The short version
Over the past 5 years, Horizontal has built tools to support those who are most at-risk of surveillance, censorship, and repression: journalists, activists, human rights defenders, indigenous folks, LGBTQ communities. 

Now, the Trump administration’s funding freeze is threatening to destroy everything we’ve built: the organization, the tools, the community. 

As we pivot to new forms of revenue to become a self-sustaining organization, we are looking for support to ensure Horizontal survives and continues to support our community. We are looking for 250 donors to support us with a monthly donation. Join us now!

The whole story 

Background
In 2019, Horizontal was created with a clear mission: offer digital security support to those who face high risks of surveillance, censorship, and repression. In practice, we focused on two types of activities: providing digital security training and developing security apps. Both our training and apps were designed specifically for those facing some of the highest threats to their safety because of their work or their identities: journalists investigating corrupt governments; indigenous activists defending their lands against corporations; advocates fighting for more rights and freedoms; community groups protecting migrants from human traffickers; and many more. These are people who face well-resourced adversaries (governments, companies, cartels, etc) who may want to hack their accounts, eavesdrop on their conversations, or track their movement. If our support can help them be just a little bit safer, then we consider our work successful.

Over the years, we provided digital security training and coaching to hundreds of people–activists, journalists, movement leaders–in dozens of countries. But more than our training, it’s been our tools that have had the most impact.

Tella, our mobile app to encrypt and hide files, and document human rights violations, has been downloaded over 52,000 times. It's been recommended by digital security trainers from widely different backgrounds, working in local community groups or large organizations like Amnesty International. We’ve heard from users in Nigeria who used Tella to monitor elections in 2019; from acivists in Myanmar, where Tella was used to document human rights violations after the military coup of February 2021; or from journalists in Cuba, where journalists relied on Tella to record and protect interviews. Shira, our app to learn to identify phishing attacks, has served thousands of quizzes to journalists and human rights defenders. 

Over the years, we've also developed tools for other human rights groups, from a citizen participation app used in a repressive dictatorship to an app offering reproductive health education in places where abortion is criminalized.

Our achievements in peril
This takes us to January 20th, 2025. Just three weeks ago, hours after officially becoming president, Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing all foreign aid. Unfortunately, much of our funding came from programs funded, directly or indirectly, by the US government. Even contracts that had already been signed and fully approved have been frozen.

This has put us in a very fragile financial position. Our savings can support our operational needs for only three months. By the end of April, unless we secure new funding, we may have to lay off the entire team and, shortly after, file for bankruptcy.

A path forward
We are determined to keep Horizontal alive. We want to ensure all team members keep their livelihoods. We want to continue providing our partners with the digital security they need to stay safe. In the face of so much uncertainty, we are actively developing new paths to achieve financial independence:

1. A new arm called Horizontal Labs to offer paid services to organizations and companies whose values are aligned with our own;
2. Subscription plans for companies to use Shira to build their staff’s cybersecurity skills (Shira will of course remain free for civil society and human rights groups);
3. Fundraising initiatives among private philanthropies and family foundations.

But these new paths will take time to develop–time that we currently don’t have.

This is why we are asking for your support. As we work toward building a more independent and sustainable future for Horizontal, we are asking our friends and partners to help us survive this transitional period. 

Specifically, we’re looking for new monthly donors to keep Horizontal afloat as we pivot:
- If 250 donors pledge $30 per month, we will be able to ensure our apps survive by fixing bugs and ensure they continue to function properly and securely for all users who rely on them to remain safe.
- If 500 donors pledge $30 per month, we will also be able to continue providing support to our community, responding to user requests and questions. Further, we’ll also be able to make minor improvements to our apps to improve functionality and performance.
- If 1000 donors pledge $30 per month, we will be able to go further and develop new security and privacy features to continue make our users ever safer. We will continue providing training and support to those on the front-lines. And we will be able to take the time to develop alternative sources of funding to become self-sufficient.

We’ve spent years building Tella and Shira; developing relationships--anchored in solidarity and mutual support--with communities on the ground; and building an organization that centers justice in all we do.

Help us continue our work and keep those on the front-lines safe from surveillance, censorship, and repression.

Horizontal is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in Washington D.C.. All donations are tax deductible in the United States. For donors outside the U.S., contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by the laws of your country. Consult your local tax professional.