Craig Newmark Philanthropies (CNP) today announced it will continue its support for UC Berkeley’s Public Interest Cybersecurity Program at the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) through 2028, extending a partnership launched in 2019 that has helped fuel nationwide growth in community-based cyber defense. The commitment follows a milestone year for craigslist founder Craig Newmark, who recently celebrated his birthday with the announcement that he and his wife, Eileen Whelpley, joined the Giving Pledge, a global initiative through which philanthropic leaders commit the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.
“Craig Newmark’s renewed investment comes at a pivotal moment,” says Sarah Powazek, Director of the Public Interest Cybersecurity Program. “As states and local communities increasingly shoulder the burden of defending against cybercrime and nation-state attacks, community-based cyber defense has become essential to public life. The future of cybersecurity is local because community security is national security.”
Since Newmark’s initial investment in UC Berkeley’s Cybersecurity Clinic — a hands-on program where students, supervised by expert faculty, provide no-cost cybersecurity services to public-interest and community organizations — his support has helped catalyze a national clinic movement. CNP’s backing provided critical early support for the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, creating a scalable model that trains the next generation of cybersecurity professionals while delivering real-world protection to under-resourced organizations.
Craig’s investment has since unlocked significant growth and partnership, including a $25-million commitment from Google to establish 25 clinics across the United States and support international expansion, as well as a partnership with Okta to strengthen nonprofit cyber resilience and help launch the first cybersecurity clinic in Canada. During the 2024–2025 academic year alone, clinics engaged more than 2,200 students and delivered cybersecurity services to 700 organizations — demonstrating both the urgency of the need and the power of long-term, values-driven philanthropy.
“Cybersecurity resilience and protection should be widely available and accessible to small critical infrastructure and community organizations everywhere,” said Ann Cleaveland, Executive Director of CLTC and co-Chair of the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics. “Craig’s generous support for our Public Interest Cybersecurity Program allows us to invest in the networks and leaders that create game-changing impact in the field.”
The renewed funding will advance CLTC’s work addressing critical cybersecurity gaps facing nonprofits, K–12 schools, small critical infrastructure providers, and other under-resourced organizations. It will extend CLTC’s partnership with the CyberPeace Institute to convene the Cyber Resilience Corps, uniting volunteer cybersecurity assistance programs at the local, state, and national levels. It also aligns with Newmark’s Take 9 campaign, which encourages a nine-second pause before clicking or responding to potential cyber threats — an initiative CLTC promotes to improve cyber hygiene and public awareness.
“Volunteer networks and other local cyber services bring trusted expertise into communities that need a hand with cyber protection and resilience,” Newmark said.
Over the next three years, CLTC will work with state leaders to expand proven, whole-of-state cyber defense models. The Center will host three regional Cyber Civil Defense Summits in 2026, strengthen the Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics platform and membership, and help pilot shared-services models for critical sectors such as healthcare and water infrastructure.
The renewed support is part of Newmark’s broader Cyber Civil Defense Initiative, which backs a coalition of organizations advancing a whole-of-society response to cyber insecurity. It also reflects the spirit of the Giving Pledge, through which Newmark and his wife Eileen have committed the majority of their wealth to philanthropy—spotlighting cybersecurity as a growing priority for donors focused on protecting democratic institutions, public services, and community resilience.
