Társaság a Szabadságjogokért - Hungarian Civil Liberties Union

What Társaság a Szabadságjogokért - Hungarian Civil Liberties Union does

Társaság a Szabadságjogokért (TASZ), the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, is a Budapest-based nonprofit founded in 1994 that operates as Hungary's leading independent human rights and civil liberties watchdog. TASZ runs free legal aid services for individuals whose fundamental rights have been violated, including victims of state surveillance, discrimination, and unlawful treatment, answering over 4,500 inquiries and accepting 105 new strategic cases annually. The organization also maintains the Tudástár, a free public knowledge base providing practical guidance on rights in areas such as women's rights, labor law, social benefits, child protection, and education, which was accessed over 500,000 times in the past year.

TASZ's core products are non-technological: the free legal aid service, the Tudástár knowledge base, strategic litigation, advocacy and policy reform work, the SZABAD-díj annual award, and the SZABAD. gardrőb merchandise storefront. The organization has no proprietary technology stack; operations are supported by standard digital marketing tooling (Google remarketing, Facebook/TikTok pixels), a Linode-hosted web infrastructure, and an e-commerce platform for merchandise. Sub-brands include the Tudástár, the free legal aid service, the Regional Program (Debrecen, Miskolc, Pécs), and the ACT Koalíció coalition.

The revenue model is diversified across unrestricted and restricted streams: individual one-time and recurring donations, the Hungarian 1% personal income tax designation (Szja 1%), institutional grants from international foundations (Sigrid Rausing Trust, National Endowment for Democracy, Civitates, German Marshall Fund/PROTEUS, USAID-Dexis, Media Legal Defence Initiative) and EU programs (CERV), domestic corporate and foundation support (MagNet Community Bank, Concorde Securities, Dijnet, Polgár Foundation), French Embassy and French Institute grants, and merchandise sales. All core services to beneficiaries are provided free of charge. TASZ employs 34 staff, is governed by a membership-based democratic structure with a seven-member Collegial Body (ügyvivői testület), and is registered as a public benefit organization (közhasznú szervezet) and on the EU Transparency Register.

Name

Társaság a Szabadságjogokért - Hungarian Civil Liberties Union

Legal name

Társaság a Szabadságjogokért Egyesület

Website

https://tasz.hu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TASZ (Hungarian Civil Liberties Union) is a Budapest-based nonprofit founded in 1994 that provides free legal aid, strategic litigation, advocacy, and a public rights knowledge base to Hungarian citizens whose fundamental rights have been violated by state power.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Liberties Legal Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Other Legal Services (54119), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights Monitoring, Documentation & Advocacy (BPADAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Civil liberties advocacy
• Free legal aid
• Human rights organization
• Strategic litigation services
• Public interest law

Headquarters

HQ city

Budapest

HQ country

Hungary

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: TASZ receives one-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. They run campaigns for new donors and rely on the public's financial support to maintain their free legal aid services and advocacy work.
2. 1% Tax Designation (Szja 1%): Hungarian taxpayers can designate 1% of their income tax to TASZ. This is a significant source of funding for Hungarian civil society organizations.
3. Institutional Grants and Funding: TASZ receives funding from international foundations and donors including Sigrid Rausing Trust, National Endowment for Democracy, Civitates, PROTEUS project (German Marshall Fund), and others. Also receives EU CERV program funding for specific projects.
4. Merchandise Sales (SZABAD Gardrób): TASZ sells merchandise (clothing and items) under the SZABAD brand. Proceeds support the free legal aid service and advocacy work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TASZ provides free legal aid services to individuals whose fundamental rights have been violated and maintains an online rights knowledge base (Tudástár) that publishes practical guidance on topics such as women's rights, labor law, social benefits, child protection, education, and healthcare. The organization also runs strategic litigation to set precedents on civil liberties issues, conducts policy advocacy, and operates a Regional Program providing services in three cities outside Budapest. Funding is generated through donations, the Hungarian 1% tax designation, institutional grants, and SZABAD. branded merchandise sales.

Product overview

TASZ operates as a unified civil liberties organization offering free legal aid services, an online knowledge base with practical legal guidance, merchandise sales for fundraising, and strategic advocacy programs. The core offerings consist of the free legal aid service, the Tudástár knowledge base, the SZABAD. merchandise store, an advocacy program for policy reform, and a regional program extending services to three cities outside Budapest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tudástár: Free online knowledge base providing practical legal information on rights including women's rights, labor law, social benefits, child protection, education rights, and other civil liberties topics.
• Ingyenes jogsegélyszolgálat
• SZABAD-díj
• SZABAD. gardrób
• ACT Koalíció
• Regionális Program
• Közélet Iskolája Alapítvánnyal

