclusion is due to grant restrictions; however, it does not apply to grantees and sub-grantees of the Packard Foundation.

Referral partners and at-risk organisations can request safety and security, digital and information security or wellbeing and resilience support. We ask that informal groups or individual activists are referred by one of our referral partners. Support may be available in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese or Arabic.

Open Briefing’s rapid response mechanism is for direct holistic security support to under-resourced organisations and defenders at risk. It does not include financial support or support securing funding, assistance with asylum or resettlement, sub-contracted training or programme delivery, or general tech support. Our Protection Ecosystem Map can help you identify suitable sources of support in those areas.

Open Briefing is a certified social enterprise and a member of
the CIVICUS global civil society alliance and the Vuka! coalition