Workshop planning & getting funding for shelters
What is tech safety for survivors choose-your-own-pace-day?
PowerOn: tech safety for survivors choose-your-own-pace-day is a full-day, hands-on workshop designed for survivors of intimate partner abuse. It helps participants explore and reclaim digital safety in an empowering, supportive, and non-technical way. Survivors can learn to spot surveillance, regain control of devices and accounts, and rebuild confidence in using technology—at their own pace, with no pressure to share or perform.
The workshop is fun, choice-based, and trauma-aware, blending open-space learning with hands-on tech support, roleplays, and creative zones.
Why run this?
Digital abuse is now a common part of intimate partner violence—whether through location tracking, account lockouts, spyware, or smart home manipulation. Survivors often:
- Feel unsure where to start reclaiming control
- Don’t know who to trust with their tech
- Are dealing with trauma and tech at once
This workshop helps survivors:
- Discover what’s happening on their devices
- Try out safe, secure tools in a calm setting
- Connect with allies and leave with a toolkit
What funding could cover
| Area | Description | Rough Cost (€) |
|---|---|---|
| Facilitators | 2–3 people with trauma-aware, tech-savvy backgrounds | 600–900 |
| Food & drinks | Lunch + snacks + soft drinks/tea for ~20 people | 200–300 |
| Workshop materials | USBs, zines, print guides, signage, creative tools | 250 |
| Tech gear | 1–2 demo phones, 1 Pirogue kit, chargers, USB hubs | 400–600 |
| Venue | Only needed if not using shelter/community space | 0–300 |
| Contingency & travel | Transport for facilitators, last-minute needs | 150 |
| Total budget | Varies by location & setup | €1,800–2,500 |
How to find funding
Shelters and advocacy groups have several options for local support:
1. Local authorities & municipalities
- Some fund violence prevention, women’s rights, or digital inclusion
- Request under digital safety or community empowerment initiatives
2. Small grants & community foundations
- Look for “microgrants” from civic tech orgs, feminist funds, or rapid response funds
- Often under €5,000 and flexible in focus
3. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes
- Tech companies or banks sometimes fund safety, education, or digital rights workshops
4. Reallocate internal budgets
- If your shelter has staff time or an event budget, much of this can run at very low cost
- Reuse donated devices or community tech from past projects
What’s needed to run one
Minimum ingredients
- A space (private, relaxed, with tables and chairs)
- 2–3 facilitators (ideally a mix: one techie, one support worker)
- Printed guides (provided in open source formats)
- Some tech: demo phone, a laptop, USBs (optional Pirogue device)
- Food, drinks, and calm vibes
Optional extras
- Button badges and stickers for celebration
- Art corner (collage, zine-making)
- Party lights for the closing celebration
Customising the workshop
- Can run with or without internet
- Can adapt to shelters with or without Pirogue or SIEM setups
- Can run with survivors’ own devices or demo phones only
- All activities are opt-in
- If needed, facilitators can remain fully anonymous
How to describe the workshop in a funding application
Here’s a sample blurb:
We are organising a one-day “PowerOn” workshop to support survivors of domestic abuse in reclaiming digital safety and confidence. The workshop blends hands-on device help, privacy tips, and peer support in a trauma-aware, welcoming setting. We will provide food, materials, and one-on-one guidance. The session is optional, choice-led, and designed to meet survivors where they are—with no assumptions about skills, stories, or tech access.
See the Funding template for the tech safety for survivors choose-your-own-pace-day for more language for getting funding.
We can help!
The PowerOn project offers:
- Free workshop materials (guides, posters, zines, USB content)
- Tech setup templates (Pirogue, SIEM stack, safe toolkits)
- Advice on facilitators, running roleplay zones, or adapting to your shelter setup
Want help for a grant or internal pitch? Let us know your country, funder, or format and we’ll help tailor it.