Be part of #ONMspring! In response to our fast-growing visibility and demand for our work in the current security context, the Organization for Nonviolent Movements invites mission-aligned foundations, philanthropists, funders, and high net-worth individuals to submit letters of intent to support high-impact, high-demand, low-hanging fruit initiatives advancing civic engagement, democratic resilience, and knowledge exchange.
The projects are feasible for a small but dynamic NGO like us, as they benefit from some partnerships and partial funding already. We are seeking additional partners and donors who who believe in our vision and who can help us carry the work across the finish line ASAP. We encourage submissions from those who want to be a part of pioneering, constructive, scalable, urgent, and highly dynamic work across France, Europe (especially Ukraine), and Francophone Africa.
Check out our LinkedIn page to learn more about who we are and the purpose that found us in a hurry.
ONM’s panel at the 2026 Paris Defense and Security Forum: “The Democracy Arsenal: Ukraine’s Civic Power against Putin”, featuring, among others, Tomas Godliauskas, Deputy Minister of Defense of Lithuania, Svitlana Kobzar of NATO HQ, and Col. (Ret.) Andrii Ordynovych of the Ukrainian Air Force.
Why Partner With ONM?
It’s #ONMspring so it is time to plant some seeds. And we are doing something different! We’re inviting funders to come to us—because we are currently unable to respond to the demand for our work, our frames, our networks, our ideas, and our leadership, which has drastically increased in these times of growing uncertainty. The projects below are innovative in their approach and ready to scale with the right partners.
Each initiative below has secured partnerships, partial funding, and demonstrated urgent demand. What we need now is financial support (project or core) to maximize their reach, impact, and timeliness of delivery.
The Projects
1. International Conference on Unarmed Civilian-Based Defense
Strasbourg | November 27–28, 2026
Remaining funding needs: €43,670
This planned conference is a landmark gathering bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from around the world, including notably Ukraine, to examine how unarmed civilian-led strategies can contribute to whole-of-society defense in an era of hybrid war.
Co-organized with the Mouvement pour une Alternative Non-violente (Lyon), the Institut pour la Paix, IRNC (France), and CRCR (USA), this conference addresses a critical gap: while governments increasingly promote “comprehensive defense,” few understand the potential contributions of unarmed civilian-based resistance and resilience strategies.
Expected outcomes and for whom: Video and audio recordings of original presentations for our vast online learning community and followers; conference papers published as a book in French and English for policymakers, academia, and the defense establishment in Europe; scholarships for 6 Ukrainian presenters and participants; and 6 new European-Ukrainian civil society partnerships.
Why it matters now: Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, interest in civilian-based defense has surged—but knowledge remains fragmented. This conference will consolidate emerging practices and research and connect them to policy.
Olena Tregub of NAKO Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (Ukraine) presents about Ukraine’s civic shield at ONM’s working seminar in December 2026.
2. Ukraine-Inspired Corporate Team Resilience Program
Paris | Launching 2026
Remaining funding needs: €34,080
With Resilient Ukraine, NAKO Independent Anti-Corruption Commission, the Kyiv School of Economics, and other partners, ONM is soon launching the co-creation of a first-of-its-kind teambuilding and coaching service for companies, combining civic engagement training with real-world insights from Ukraine’s experience of economic and societal resilience under crisis. European private-sector participants of the resulting corporate service will learn the fundamentals of human agency in economic life, hear stories of resilience in wartime of Ukrainian business executives, entrepreneurs, and team leaders, and engage in active team exercises.
Expected outcomes and for whom: Highly adaptive and innovative co-created curriculum to strengthen French and European companies’ resilience in the face of uncertainty; an NGO revenue-generating activity for a young and dynamic NGO (us!! ONM); and a scalable, asset-focused humanitarian model mutually benefitting Ukrainian and non-Ukrainian civil society.
