Crisis Response

As of December 2023

Amid the current crisis, USRF grantees and partners have reported urgent, immediate needs and opportunities to support embattled Russian civil society both within and outside Russia. To respond to these needs, USRF has provided maximum flexibility to current grantees, and additional resources to those facing crises and opportunities in 2022 and 2023.

The program provided:

• Maximum flexibility in support for current grantees and partners whose Russian program participants are under threat of arrest, attack or other repression and require physical relocation, protection and other services.

• Support for Russian independent media, film producers and experts in Russia and abroad with the capability to reach the Russian public and help them understand the reality of the Kremlin’s attack on Ukraine, international isolation and domestic repression, especially its implications for economic opportunity and human development for ordinary Russian people.

• Support for Russian organizations within and outside Russia to defend freedoms of expression and information, property rights, and Russia’s international legal obligations, such as in the ECHR and UN bodies.

• Support for Russians who are forced to leave their home country and need to continue education, research and entrepreneurial activities in the U.S. and other countries consistent with the mission of USRF.

USRF continues to accept applications for urgent and immediate needs within our three program areas.

We ask that you view the “Apply for a Grant” page for our upcoming application deadlines and contact us at grants@usrf.us with any questions about our procedures or prospective applications.