For more than a decade, the Internet Society (ISOC) has supported multi-stakeholder Internet governance processes around the world by providing funding to the global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as well as a number of National and Regional Initiatives (NRIs), and Schools of Internet Governance (SIGs). ISOC remains strongly committed to this important initiative and is proud of the partnerships we have formed to help ensure the success of IGFs worldwide.
In 2019, ISOC provided nearly $300,000 USD in direct support to IGF events including:
- The Global IGF through the UN Trust Fund Initiative
- 10 regional IGF events across five regions*
- 29 National IGFs and Schools of Internet Governance across all six regions.
We are pleased to announce that, in 2020, the Internet Society’s funding commitment to this important work will continue at the same level.
In order to improve the effectiveness of its funding the Internet Society has transferred the budget for IGF to the Internet Society Foundation, effective 1 January 2020. The Foundation was established in 2019 to provide grants and other forms of funding to initiatives that strengthen the Internet in function and reach, making this is the perfect home for our support of IGFs.
In addition to IGF funding, the Foundation provides grants to support Internet Society Chapter initiatives that strengthen the Internet. The Foundation will also launch four additional funding areas over the coming months. These other funding areas will make up a large percentage of our work and include: Strengthening Communities/Improving Lives and Livelihoods (SCILLS), Research, Innovation and Disaster.
When awarding funds, the Foundation requires information about the budget, how it will be spent and what the value is of supporting the activity. Measuring the impact of all investments is a core responsibility of the Foundation and this applies to all funding areas, including support to IGF events.
ISOC and the Foundation remain steadfastly committed to the multi-stakeholder principles demonstrated by forums such as the IGF. Additional details on funding for IGF events can be found on our website.
*Note: There is no regional IGF in North America.