Free security tools for NGOs, charities and community organisations
35 practitioner-built tools you can use right now — no sign-up, no upload. Everything runs in your browser and downloads as a file you can attach to a security plan, donor annex or board paper.
Free toolkit
Download the full 35-tool index
One file listing every free tool, what it is for and a direct link — useful for sharing with field teams, partners or a board. Free to use, no sign-up and no login required.
Organisation type
Topic
Region
35 of 35 tools
Free risk-scoring tools
Core security management
Field safety pack
Access & duty of care
Community early warning
Governance & assurance
Resilience & continuity
Verification & partner assurance
Movement & medical planning
Looking for editable templates instead? Browse the Intelligence Library for checklists and downloadable documents.
Privacy: these tools are free to use with no sign-up, no login and no usage tracking. Everything you type stays in your browser and nothing is uploaded to us.
Free risk-scoring tools
Country security risk score
Score eight weighted security drivers for a country or area to produce your own 0-100 risk score and band, with each driver's contribution shown. Your assessment, not ours.
| Driver | Rating | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armed conflict / frontline proximity | 1/5 | 5 | 5 |
| Terrorism threat | 1/5 | 4 | 4 |
| Crime (violent and opportunistic) | 1/5 | 3 | 3 |
| Civil unrest / political instability | 1/5 | 3 | 3 |
| Kidnap risk | 1/5 | 4 | 4 |
| Road safety | 1/5 | 2 | 2 |
| Health / medevac limitations | 1/5 | 2 | 2 |
| Access constraints (bureaucratic, checkpoints, terrain) | 1/5 | 2 | 2 |
NGO travel risk checker
A pre-travel go / no-go check. Confirm the standard duty-of-care controls for the trip and get a decision, the missing controls, and an exportable checklist.
Missing controls
- Security briefing completed
- Tracking device / check-in method in place
- Reliable communications confirmed
- Medevac cover confirmed
- Accommodation vetted
- Local contact / focal point identified
- Curfew and movement restrictions known
- Travel / medical insurance confirmed
Humanitarian access risk checker
Score access constraints across the standard OCHA-aligned dimensions to get an access severity band, top blockers and suggested negotiation actions.
Election security risk tracker
Rate known escalation indicators for an upcoming election to get a phase-by-phase risk view (pre-poll, polling day, results, post-result) with a countdown to polling day.
Kidnap, crime & terrorism risk checker
Rate indicators across three distinct threat types to get separate bands for kidnap, crime and terrorism, plus consolidated mitigation measures for each.
kidnap indicators
Mitigation measures
- Maintain low profile and vary routines/routes.
- Restrict information about movements and staff details.
- Confirm kidnap-and-ransom insurance and crisis response retainer.
- Brief staff on proof-of-life and no-negotiation policy.
crime indicators
Mitigation measures
- Avoid displaying valuables; vary travel times and routes.
- Use vetted transport and secure accommodation.
- Restrict cash handling and use secure transfer methods.
- Maintain contact with local community networks for early warning.
terrorism indicators
Mitigation measures
- Reduce visibility of organisational branding where appropriate.
- Vary patterns of movement near known target profiles.
- Maintain evacuation and hibernation plans, tested regularly.
- Coordinate with security cluster / other agencies on threat reporting.
Emergency contact card & incident checklist
Build a printable emergency contact card and export a first-15-minutes incident response checklist alongside a CSV of your contacts.
First 15 minutes — incident checklist
- Ensure immediate personal safety; move to cover if required.
- Account for all staff and visitors present.
- Provide first aid / call for medical assistance if needed.
- Notify the security focal point (or deputy if unreachable).
- Do not discuss the incident on open channels or social media.
- Record time, location and a brief factual note of what happened.
- Preserve evidence where safe to do so; avoid disturbing a scene.
- Await instructions before further movement or public statements.
