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Call for Proposals for overseas Chinese Human Rights Defenders

Safeguard Defenders is inviting proposals from civil society organisations and collectives based outside China to support the work of emerging Chinese Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) living and working abroad.

This new funding opportunity seeks to strengthen the capacity, visibility, and strategic connections of overseas Chinese HRDs. Our aim is to support efforts to build community resilience and increase local democratic engagement, as part of a broader strategy to document and counter the Chinese government’s widespread human rights violations, including transnational repression.

We are open to a variety of project formats, as long as they are action-focused rather than academic or organisation-developmental in nature. This means the funding is intended to support concrete short-term activities and initiatives — not internal learning, culture events, or general capacity-building for the organisation itself.

Funding Overview

Funding parameters

  • Project duration: 6 to 12 months
  • Funding range: USD 5,000 to 25,000
  • Target applicants: Civil society organisations, informal collectives, or Chinese HRD networks based outside China.
  • Registration is not required, but applicants must be able to manage funds and activities in accordance with local tax and legal requirements.
  • Location: Projects must be implemented outside China, preferably in Europe
  • Strategic focus: Activities should contribute to international understanding and documentation of PRC human rights violations in- or outside of China, build community resilience against transnational repression, and/or increase local democratic engagement. Particular attention will be paid to the innovative nature or focus of proposed projects. 

 

Examples of Eligible Activities

We welcome a range of project types, including (but not limited to):

  • Action-oriented research that informs public campaigns or policy debates.
  • Training programmes in democratic and media engagement, digital security, international advocacy, or rights-based organising.
  • Outreach and coalition-building between Chinese HRDs and democratic civil society or policy communities.
  • Media storytelling or strategic communications to amplify Chinese HRD voices abroad.
How to Apply

Please submit a concept note (maximum 2 pages, Word format) including the following:

  • Organizational/Network/Personal background (at this stage, do NOT include any sensitive personal information).
  • Proposed program background, problem statement and target audience/location.
  • Project goals and intended outcomes.
  • Main activities and proposed timeline (max. duration 12 months).
  • Estimated budget.
  • Risk assessment and mitigation strategies.

There is no application form required at this stage. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to co-develop a final proposal and budget together with Safeguard Defenders.

Please note that this is a grant-based collaboration, not a service contract or outsourced project. Selected applicants will retain ownership of their work and lead project implementation with support from Safeguard Defenders.

For secure communication, we encourage you to submit your proposal via Protonmail (see Contact us section).

Please use the following subject line format in your email:

CITW Grant + Your Project Name + Your Location

Incomplete or ineligible applications will not be considered.