The Engine Room is an information technology (IT) consultancy that provides IT services to left-of-center advocacy groups in America, Africa, and Latin America that focus on social and environmental issues. It bases its advocacy on the identity politics concept of intersectionality to address data management and IT security concerns affecting minority groups. ¹

Background

The Engine Room is an information technology consultancy that works with left-of-center advocacy groups in America, Africa, and Latin America. ¹ Its IT support includes advising organizations on how to collect, manage, and store data, including what data they should collect, from whom to collect it, and with whom they should share it. ^{2 3}

In 2022, the Engine Room adopted a social justice initiative that sought to provide its IT support to groups that advocate for redistributionist policies to address issues affecting disabled persons, LGBT people, immigrants, homeless people, sex workers, the environment, and racial issues. The initiative also focused on organizations advocating policies that support the abolition of prisons. It also expanded its services to include support for organizations in Western Europe. ⁴

Reports

Digital IDs Rooted in Justice

In January 2022, the Engine Room published a report discussing the implication of adopting digital identification regulations. The report outlines how minority groups can be excluded from accessing affected technology. It also notes that the Taliban took over biometric databases that the United States left behind in Afghanistan and that Bangladesh shared biometric data of Rohingya with the Myanmar government, arguing both compromised the safety of those who had their identities leaked. ⁵

The report also discusses the results of a 2021 research project on digital identification systems that it conducted with support by the Open Society Foundations and through a partnership with ELSAM and Pollicy. The project advocates for digital identification policies that it claims are not harmful to minority populations. It advocates for digital identification policies that include awareness campaigns that address so-called “inaccurate claims” about digital identification, it advocates policies that seek to proactively address issues, and implores regulators to consult left-of-center advocacy groups on the “technical specifications” of digital identification policies. ⁵

At the Confluence of Digital Rights and Climate Justice

In July 2022, the Engine Room published a report titled, “Report: At the confluence of digital rights & climate justice” for a project that was founded by the Ford Foundation, Mozilla Foundation, and Ariadne. The project uses the identity politics concept of intersectionality to promote information technology and data collection strategies in environmental advocacy campaigns. ⁶

Through the project, the Engine Room worked with organizations that advocated for abolishing the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the enforcement of immigration laws under the belief that migrants are forced to move due to environmental crises caused by humans. It supported the organizations by developing advocacy initiatives to oppose policies where law enforcement and border agencies would require documentation or collect data during border crossings. ⁷

Funding

In 2024, the Ford Foundation awarded the Engine Room a three-year $536,000 grant labeled, “Core support to rehome the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool and Learning Management System.” ⁸ Also in 2024, the Ford Foundation awarded it a five-year $3.4 million grant labeled, “General support for working with civil society to use technology and data in strategic, effective and responsible ways and core support for institutional strengthening.” ⁹

In 2020, the Ford Foundation awarded the Engine Room a four-year $1.3 million grant labeled, “General support for civil society organizations to improve the way they integrate data and technology into their work and for core support for institutional strengthening” and a five-year $1.0 million grant labeled, “General support for the Engine Room to support civil society organizations in using technology and data in strategic, effective and responsible ways.” ^{10 11}

Between 2016 and 2025, Sigrid Rausing Trust provided £496,400 (approximately $660,000) in grants to the Engine Room Inc, including a three-year £225,000 (approximately $300,000) grant that began in 2023. ¹²

In 2023, the Open Society Foundation made a $350,000 grant to the Engine Room. ¹³

In 2021, the New Venture Fund made a $300,000 grant to the Engine Room. ¹⁴

Leadership

Paula Mosso is the executive director of the Engine Room. She took the position in January 2024 and previously worked as a deputy director, on the technology team, as a program coordinator, and as communications manager. She has previously was a fellow for the Coaching Fellowship, a thematic reviewer for Open Knowledge International, and a community coordinator for Influence Mapping. ¹⁵

Financials

In 2023, the Engine Room reported $974,762 in total revenue, consisting of $825,290 in direct contributions and $149,454 in “program revenue.” ¹⁶ It also reported $1.6 million in total expenses. It spent $1.0 million foreign grants and staffing foreign programs and $488,045 on salaries and compensation of employees. ^{17 18}

1. “WHAT WE DO & HOW WE WORK.” The Engine Room Inc. Accessed September 21, 2025. https://www.theengineroom.org/about/.
2. Peszkowska, Alicja. “Takeaways from our Community Call on Responsible Data for Social Justice Organisations.” The Engine Room Inc. July 28, 2022. https://www.theengineroom.org/library/takeaways-from-our-community-call-on-responsible-data-for-social-justice-organisations/.
3. “Intensive Support.” The Engine Room Inc. Accessed September 21, 2025. https://www.theengineroom.org/services-support/intensive-support/.
4. Baker, Sara. “Strengthening intersectional approaches to Covid-19 data and digital rights advocacy.” The Engine Room Inc. January 21, 2021. https://www.theengineroom.org/strengthening-intersectional-approaches-to-covid-19-data-and-digital-rights-advocacy/. 
5. Perosa, Teresa. “New report: Digital IDs rooted in justice.” The Engine Room Inc. January 14, 2022. https://www.theengineroom.org/library/community-call-digital-ids-rooted-in-justice/.
6. Kazansky, Becky. “Report: At the confluence of digital rights & climate justice.” The Engine Room Inc. https://www.theengineroom.org/library/new-report-at-the-confluence-of-digital-rights-climate-justice/.
7. “Intersection #5.” The Engine Room Inc. August 2022. https://www.theengineroom.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Info-Sheet-5_-Intersection-5-_.pdf.
8. “Core support to rehome the Cybersecurity Assessment Tool and Learning Management System.” Ford Foundation. Accessed September 21, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-engine-room-inc-151020/.
9. “General support for working with civil society to use technology and data in strategic, effective and responsible ways and core support for institutional strengthening.” Ford Foundation. Accessed September 21, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-engine-room-inc-150191/.
10. “General support for the Engine Room to support civil society organizations in using technology and data in strategic, effective and responsible ways.” Ford Foundation. Accessed September 21, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-engine-room-inc-138685/.
11. “General support for civil society organizations to improve the way they integrate data and technology into their work and for core support for institutional strengthening.” Ford Foundation. Accessed September 21, 2025. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/the-engine-room-inc-132723/.
12. “Engine Room.” Sigrid Rausing Trust. Accessed September 21, 2025. https://www.sigrid-rausing-trust.org/grantee/engine-room/.
13. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 99PF0). Foundation to Promote Open Society. 2023. Part XIV.
14. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). New Venture Fund. Schedule I.
15. “Paula Mosso.” LinkedIn. Accessed September 22, 2025. https://cl.linkedin.com/in/paolamosso/en.
16. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Engine Room Inc. 2023. Part VIII.
17. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Engine Room Inc. 2023. Part I, Lines 15-18.
18. Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990). Engine Room Inc. 2023. Schedule F.