Core security management
Security risk assessment matrix
Score each threat by likelihood and impact to produce a 5×5 risk rating with mitigations. Export as CSV for your security plan or donor annex.
Journey management plan builder
Build a movement plan for field travel with check-in intervals, communications, manifest and abort criteria — the core of NGO road-safety duty of care.
Incident report generator
Capture a structured, donor-ready incident record: what happened, immediate actions, support provided and follow-up. Nothing is uploaded — the report is generated in your browser.
Duty of care self-assessment
Twelve weighted questions benchmarked against NGO duty-of-care practice. You get a score, a maturity band and a prioritised gap list you can take to your board or donor.
A written security risk assessment exists for every country of operation and is reviewed at least annually.
Standard operating procedures cover movement, communications, office and residence security.
All staff receive a documented security induction before deployment.
Field staff have completed personal safety / HEAT-style training appropriate to the risk level.
A crisis management team is named, trained and reachable 24/7.
Incident reporting is mandatory, confidential and analysed for trends.
Medical and evacuation arrangements are in place and tested.
Insurance covers staff, consultants, volunteers and national staff equally.
Safeguarding and PSEA reporting channels are available to staff and communities.
Information security basics are enforced (device encryption, MFA, data minimisation).
Security costs are budgeted in programme proposals, not absorbed ad hoc.
Board or trustees receive a periodic security and duty-of-care report.
Priority actions
- A written security risk assessment exists for every country of operation and is reviewed at least annually.
- Standard operating procedures cover movement, communications, office and residence security.
- All staff receive a documented security induction before deployment.
- Field staff have completed personal safety / HEAT-style training appropriate to the risk level.
- A crisis management team is named, trained and reachable 24/7.
Crisis call tree & emergency contact card
Fill in your escalation chain and print a wallet-sized contact card for every staff member, with a fixed notification sequence.
Security budget estimator
Indicative planning figures for how much of a programme budget to allocate to security, by operating risk level — useful when writing donor proposals.
Adds training, guarding, journey management and incident reporting capacity.
Field safety pack
Checkpoint / negotiation card builder
Print a pocket card staff can use at checkpoints: mission wording, and clear do/don't lines to keep interactions calm and predictable.
Radio / comms check log
Log scheduled radio or phone check-ins by call sign, with a built-in escalation ladder for missed check-ins. Export the log as CSV.
Hibernation, relocation & evacuation checklist
Agree in advance the trigger thresholds and actions for each phase of a movement restriction — hibernation, relocation, or full evacuation.
Hibernation
Movement is unsafe but the site remains defensible; short-duration threat expected (e.g. active fighting nearby, curfew imposed with no warning).
Standard actions: Move to safe room/shelter, account for all personnel, secure doors and windows, maintain comms schedule, await stand-down or relocation order.
Relocation
The current site is no longer tenable but movement is possible along a known safe route to a pre-identified alternate location.
Standard actions: Activate relocation plan, notify operations and HQ, move as a group with manifest, confirm arrival, stand up comms from new location.
Evacuation
Continued presence in-country/region is untenable; authorities or security actors advise or mandate departure; life-threatening escalation.
Standard actions: Activate evacuation plan, confirm documentation and assembly point, coordinate with logistics/embassy as applicable, account for all personnel at each stage, brief HQ crisis team.
Access & duty of care
Humanitarian access constraint tracker
Log constraints on access — bureaucratic, physical, or security-related — by actor and location, track negotiation status, and get a quick severity summary. Export as CSV.
Post-incident debrief / lessons identified
Run a structured, blame-free debrief after an incident and capture lessons identified with named action owners.
Duty-of-care & insurance evidence log
Keep an auditable record of training, briefings, approvals and medical clearances per staff member, to evidence duty of care for insurers and boards.
Community early warning
Community risk-watch sheet
A simple, low-literacy-friendly sheet for community volunteers to record hazards, the early signs to watch for, who to alert and the agreed response.
