Deadline: August 4, 2026
Applications are open for the Internet Society Foundation Common Good Cyber Fund Grant Program 2026. The Common Good Cyber Fund (CGCF), launched in 2025 in close collaboration with the Common Good Cyber Ecosystem Committee and a Strategic Advisory Committee, aims to sustain nonprofit organizations whose work strengthens the public-interest cybersecurity ecosystem.
CGCF consists of pooled donations from a mix of donors, including the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Craig Newmark Philanthropies, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office of the United Kingdom, the German Federal Foreign Office, Global Affairs Canada, the Internet Society, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Program Overview
Digital and cyber threats are rising in frequency and sophistication, with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable communities and underserved regions where digital defenses are weakest. High-risk actors, including NGOs, journalists, human rights defenders, and dissidents, face targeted activity that can reach across borders in the online information environment.
The nonprofit cybersecurity ecosystem plays a vital yet under-recognized role in countering these threats, mitigating harm, and defending online civic space. However, this ecosystem remains severely underfunded and overstretched, leaving community actors and vulnerable populations exposed to escalating digital cyber threats.
The Common Good Cyber Fund is designed to strengthen this ecosystem by supporting the nonprofits who provide these critical services. An initial pilot program was initiated in late 2025, which provided a proof of concept for an open call for applications launching in June 2026.
Funding
- In 2026, the Internet Society Foundation is expected to award at least USD $3.5 million through multi-year operating grants funded by the Common Good Cyber Fund. Grants awarded through this open call are expected to be two-year awards, typically in the range of USD $100,000 to $300,000, with a maximum total grant amount of $300,000 over the full grant period.
Eligibility
- CGCF supports nonprofit organizations whose work aligns with the Fund’s objectives and who provide cybersecurity infrastructure and/or direct services for high-risk digital actors.
- In 2026, CGCF expects to prioritize organizations capable of ecosystem building, especially those based in the global majority, or those with the capacity to regrant to smaller organizations working in the global majority.
- Organizations who demonstrate a history of addressing issues of gender equity, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), will be additionally prioritized when applying for grants aligned with Objectives 2 and 3.
Selection Criteria
Applications are assessed based on:
- Confirmation that the applicant is a qualifying nonprofit organization (U.S. 501(c)(3) or equivalent) focused on cybersecurity.
- Confirmation that the applicant organization has an official bank account in their name that can receive funds from a foundation based in the United States
- Alignment with CGCF’s purpose and program objectives.
- Evidence that the organization delivers cybersecurity infrastructure and/or services that protect high-risk communities and strengthen broader resilience.
- Demonstrated organizational capacity, including credible implementation and governance.
- Potential to contribute to ecosystem building, including reach across geographies and, where relevant, the ability to support smaller organizations.
Application
Required application documents include:
- A current operational budget
- Tax Identification Document
- Organization governing document (such as articles of incorporation, organization charter, or bylaws)
- A list of current institutional funders and the amounts they provide
- National tax returns from the two most recent available fiscal years
- Audited financials from the two most recent available fiscal years
- (Optional) 501(c)(3) Equivalency Determination (if applicable and if available).
For more information, visit Common Good Cyber Fund Grant Program.