Products and services

• Free Legal Aid Service (Ingyenes jogsegélyszolgálat) Provides free legal advice, consultation, and representation to individuals in Hungary whose fundamental rights have been violated, delivered via phone hotline, email ([email protected]), and in-person consultations at Budapest headquarters and regional offices in Debrecen, Miskolc, and Pécs.
• Tudástár Knowledge Base Free online legal knowledge base publishing practical, plain-language guides on rights covering women's rights, labor law, social benefits, child protection, education rights, healthcare, guardianship, and other civil liberties topics for Hungarian citizens.
• SZABAD. gardrób (SZABAD. Wardrobe Store) Online merchandise store selling SZABAD. branded clothing and accessories through gardrob.tasz.hu and partner retail locations (Iringó, Fabrik, NOS), with proceeds supporting TASZ's free legal aid and advocacy work.
• Advocacy Program Strategic advocacy program covering policy analysis, legislative recommendations, public watchdog reporting, and coalition work on rule-of-law and human rights issues, including state surveillance, child protection, environmental protection, education, healthcare, and electoral law.
• Regional Program Program providing free legal aid outreach and civil liberties advocacy beyond Budapest through regional offices in Debrecen, Miskolc, and Pécs.
• Strategic Partnership Program Capacity-building program launched in 2023 in collaboration with Közélet Iskolája Alapítvány that provides legal expertise, organizational development support, strategic planning, and advocacy training to selected Hungarian civil society partners including AutiSpektrum Egyesület, Magyar Anyák, and Nagy Tavak és Vizes Élőhelyek Szövetsége.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4500+ legal aid inquiries answered annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Media Legal Defence InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing support for media freedom and legal defense of journalists.
• Budapesti Francia Nagykövetség (French Embassy)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench Embassy in Budapest providing support for TASZ activities.
• Francia Intézet (French Institute)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrench Institute in Hungary supporting cultural and civil society activities.
• Közélet Iskolája AlapítványcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership in TASZ's Strategic Partnership program; provides organizational development, strategic planning, and advocacy training support to partner civil society organizations.
• AutiSpektrum EgyesületcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in TASZ's Strategic Partnership program; autism-focused organization working on awareness and rights of children with autism and their families.
• Magyar Anyák civil akciócsoportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in TASZ's Strategic Partnership program; civil action group active in education advocacy and democracy activism.
• Nagy Tavak és Vizes Élőhelyek SzövetségecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in TASZ's Strategic Partnership program; federation working on protection of Lake Balaton and water habitats.
• ACT Koalíció (aHang, Civil Kollégium Alapítvány)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition for active communities including TASZ, aHang, and Civil Kollégium Alapítvány (CKA). Works to strengthen local communities' voices and civic participation through training, legal tools, and mentoring.
• Jelnyelvi Tolmácsok Országos SzövetségeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides sign language interpretation services at TASZ events through interpreters Ungár Nóra and Guessoum Krisztina.
• Csomagpiac Kft.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDelivery partner for SZABAD merchandise shipments from the online store.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Mérték Médiaelemző Műhely: Hungarian media-monitoring and press-freedom organization; directly comparable in addressing one of TASZ's core issue areas (press freedom, e.g., Forbes SLAPP cases) from a research-and-advocacy angle.
• Háttér Társaság: Hungarian LGBTQ+ rights organization providing legal aid, counseling, and advocacy; comparable in its free legal aid model and rights-defence mandate, though focused on a narrower constituency.

Direct peers

• K-Monitor: Hungarian civic watchdog focused on public spending, anti-corruption, and government accountability; similar in operating as a small domestic NGO watchdog with research-driven advocacy.
• Amnesty International Hungary: Hungarian section of the global human rights organization, conducting research, advocacy, and campaigns on civil liberties; comparable in mission and donor-funded advocacy model though not primarily a legal-aid provider.
• Eötvös Károly Institute: Hungarian public-interest law and policy institute offering legal analysis and advocacy on rule-of-law and institutional issues; closely comparable to TASZ in its legal-strategic orientation and domestic focus.
• Hungarian Helsinki Committee: Hungary-based independent human rights watchdog providing legal aid, monitoring, and strategic litigation on asylum, criminal justice, and freedom of information — the closest functional analogue to TASZ in the Hungarian civil liberties space.
• Political Capital Institute: Budapest-based policy research and advocacy institute analyzing democracy, extremism, and governance in Hungary; comparable in its research-plus-advocacy model and donor-funded structure.

Broad incumbents

• Transparency International Hungary: Hungarian chapter of the global anti-corruption movement focused on governance, accountability, and integrity; comparable as a domestic NGO watchdog operating in the same politically restrictive environment.
• ARTICLE 19: International freedom-of-expression organization supporting press freedom and SLAPP defense; closely comparable to TASZ's work representing Forbes Hungary and other media defendants.
• International Commission of Jurists: Global network of judges and lawyers working on rule-of-law and human rights; comparable as a higher-level institutional peer given TASZ's strategic-litigation orientation and international donor network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hungariantas
• Facebookfacebook.com/hungariantas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/t-rsas-g-a-szabads-gjogok-rt---hungarian-civil-liberties-union
• Instagraminstagram.com/taszhu

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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