Flood / drought alert tracker
Enter your own indicators and locally agreed thresholds to get a simple watch / warning / action status. You supply the data — this tool does not source meteorological feeds.
Election-period safety plan
Build a short safety plan for an election period: movement rules, curfew and communications, no-go areas and a staff check-in schedule.
Verification & partner assurance
Site & office security survey
Walk an office, guesthouse or warehouse and record perimeter, access control, guarding and safe-room findings as a survey you can hand to a landlord or board.
SITE & OFFICE SECURITY SURVEY ============================= Site: - Location: - Surveyor: - Date: - PHYSICAL SECURITY CHECKS [ ] Perimeter wall / fence intact [ ] Gate controlled and lockable [ ] External lighting works at night [ ] Visitor log and ID checks in place [ ] Guard force briefed with written orders [ ] Safe room or shelter identified [ ] Fire extinguishers serviced [ ] First aid kit stocked and accessible [ ] Backup power and water stocks [ ] Emergency contact list posted KEY FINDINGS - RECOMMENDED ACTIONS - Generated Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:47:43 GMT — Generated with INGO ADVISORY free NGO tools — analysis by Mowlid Ali, INGO ADVISORY.
Partner & sub-grantee verification checklist
Record the documents, references and field checks completed before contracting a local partner — the evidence donors ask for during audit.
PARTNER & SUB-GRANTEE VERIFICATION ================================== Partner: - Country: - Reviewer: - Date: - VERIFICATION CHECKS [ ] Registration certificate seen and copied [ ] Bank details verified independently [ ] Beneficial ownership disclosed [ ] Sanctions / watchlist screening completed [ ] Two independent references taken [ ] Audited accounts or financial statements reviewed [ ] Safeguarding and PSEA policy in place [ ] Site visit completed by our staff [ ] Beneficiary list spot-checked [ ] Conflict-of-interest declaration signed OBSERVATIONS & RESIDUAL CONCERNS - Generated Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:47:43 GMT — Generated with INGO ADVISORY free NGO tools — analysis by Mowlid Ali, INGO ADVISORY.
Remote monitoring call script
Where access is restricted, verify programme delivery by phone. Build a structured call script with control questions that expose coached or fabricated answers.
REMOTE MONITORING CALL SCRIPT ============================= Programme: - Location: - Modality: - Sample: - INTRODUCTION State who you are, that participation is voluntary, that answers are confidential, and that assistance does not depend on the answers given. CORE VERIFICATION QUESTIONS - CONTROL QUESTIONS - CLOSE Record refusals and unreachable numbers — non-response patterns are themselves a finding. Generated Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:47:43 GMT — Generated with INGO ADVISORY free NGO tools — analysis by Mowlid Ali, INGO ADVISORY.
Donor proposal security annex
Draft the security and duty-of-care annex donors expect in a proposal: context, risk treatment, acceptance strategy, and the budget lines that pay for it.
SECURITY & DUTY-OF-CARE ANNEX ============================= Project: - Donor: - Geography: - 1. SECURITY CONTEXT - 2. RISK TREATMENT & CONTROLS - 3. ACCEPTANCE STRATEGY - 4. SECURITY BUDGET LINES - 5. GOVERNANCE Risk register reviewed monthly; critical incidents reported to the donor within 24 hours. Generated Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:47:43 GMT — Generated with INGO ADVISORY free NGO tools — analysis by Mowlid Ali, INGO ADVISORY.
Movement & medical planning
Medical & evacuation plan card
Build a one-page medical and casualty-evacuation plan for a site or journey: nearest clinics, blood supply, air-evacuation point and insurer contacts.
MEDICAL & EVACUATION PLAN ========================= Location: - Nearest clinic: - Referral hospital: - Airstrip / helipad: - Insurer / provider: - 24h assistance: - Blood supply: - CASUALTY EVACUATION PROCEDURE - Review this card whenever road access, clinic capability or insurer cover changes. Generated Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:47:43 GMT — Generated with INGO ADVISORY free NGO tools — analysis by Mowlid Ali, INGO ADVISORY.
