Our Commitment: Safeguarding Our Partners and Upholding Transparency
As President and CEO of the National Endowment for Democracy, I stand by our mission to support freedom where repression thrives. Democracy activists work on the frontlines, often in perilous situations, and it is their courage in the face of daunting danger that inspires us every day. Their work—and the risks they face—demand that we uphold an uncompromising duty of care and require us to balance transparency with protecting human lives.
When I joined NED four years ago, I saw firsthand how activists face threats of arrest, prosecution, or physical harm simply for standing up for democracy. Our team has witnessed activists in Hong Kong face prosecution based on fabricated NED documents and Belarusian freedom fighters silenced by manipulated records.
Even in countries that were once relatively free—where our grantees operated openly—we’ve seen them harassed, targeted, or jailed as political circumstances change and democracy has deteriorated, as in Tunisia and Georgia.
When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, they targeted Afghans associated with NED. On the eve of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, U.S. authorities briefed me that some NED grantees were on Russian “kill and capture” lists. In each of these circumstances, we found ourselves regretting that personal details of our partners were publicly available.
In every instance, the digital age has amplified these risks. The diminished sphere of anonymity leaves democracy activists even more vulnerable. Publicly exposing identifiable details about those who work behind the scenes to champion freedom jeopardizes their safety and undermines the essential work they do.
As a result, we’ve strengthened both our digital and physical security support within our grants to at-risk partners. We’ve reinforced our systems to defend against cyber-attacks. We’ve bolstered our security protocols. Our Board of Directors adopted a formal Duty of Care policy to ensure that those who partner with NED are not only more effective in their efforts—but also more secure. As part of our commitment, we’ve taken additional measures to protect sensitive identifying information from falling into the hands of those who might exploit it to cause harm.
After temporarily pausing public listings to reassess risks, NED is resuming with a new, responsibly curated public listing of grants that reflects the projects approved for funding in fiscal year 2024.
While taking these precautions to protect our partners, we have never stepped back from meeting—and exceeding—our statutory and legal commitments regarding reporting and disclosure to stakeholders. As a Congressionally mandated grantmaking institution, oversight and transparency are core principles that reinforce the legitimacy and efficacy of our work. We submit detailed plans and annual reports to our oversight committees, provide regular briefings to Members of Congress and staff, and respond promptly to all Congressional inquiries. We host NED partners visiting Washington on Capitol Hill routinely so Members and staff can meet them directly, and we facilitate meetings when Members and staff are on overseas travel—so they can see the impact of our partner’s efforts firsthand.
This approach is designed to uphold transparency and accountability while ensuring the security of our partners. NED’s work is guided by four key objectives: ensuring accountability to the American people and their elected representatives; reporting transparently on the use of public funds; coordinating effectively with other democracy assistance organizations and U.S. government agencies; and amplifying the impact of NED’s programs and partners. Our relationship with oversight bodies—along with the information shared publicly through our website and annual reports, including programmatic priorities, regional strategies, grants data, and grantee profiles—demonstrates NED’s enduring commitment to transparency.
A Legacy of Transparent, Responsible Support
Transparency has always been central to NED’s identity. Our founding by Congressman Dante Fascell—and the bipartisan support championed by President Ronald Reagan—was driven by the belief that it is not only in the long-term interests of the United States to empower democracy advocates, but to do so openly. This founding commitment to transparency ensured that those on the frontlines know their work is backed by U.S. sources and the enduring accountability of the American people. Transparency builds trust, ensuring activists understand our support comes directly from American taxpayers. It also serves to bolster the ties between Americans and those who share our values around the world.
This open approach—also exemplified by our comprehensive disclosure of grantmaking activities to Congress, the State Department, and other oversight bodies—has earned us the trust of lawmakers and partners alike, while balancing the imperative to protect our partners on the ground.
However, transparency for oversight differs significantly from transparency for public consumption. Publicly sharing comprehensive details about grantees in hostile regions such as China, Iran, Russia, North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba is dangerous. For activists already contending with systemic state repression and targeted retaliation, such disclosure could, in effect, be a death sentence.
Our approach is a testament to our core belief that “people are our greatest value.” NED’s Duty of Care Policy compels us to minimize any additional risks to those who entrust us with their fight for freedom. This is why we honor the choice of our partners: while some are comfortable with public disclosure, many—particularly those operating under dangerous conditions—prefer to maintain their anonymity. We never publicly disclose identifying details on their behalf without their explicit consent. This is not simply an operational decision; it is an ethical imperative.
Governance, Oversight, and Financial Integrity
NED’s commitment to transparency is reinforced by a strong governance framework and strict accountability measures. As an independent nonprofit, NED is governed by a bipartisan Board of Directors composed of Members of Congress, former diplomats, foreign policy experts, and private sector leaders. The Board sets our strategic direction and oversee our operations—from grant approvals to financial management. This bipartisan board, which is not appointed by the U.S. government and includes representatives from both political parties, business, and labor, ensures that partisanship remains separate from our mission.
Our Board meets at least three times a year to review strategic plans and grantmaking activities. Dedicated subcommittees and rigorous internal controls—complemented by independent audits and comprehensive Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) compliance—underscore our duty to the American taxpayer and public stakeholders.
NED maintains detailed financial records for every grant, with systems in place to track how all funds are spent across every project. Grant recipients are closely monitored through narrative, financial, and evaluation reporting to ensure compliance with federal requirements and programmatic objectives. NED’s Board of Directors also ensures that all funds are used exclusively for purposes consistent with the NED Act and the organization’s Articles of Incorporation. Through this layered oversight, NED guarantees that taxpayer funds are managed according to the highest ethical standards, operational excellence, and fidelity to mission.
For over a decade, NED has consistently received clean independent audit opinions, most recently affirmed by our Fiscal Year 2024 audit. This framework of oversight reinforces our ability to support democracy globally while safeguarding our grantees. Additional details on our governance and accountability can be found here.
Our Commitment
Our decision represents a carefully considered balance. We uphold the spirit of transparency without exposing our grantees to unnecessary risks or reprisals. Public safety must always take priority over exhaustive public disclosure.
Rather than listing names that could serve as a roadmap for those seeking to silence advocates for freedom, we provide descriptive information that reflects the nature of their work without compromising their security. We also publicly disclose the nature of the work and organizations we support. We continue our long-standing practice of briefing Congress on the details of our work and consulting with the State Department.
Supporting democracy is courageous—and often dangerous. Every day, we stand alongside activists who risk everything for a freer, more just world. By safeguarding their identities, we reinforce our duty of care, upholding transparency without compromising the security of those at the very heart of our mission.
This commitment—to empower democracy advocates while prioritizing their safety—guides every action we take. True transparency means being open about our work while ensuring that we never inadvertently endanger those whose courage makes the world safer for all.
Damon Wilson
President and CEO
