# Emergency Assistance for Fundamental Freedom Defenders

Source: https://welltoldgrants.com/grants/dfop0019749-emergency-assistance-for-fundamental-freedom-defenders/  
Official notice: https://www.grants.gov/search-results-detail/363780

> Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor offered grants of up to $4.9 million to the applicants described in the notice. It expected to make one award worth $4.9 million in total. Applications closed on September 8, 2026.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Opportunity number | DFOP0019749 |
| Agency | Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor |
| Status | Forecast |
| Deadline | September 8, 2026 |
| Award ceiling | $4.9 million |
| Award floor | not stated |
| Expected awards | 1 |
| Total funding | $4.9 million |
| Cost sharing | not required |
| Assistance Listings | 19.345 |

## Who can apply

- Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)

The following organizations are eligible to apply: -U.S.-based non-profit organizations/NGOs with or without 501(c)(3) status -Private, public, or state institutions of higher education -For-profit organizations or businesses -Foreign-based non-profit organizations/nongovernment organizations (NGO)

## What the grant funds

The U.S. Department of State Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL) seeks to make available on-demand, emergency support for individuals and organizations that face imminent threat due to their work to promote and defend fundamental freedoms, including the freedoms of speech, peaceful assembly, and association articulated in the United States’ founding documents. The program will provide assistance to defenders who are facing threat of attack, arbitrary arrest, detention, prosecution, or are otherwise at imminent risk of harm, through a program that provides short-term emergency funding to enable them to continue their work pressing for democratic government and reform and respect for human rights.

## Questions people ask

### Is DFOP0019749 still open?

No. It closed on September 8, 2026. A newer notice is open: DFOP0019929, closes December 7, 2026 (30 days left).

### Who can apply for Emergency Assistance for Fundamental Freedom Defenders?

Bureau of Democracy Human Rights and Labor accepted applications from the applicants described in the notice. The notice adds further conditions, so read its eligibility section.

### What is the deadline for Emergency Assistance for Fundamental Freedom Defenders?

Closed September 8, 2026. Applications are no longer accepted; the program's newer notices are on this page when there are any.

### How much funding is available?

Awards of up to $4.9 million each. About $4.9 million in total for one award.

### Who has won International Programs to Support Democracy, Human Rights and Labor grants before?

The largest recipients over five fiscal years were National Endowment for Democracy, Vital Voices Global Partnership Inc, International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. The program made 53 awards worth $1.7 billion in that time.