Cash-in-transit risk plan
Plan a cash movement or cash-based transfer distribution: amount bands, route, escort posture, and the controls that reduce robbery and diversion risk.
CASH-IN-TRANSIT RISK PLAN ========================= Purpose: - Amount: - Route: - Timing: - Custodians: - Transport / escort: - CONTROLS [ ] Movement approved in writing by finance and security [ ] Route varied from previous movements [ ] No advance notice of amount to non-essential staff [ ] Two-person custody maintained throughout [ ] Communications check before departure and on arrival [ ] Cash counted and receipted at destination [ ] Contingency plan if held at checkpoint RISKS & MITIGATIONS - Generated Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:47:43 GMT — Generated with INGO ADVISORY free NGO tools — analysis by Mowlid Ali, INGO ADVISORY.
Cross-border movement planner
Plan a cross-border movement of staff, vehicles or cargo: documentation, crossing point, expected controls and the fallback if the border closes.
CROSS-BORDER MOVEMENT PLAN ========================== Route: - Crossing point: - Moving: - Timing: - Authorities / permits: - PRE-DEPARTURE CHECKS [ ] Passports and visas valid for at least six months [ ] Vehicle registration, insurance and carnet in order [ ] Cargo manifest and customs paperwork prepared [ ] Local authority notification letters carried [ ] Both country focal points briefed on ETA [ ] Communications coverage checked on both sides [ ] Cash in both currencies for legitimate fees FALLBACK PLAN - Generated Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:47:43 GMT — Generated with INGO ADVISORY free NGO tools — analysis by Mowlid Ali, INGO ADVISORY.
Security training & competency matrix
Track who has completed personal security, first aid, safeguarding and defensive driving training — the fastest evidence of duty-of-care compliance.
SECURITY TRAINING & COMPETENCY MATRIX ===================================== Name | Role | Personal security | First aid | Safeguarding | Defensive driving - | - | - | - | - | - Record the month and year each course was completed. Refresh personal security and first aid every two years, or sooner if the operating environment deteriorates. Generated Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:47:43 GMT — Generated with INGO ADVISORY free NGO tools — analysis by Mowlid Ali, INGO ADVISORY.
Governance & assurance
Vehicle & convoy pre-departure check
Run the 13-point movement check before every field trip and export a signed record showing whether the vehicle was cleared to depart.
Safeguarding / PSEA referral log
Track safeguarding and PSEA concerns by reference number, severity and status — deliberately anonymised so the log itself carries no identifying detail.
Never enter survivor names, contact details or other identifying information here. Keep case files in a separate restricted system and refer concerns to your designated safeguarding lead.
Resilience & continuity
NGO cyber hygiene self-assessment
Score ten controls that decide whether a small organisation survives ransomware or a data breach, then export a prioritised gap list for your board or donor.
Staff accountability / roll call sheet
Run a fast headcount during an incident: who is confirmed safe, who is unverified, and who is unaccounted for — with the time each confirmation was made.
Contingency stock & endurance calculator
Work out how many days your office or guesthouse can hibernate on current water, food, fuel and cash — and which of the four runs out first.
Endurance 3.3 days — limited by water (15 l/person/day)
Below minimum — replenish before the next disruption
- Water (15 L/person/day): 3.3 days
- Food: 7.0 days
- Cash on hand: 8.3 days
- Generator fuel: 16.7 days
Need these embedded in your own security plan?
We help NGOs, charities and development partners turn these outputs into approved policy: risk assessments, SOPs, crisis plans and duty-of-care frameworks tailored to your countries of operation.
Talk to an advisorStart a confidential conversation
Tell us about your operations and where you’re operating. We’ll propose next steps within one working day.