Why it matters now: Companies across Europe are searching for meaningful ways to engage with resilience, European values, and social impact. This program makes those concepts tangible—and creates lasting connections with Ukraine. Social innovation in defense: Combining human resources and corporate responsibility value, the resulting corporate service will generate revenues to support ONM’s work, with 10% being donated to Ukrainian humanitarian causes. The corporate client chooses 1 of 3 partner causes for the donation: Ukrainian students displaced by occupation, Ukrainian veterans, or Ukrainian women carrying the burden of care work since the beginning of the war, creating a positive feedback loop to support Ukraine’s overstretched civic shield.
3. The Quiet Frontline Podcast
Online | Launching 2026
Remaining funding needs: 41,670 euros
Driven by growing uncertainty, nonviolent movements, social change NGOs, governmental and intergovernmental bodies, humanitarian agencies, and private sector actors across Europe and beyond are reaching out to us to learn more about unarmed civilian-based defense… The Quiet Frontline’s organized and nonmilitary actions to defend democracy.
At the same time, ONM has been gathering high-quality sound bytes from its educational videos and events about this pioneering and dynamic topic since its launch–in particular hearing directly from Ukraine’s unarmed defenders. We have a wealth of material to share in response to these interlocutors’ demands for information and resources but no one centralized place or platform to get our ideas into the world. Time to get a podcast in order, because we already have a blog-turned-journal-turned-forthcoming-book with Columbia University Press! People want multimedia.
Expected outcomes and for whom: A podcast hosted by ONM Director Amber French-Griette, with weekly episodes for 12 months, inviting diverse Ukrainian and international partners into the recording studio to build a polyphonic narrative of how ordinary people achieve the extraordinary to defend freedom, human dignity, and security, even beyond the military ecosystem.
Why it matters now: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and other recent developments have fundamentally shaken Europe’s security assumptions, and policymakers, civil society, and citizens are urgently searching for new frameworks around resilience and defense. Podcast listenership has surged as audiences turn to expert voices for sense-making in complex situations—making audio storytelling one of the most powerful channels to reach decision-makers and engaged publics simultaneously. With defense budget debates and civilian protection frameworks actively unfolding in 2026, there is a critical window to shape the conversation before assumptions harden and funding priorities are locked in.
4. Advanced Training Course on Nonviolent Struggle
Online | Ongoing
Remaining funding needs: 36,200 euros
ONM is implementing partner of a free, six-week, French-language course for activists, researchers, and civil society actors across the Francophone world—developed in partnership with grassroots actors across France and French-speaking world regions. Cohorts of 60–70 selected participants engage in rigorous learning including peer learning on the theory and practice of nonviolent struggle. To build on continuing education and real-world impact, ONM is seeking to support selected star contributors of the course with small grants to support their adaptation of the course curriculum into innovative, more accessible formats for local delivery.
Expected outcomes and for whom: Four training sessions of 70 participants each based in Francophone regions of the world before April 2027; the launch of the Nonviolent Action Education Innovation Fund and 10 small grant projects funded under the Innovation Fund, with dozens or hundreds of trained participants in civil society across Francophone regions of the world per small grant.
Why it matters now: Demand exceeds capacity; we have more than 220 applicants on the waitlist. Additional funding will allow us to run more sessions and reach more communities organizing nonviolently for rights and justice, which decreases violent conflict by channeling the fight into more constructive strategies. The innovation fund will help make this initiative more scalable and locally adaptive.
What We’re Looking For
We welcome letters of intent from:
- Foundations and institutional funders
- High-net-worth individuals
- Corporate sponsors aligned with our mission
- Government and multilateral agencies
Your letter should indicate which project(s) interest you, your potential level of support, and any partnership modalities you’d like to explore.
How to Apply
Submit your letter of intent to amber [at] nonviolent-movements [dot] org by May 1, 2026. Early submissions are strongly encouraged due to the urgent nature of the projects.
We will review all submissions and follow up with prospective partners to discuss fit, reporting expectations, and collaboration terms.
Questions? Contact us at contact [at] nonviolent-movements [dot] org and we will reply promptly.
Filming educational videos and interviews for the free online course on nonviolent struggle, which so far has over 120 alumni across Francophone regions of the world.