Defending Rights and Dissent
We work to make the promise of the Bill of Rights a reality for everyone in the US.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Investigate the FBI
The FBI has been spying on activist groups including Black Lives Matter and anti-Keystone pipeline protesters. We know this trough news reports and documents released through the Freedom of Information Act. But we expect the problem goes deeper. This is a national campaign to demand that Congress take oversight seriously and investigate the extent of FBI political spying.
Walls of Resistance
Join forces with others in your community to pass a local law or resolution to protect fundamental rights and liberties by promoting transparency and accountability and prohibiting or limiting law enforcement engagement in:
cooperation with immigration enforcement
discriminatory profiling
intelligence-sharing with federal authorities
undercover infiltration of activist groups and religious institutions
cooperation with military personnel
over-policing or restricting protests
prying into social media accounts
Countering Islamophobia
Public policy advocacy against government programs that promote Islamophobia and discriminate against people based on their faith - particularly FBI trageting of mosques and Muslim communities for surveillance.
We provide a Training of Trainers program which includes a day long Training of Trainers (ToT) session to develop skills and knowledge to address interpersonal, institutional, and structural anti-Muslim discrimination and discuss ways to challenge Islamophobia at their schools, houses of worship, and in their communities.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
We aim to build an America that is committed to fulfilling the promise of the Bill of Rights for everyone.
Specifically:
to protect First Amendment rights against government surveillance and harassment of the Muslim community and political activists.
to protect everyone in the United States against unwarranted and mass surveillance.
to oppose torture and indefinite detention.
to end the death penalty and solitary confinement.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
We are building a grassroots movement by engaging local coalitions to pass resolutions and laws against surveillance, torture, indefinite detention.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
We have a long history of movement building and grassroots empowerment.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have passed over 400 local resolutions and laws. We need to pass many more. After the 2016 elections, grassroots energy and enthusiasm for passing local laws is high.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Defending Rights and Dissent
Board of directorsas of 6/18/2019
Sascha Meinrath
Penn State University
Term: 2015 - 2019
Sascha Meinrath
XLab
Shahid Buttar
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Steve Abrams
Amnesty International
Fadi Saba
Don Goldhamer
Chicago Committee to Defend the Bill of Rights
Emily Berman
University of Houston Law Center