Posted on September 19, 2011

Omidyar Network Commits $3 Million to Advance Government Transparency

The Omidyar Network has announced that it will award up to $3 million to six organizations working to advance government transparency and accountability.

Awarded through ON's Government Transparency initiative, the grantees are the Association for Democratic Reforms in India, which will receive up to $750,000 to continue to disclose the backgrounds of candidates for parliament and state assembly; the Co-Creation Hub in Nigeria, which will receive up to $200,000 to support its creation of a shared work space where Nigerians can collaborate on tech-based solutions that address social challenges confronting their society; and Fundacion Ciudadano Inteligente in Chile, which was awarded a three-year grant of up to $500,000 to help citizens learn about issues to be debated in Chilean parliament, access the profiles and voting records of elected officials, and learn about the demographic makeup of the legislature.

In addition, Mideast Youth in Bahrain will receive up to $600,000 to expand its multimedia content and further develop CrowdVoice, a platform designed to build community around topics such as human rights, religious freedom, tolerance, and free speech; Centre UA in Ukraine, which will receive $335,000 over two years to help New Citizen, a coalition of civil society organizations, build technology platforms and expand its education and outreach efforts; and the Open Knowledge Foundation in the United Kingdom, which was awarded up to $750,000 over three years to expand its key financial transparency project, overspending.org, sustain and build working groups on open data, and establish chapters in additional countries.