Funding Proposal - OpSec

Funding proposal to offer free privacy/online safety trainings and one-on-one security assessments to marginalized communities

Short description

Open Privacy will be using this grant to offer free privacy/online safety trainings and one-on-one security assessments to marginalized communities. Our initial focus will be on gender and sexual minority (GSM) communities, sex workers, and survivors of domestic violence. This will be a two-step process: first, we will be sending a staff member to work with notable experts familiar with working with at-risk and targeted groups on sensitive topics concerning their digital safety and privacy. We view this as an imperative first step toward tailoring our trainings, recommendations and practices to the communities we serve, and preventing more unique threat models from falling through the cracks. It also serves to amplify the expertise currently held by a few stellar individuals already working in this area (and usually volunteering their own personal time). Second, we’ll slowly roll out our program by beginning with pilot testing with individuals from the community, before moving on to larger training events. We will start small, holding events in our local community first, but we hope to expand our reach across the country and eventually be able to conduct one-on-one assessments online with those who need it most. All our assistance will be free-of-charge to community members, and the materials we develop will be posted online to help others.

Budget

• We have received a $3000 microgrant from the Digital Justice Lab; however, further and ongoing funding will certainly be necessary. This microgrant will be used for holding training events.
• Ongoing work on this project (including the deliverables requested by DJL) will be done with the Executive Committee’s day-to-day hours, with time allocated as they deem appropriate.

#@# Conflicts of Interest

This proposal does not directly financially benefit any board member.