289% increase in 2025!
At The Signals Network (TSN), the first half of 2025 has been BUSY with big moments, tough challenges and massive progress! It’s been quite a journey and now we’re bringing it all together to share it with you.
2025 is intense. We are seeing an increase of 289% in the number of whistleblowers reaching out to us, while fundraising has never been so hard. A few weeks ago, we considered making cuts to our whistleblower protection program, team and fund. But we didn’t stop. Behind the scenes, our team kept going, answering dozens of requests every week, supporting major cases and media investigations, growing stronger and staying focused on what matters. And faithful and new donors decided to support us even more (more announcements on that front in the coming weeks).
The Numbers Are Pretty Wild
As you can imagine, the number of people seeking our help has grown dramatically. In just the first half of 2025, we received 249 new requests a 289% increase in requests compared to the same period in 2024. We directly supported 56 whistleblowers, representing a 81% increase in direct support compared to 2024.
To put this growth in perspective: in 2023, we received 102 requests total and supported 45 whistleblowers. In 2024, we answered 151 requests (a 48% increase) and supported 40 whistleblowers. Now, just halfway through 2025, we have already exceeded both of those yearly totals by a lot. And there are still six months to go.
These aren’t just numbers and percentages we’re tracking on a chart. They represent real courage and real lives. Each number is a person who made the difficult decision to speak up, often knowing they risked their career, faced legal challenges, or put their safety on the line. The least we can do is make sure they’re not alone. If you’d like to help carry this work forward, you can.
Starting the Year Strong
In January, we ran a survey to get to know our community better and understand what matters most to them. Most people said they hear about TSN through friends or colleagues which shows how much trust and connection matter in our work.
We also found that transparency, accountability and protecting whistleblowers are what they care about most and that is at the heart of everything we do.
January also saw us participate in the podcast “Moi, désobéir?” to help spread awareness about whistleblowers and the critical importance of their work in holding power accountable in France.
Strengthening Our Leadership and Connections
February brought an important addition to our team: Tyler Shultz joined our Board of Directors. As a longtime trusted advisor, Tyler stepped into a leadership role to help guide our mission of holding power accountable and protecting those who speak out.
Our Whistleblower Protection Program team attended the Knight Media Forum in Miami, connecting with media leaders, funders and innovators focused on building trust and improving how whistleblower stories reach the public. These experiences strengthened our work as we continue supporting whistleblowers safely and effectively.
Expanding Our Reach and Community
At SXSW this year, our Executive Director Delphine Halgand-Mishra joined whistleblower and former Facebook data scientist Sophie Zhang, along with TIME correspondent Billy Perrigo, for a powerful panel on whistleblowing in tech and AI.
We also honored one year since Joshua Farinella bravely exposed food safety and labor abuses at a shrimp processing plant in India. His actions sparked stronger calls for oversight. Whistleblowers like Joshua put their safety, jobs and families on the line to protect all of us.
To grow our community, we joined platforms like Bluesky and Mastodon, giving people new ways to connect and follow whistleblower stories.
At the same time, our work gained attention — Forbes highlighted how we support whistleblowers with practical help and a strong network, Nieman Lab featured our program for safe communication and legal aid and in New York Magazine, whistleblower advocate Wendell Potter mentioned working with TSN to encourage more insiders from the insurance industry to come forward.
When Things Got Really Tough
April tested us significantly. Our whistleblower support fund, which provides direct financial assistance to those who need it most, was nearly empty. We faced a critical decision: reduce our services or reach out to our community for support.
We chose transparency and asked for help. The response was overwhelming and deeply appreciated. While the demand for our services continues to grow, the generosity of our supporters has placed us in a much better position. If you want to join this incredible community making a real impact every day, please consider a donation here.
Throughout this challenging period, our work never stopped. We continued supporting whistleblowers while developing a new training program for journalists on working safely with sensitive sources that we will share very soon. We also joined over 60 organizations in filing an amicus brief defending press freedom.
The Hidden Side of Our Work
World Press Freedom Day in May provided an opportunity to share aspects of our work that typically remain private. We handle late-night calls from whistleblowers struggling with PTSD, anxiety and depression. We help arrange safe housing for those whose lives are threatened. Many cases are too sensitive to discuss publicly.
Delphine’s personal letter, “I can’t tell you what I’m working on,” offered a rare look at this invisible but essential work, the quiet wins, the deep challenges and what keeps us going.
We received recognition from Paper Trail, a collective of leading European investigative journalists and expanded our legal team to meet growing demand for specialized support.
Celebrating Whistleblowers and Progress
June was a special month as we marked World Whistleblower Day, honoring the courage and sacrifices of those who step forward to speak the truth. Our Executive Director Delphine shared a heartfelt video about the behind-the-scenes challenges we face supporting whistleblowers. At the same time, our Whistleblower Protection Program Director Margaux offered an inspiring vision for the future of whistleblowing, giving us all hope for what’s possible.
This month, TSN stood with important causes. We supported the new AI Whistleblower Protection Act to better protect those raising concerns in tech. We stood alongside artist ODEE and whistleblower Jóhannes Stefánsson in their fight for truth. And we celebrated more good news about Joshua Farinella, whose award-winning story shows the real difference whistleblowers make.
Moving Forward Together
The first half of 2025 has shown just how much whistleblowers need support and how much can be achieved when we come together. We’ve faced tough challenges and celebrated important wins along the way. This work depends entirely on the whistleblowers who find the strength to speak up and our community of supporters who believe in transparency and accountability.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to standing with those who speak truth to power. There’s still much work to do, but we will continue pushing for a more just and fairer world.
