Tibet Action Institute

What Tibet Action Institute does

Tibet Action Institute is a U.S.-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) advocacy organization founded in 2009 following the 2008 Tibetan protests during the Beijing Olympics. The organization serves the Tibetan community in exile, international policymakers, and human rights advocates, and its stated mission is to combine digital communication with strategic nonviolent action to advance the Tibetan freedom movement. The organization is a project of Rights Action Lab, Inc., which serves as its fiscal sponsor; donations are tax-deductible and processed through Rights Action Lab. Headcount is approximately ten, with offices in Boston, Massachusetts (headquarters) and operations in Dharamsala, India.

The organization operates two flagship programs. TibCERT (Tibetan Computer Emergency Readiness Team) is a coalition-based digital security structure that mitigates online threats to the Tibetan community through threat analysis, incident response, and the Digital Security Ambassador Program, which places trained personnel in four Indian hotspots (Dharamsala, Dehradun, Bylakuppe, and Mundgod). Lhakar Academy, launched in 2011, is an intensive training program equipping young Tibetan leaders with skills in strategic nonviolent action, secure communications, and media engagement; 113 leaders had graduated as of early 2019. The organization also runs a three-tier community training curriculum ("Stay Safe Online," "Stay Secure Online," "Be a Cyber Superhero") and the People Power Library of nonviolent action case studies.

The third major workstream is an advocacy campaign against China's colonial boarding school system in Tibet, anchored by research reports in December 2021 ("Separated From Their Families, Hidden From The World") and May 2025 ("When They Came to Take Our Children"), expert testimony at UN bodies and national legislatures (US Congress, Canadian Parliament, European Parliament), and grassroots mobilization. All programs, training, and resources are provided free of charge; the organization is funded through charitable donations and grant funding with no published revenue figures.

Name

Tibet Action Institute

Legal name

Tibet Action Institute

Website

https://tibetaction.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tibet Action Institute is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) that combines digital security training, leadership education, and research-driven advocacy to advance the Tibetan freedom movement, serving Tibetan diaspora communities, policymakers, and human rights advocates globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Rights Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Educational Support Services (611710), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership) (EDAAADAL), STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ)

Keywords

• Digital security training
• Nonviolent action training
• Human rights advocacy
• Civil society support
• Incident response services

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Tibet Action Institute is funded through charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Donations can be made via Zelle, mail (checks payable to Rights Action Lab), wire transfer, and phone. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with tax-deductible donations processed through Rights Action Lab.
2. Grant Funding: As a nonprofit advocacy organization, Tibet Action Institute likely receives grant funding from foundations and institutional donors supporting human rights and Tibetan freedom causes, though specific grant details are not publicly disclosed.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tibet Action Institute is a nonprofit advocacy organization that equips Tibetans and supporters with digital security training, incident response, and strategic nonviolent action leadership skills. It operates the TibCERT program for digital threat mitigation, the Lhakar Academy for leadership training, and produces research and advocacy campaigns focused on China's policies in Tibet, particularly the colonial boarding school system.

Product overview

Tibet Action Institute is a nonprofit advocacy organization that combines digital communication with strategic nonviolent action to advance the Tibetan freedom movement. The organization offers a portfolio of programs including TibCERT (Tibetan Computer Emergency Readiness Team) for digital security and threat mitigation in the Tibetan community; the Lhakar Academy for leadership and nonviolent resistance training; Digital Security Ambassador training programs; the Colonial Boarding Schools advocacy campaign; and a People Power educational library featuring case studies on strategic nonviolent action. The organization also produces research and advocacy reports documenting human rights conditions in Tibet. Tibet Action Institute is a project of Rights Action Lab.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TibCERT: Tibetan Computer Emergency Readiness Team - a formal, coalition-based structure that reduces and mitigates online threats in the Tibetan community
• Lhakar Academy

