Internet Society Foundation Common Good Cyber Fund Grant Program 2026 (Up To $300,000 grant)

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Applications are open for 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.

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.

Common Good Cyber Fund Program Objectives

The Common Good Cyber Fund seeks to fund nonprofits across the globe whose work supports the following objectives:

Objective 1: Maintenance of critical cybersecurity infrastructure.
Objective 2: Delivery of scalable support to secure Internet users from digital harm, including state-directed cyber activity and digital transnational repression.
Objective 3: Advancement of a safer Internet for vulnerable groups and high-risk communities, including civil society and journalists.

The descriptions below provide additional detail on what the program objectives look like in practice. Applicant organizations’ work may span more than one of these objectives, but proposals must indicate the primary objective their work aligns with in their application.

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 Criteria for Common Good Cyber Fund Grant

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.

Program Timeline

The call for proposals will launch by June 2026, with an application window open for at least six weeks.
Applications will be screened by late July, with the strongest applications advancing to external review.
Declined applicants will be notified of the decisions after grant awards have been made.
Due to the high volume of applications anticipated, individual feedback on declined proposals will not be possible.

How To Apply for Common Good Cyber Fund Grant

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).

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Application Deadline: 23 June to 4 August 2026 at 21:00 UTC