For decades, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has operated under the banner of transparency and democratic ideals, offering an overt alternative to the clandestine operations once associated with the CIA. Founded in 1983 during the Reagan administration, NED was created as a quasi-independent nonprofit designed to project American influence abroad through support for civil society, human rights advocacy, and pro-democracy movements.

But in a dramatic departure from its original ethos, NED has now taken a decisive turn away from the very transparency it has long championed. Citing concerns over recipient safety and “duty of care”, the organization has adopted a new policy that eliminates public disclosure of the individuals and groups it funds. The change was introduced quietly through a policy update and has sparked alarm among observers who see it as a regression to the covert practices the organization was designed to replace.

The organization’s 2024 grant report reflects this new policy in action. While it lists over 1,700 grants along with associated funding amounts and project summaries, it deliberately omits the names of all external recipients. This marks a fundamental shift in NED’s operations. For years, the organization openly published its grant recipients in line with its stated commitment to transparency and accountability – values it continues to advocate for in the developing world.

The justification? Security concerns. According to NED, grantees have increasingly become targets in hostile environments. The organization........

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