Products and services

• TibCERT (Tibetan Computer Emergency Readiness Team) A formal, coalition-based structure that reduces and mitigates online threats in the Tibetan community by expanding technical research capacity on threats in the diaspora and surveillance/censorship inside Tibet, providing incident response and ensuring greater online freedom and security for Tibetan society.
• Lhakar Academy An intensive training program (School for Tibetan Leadership and Change) that equips talented and experienced young Tibetan leaders with knowledge and skills to develop and implement sophisticated, effective strategies and tactics for the Tibet movement, including strategic nonviolent action training, secure communications technology, and media skills.
• Colonial Boarding Schools Campaign Advocacy campaign calling for an end to China's indoctrination schools across Tibet, including research reports documenting the separation of approximately one million Tibetan children from families, policy advocacy at UN bodies and with world governments, and media campaigns to raise global awareness.
• Research & Advocacy Reports on Tibet Research publications documenting China's policies in Tibet including reports on colonial boarding schools, forced assimilation, human rights violations, and advocacy efforts at international bodies including the UN, US Congress, Canadian Parliament, and European Parliament.

Quantifiable outcome

• 113 Tibetan youth leaders trained through Lhakar Academy as of early 2019
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Rights Action LabcoreOthersTibet Action Institute is fiscally sponsored as a special project of Rights Action Lab, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization with tax ID 46-4078393. Donations are received and processed by Rights Action Lab.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Human Rights Watch: A leading international human rights organization conducting investigative research and global advocacy. Comparable in producing authoritative reports on China's Tibet policies that drive government action, but at significantly larger scale.
• Freedom House: A broader human rights and democracy organization running annual country reports, advocacy, and capacity-building programs. Operates in an overlapping advocacy space but at a much larger scale and broader thematic scope than Tibet Action Institute.

Direct peers

• Access Now: A global digital rights organization providing digital security helpline support, capacity building, and advocacy for civil society at risk. Comparable to TibCERT's mission of securing at-risk communities through incident response and digital security training.
• Frontline Defenders: An international organization providing rapid-response security support, training, and advocacy for human rights defenders at risk. Comparable in mission to Tibet Action Institute's protective services for at-risk community members and civil society organizations.
• Citizen Lab (Munk School, University of Toronto): An interdisciplinary research laboratory that investigates targeted cyber threats against civil society, including Tibetans. Citizen Lab's research on Tibetan-targeted malware and espionage is directly comparable to TibCERT's threat-intelligence outputs.
• Students for a Free Tibet: A leading Tibetan youth advocacy organization with significant overlap in leadership — multiple Tibet Action Institute directors (Kate Woznow, Freya Putt, Tenzin Dorjee, Tenzin Choedon) previously held senior roles at Students for a Free Tibet. Both organizations run campaigns, trainings, and government advocacy for Tibetan freedom.
• Tibetan Youth Congress: One of the largest grassroots Tibetan diaspora organizations, with chapters in India and globally. Several Tibet Action Institute team members (Tenzin Choedon, Tenzin Thayai) previously served in Tibetan Youth Congress roles. Both organizations cultivate young Tibetan leaders and run advocacy campaigns.
• International Campaign for Tibet: A major Tibet-focused advocacy organization conducting government lobbying, UN advocacy, and public campaigns worldwide. Operates in the same issue space as Tibet Action Institute, with overlapping funder networks and parallel advocacy outputs.
• The Guardian Project: An open-source mobile security initiative founded by Nathan Freitas, Tibet Action Institute's co-founder. Builds encrypted communications tools for activists and journalists, sharing both personnel and a secure-tech-for-activists mission with TibCERT.

Regional players

• Central Tibetan Administration: The Tibetan government-in-exile based in Dharamsala, which Tibet Action Institute works alongside. Former staff such as Dawa Paljor previously served at the Central Tibetan Administration. Comparable in mission to advance Tibetan welfare and self-determination, but operating as a governance rather than advocacy entity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tibetaction
• Instagraminstagram.com/tibcert
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tibet-action-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tibet Action Institute