Emergency Assistance and Thematic Programs
Around the world, journalists, human rights defenders, and activists frequently come under threat because they stand up for their fellow citizens.
Emergency Assistance to Frontline Activists
Freedom House is a leading provider of emergency financial assistance to at-risk human rights defenders globally. Since 2007, through its Emergency Assistance Program (EAP), Freedom House has supported over 13,000 human rights defenders, totaling more than $56 million in direct support.
The Emergency Assistance Program (EAP) Provides short-term support to human rights defenders (HRDs), civil society organizations (CSOs), non-traditional advocates, and survivors of severe religious persecution on the basis of belief or non-belief. The program has worked to support individuals and organizations in some of the world’s most repressive and conflict-ridden environments. On a yearly basis, the program supports more than 1,500 HRDs, CSOs, and survivors of severe religious persecution with emergency assistance, urgent advocacy grants, and preventive security projects.
EAP supports requests for:
- Security such as improving physical security of home or office or secure transportation
- Temporary relocation, including for families/dependents affected by the threat
- Medical expenses, including psycho-social support
- Legal representation and trial monitoring
- Prison visits
- Humanitarian assistance and dependent support
- Equipment replacement if confiscated or damaged
Rapid Response Grants
EAP also provides small, rapid response grants to at-risk CSOs to respond to changes in their threat landscape and to take advantage of time-bound opportunities for advocacy.
Advocacy and Opportunity: EAP provides rapid response advocacy and opportunity grants to give CSOs the resources to protect and expand their rights to organize, associate, or assemble or to advance the rights and safety of minority communities.
Resiliency: EAP provides security grants to support human rights CSOs in proactively preventing and mitigating the threats they face, including supporting holistic digital or physical security training, to help them continue to work in high-risk environments.
