Ariadne's Thread

Dear Ariadne Community,

As spring slowly approaches, I hope you’re feeling re-energized by the longer, warmer days ahead.

In addition to the weather, I find myself feeling optimistic about the shifts I’m witnessing in conversations with European funders, shifting from a focus on “who will fill the gaps” to a more expansive, joint exploration of what resourcing the field means at this moment.

In February, Ariadne held a strategic workshop for UK funders, “From Mapping to Movement: Aligning UK Philanthropy for Democratic Resilience.” This event provided valuable insights into how civil society and funders are responding to the rise of authoritarian populism and far-right ideas. What’s particularly heartening is the recognition of the importance of the solidarity infrastructure, the value of building trust among funders as a foundation for cross-sector collaboration, and the collective approach to risk. These shifts signal a welcome change in the way funders see their role and responsibility to meet the challenges of the moment.

In Ariadne, we are working towards launching the second cohort of the Susan Treadwell Change Lab – a transformative space designed to equip funders with the frameworks, relationships, and practical tools needed to drive meaningful, system-level change. The first cohort demonstrated the importance of philanthropic spaces where we are encouraged to challenge each other, allowed to disagree and take risks, make mistakes, and build trust within our community. For those of you who will join us in Bologna in April, for our 2026 Reconnect (which is now sold out!), I encourage you to join the session led by the Lab and find out for yourself why we are working hard to launch the second cohort. Also, if you’re inspired by the work of the Lab and would like to explore supporting it, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

I hope this month’s thread will be a source of inspiration and energy, as well as a testament to the great work happening within the Ariadne community.

In solidarity,

Renata Ćuk

Green Screen Coalition: From Loose Networks to Organised Collaboration: Reflections on the Green Screen Catalyst Fund and Next Steps, two years after the kickoff of the Green Screen Catalyst Fund—an offering that resulted from several years of convening movements working on digital rights and climate & environmental justice. The Green Screen Coalition published a report about what they learned from this fund which accompanies the next cycle of investment, the Network Leadership Grants.

Blog: “What the Ariadne Susan Treadwell Change Lab gave me” by Ugo Ikokwu, Grants Manager at Trust for London and participant in the first Susan Treadwell Change Lab cohort.

The next Thread will go out on Thursday 23rd April. We would love to hear from you! Please contact us by Tuesday 21th April if you would like to share announcements, events, or resources for the next issue. 

All resources can be found on Ariadne’s website and Member-only Community Hub. Are you a member of Ariadne but don’t have access to the Community Hub? Sign-up here or email jana.stardelova@ariadne-network.eu.

UK Civic Space Annual Report 2025-26 from Bond, is their third and final annual report aims to identify trends across UK civic space, which they define as the political, legal and regulatory environment in which civil society exists. The report shows a sector navigating tightening funding, increased scrutiny and growing demand.

Report “Shrinking civic space and marginalised communities in Eastern Europe and Central Asia” is the outcome of an extensive regional data collection effort, conducted in 2025. Drawing on structured inputs from ten countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan), the report examines the civic space and legal environment context affecting community-led HIV and TB responses in EECA.

ILGA Europe Annual Review 2026 of the human rights situation of lesbian, gay bisexual, trans, and intersex people from January to December 2025.

The Better Politics Fund is pleased to share “An Investment-ready Field Building the Political Leadership Democracies Need” the first edition of the Political Leadership Philanthropy Briefing: a quarterly update for donors. You can access the briefing, or listen to the audio version .

2025 Report: SLAPPs in Europe – Democracy in the Dock, the 2025 report from the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) and the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation finds that the number of abusive lawsuits continues to rise across Europe, even in the face of the EU’s new anti-SLAPP law, which came into force in May 2024.

Funders Concerned About AIDS’s “Philanthropy’s Response to HIV and AIDS: 2024 Grantmaking“ annual resource tracking report arrives as public funding cuts, shrinking civic space, and escalating hostility toward already marginalised communities have fundamentally altered the landscape.

“Mapping the Private Wealth System” report developed by the Coalition for Impact (C4i) in collaboration with Omplexity, is an invitation to see, understand, and reimagine how private wealth shapes our world.

Research “How AI is powering transnational repression“: This scoping study by the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law examines the growing use of digital technologies by governments to suppress dissent beyond their borders, with a particular focus on how AI is transforming transnational repression.

Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) report “Defending Rights, Bearing the Burden: Mental Health Challenges of Women Human Rights Defenders in MENA“: The report highlights the commonly overlooked mental health challenges experienced by women activists across the region.

New Podcast The Myths of Philanthropy: Elemental partnered with the Philanthropisms podcast to dive deeper into some of the common narratives that shape the philanthropic sector and offer insights that can help funders make sense of this moment, see the transformative opportunities before us, and have the courage to step toward them.

ODI Global Blog “Why everyone should care about Trump’s new global gag rule“: A new blog from Megan Daigle and Ján Michalko explains how the new global gag rule casts a wider net to capture all organisations receiving US funding that work on inclusion, equality, diversity or gender justice.

The CLIMA Fund organised a four-part dialogue series, Not If, But How, unpacking the climate crisis and how to reach grassroots solutions, grounded in the wisdom and leadership of grassroots movements across the Global South. You can now access the quotes, resources and recordings from the series here.

Alliance magazine article “We can’t ignore the manosphere: How philanthropy can support gender equality by engaging with masculinity“ by Nadège Lharaig, Director at the Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe. The article outlines the manosphere playbook, loneliness crisis, as well as economic alternatives and a call to philanthropy to fund a future free from harmful gender stereotypes.

Article “Funding Feminist Change for the Long Haul” Global Fund for Women is reflecting on what 40 years of supporting grassroots organisations looks like, and how it’s created collective gains worldwide.

Briefing “Climate and nature crises impacts on women and girls“: This new Everyone’s Environment briefing, produced by NPC in partnership with Wen (Women’s Environmental Network), brings together evidence on how climate change is affecting women and girls in the UK. It also highlights opportunities to reduce these risks while building a fairer transition.

Alliance magazine article “The broken contract“ by György Hámori (fundraising and partnerships manager at Roots and Wings Foundation), Arun Kumar (independent consultant and writer) and Araddhya Mehtta (independent researcher and consultant). The article explores the fundamentals shifts we are experiencing, particularly the breaking down of once-stable assumptions about the role of civil society, the state, and philanthropic capital.

APC – Five essential reads on gender and tech this March: APC has compiled five recommended readings, from the new challenges and regulatory gaps posed by AI to the need to understand the realities in which technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV), gendered disinformation and other forms of violence occur, these publications help to paint a picture of the current problems faced, the ongoing resistance and the paths that can lead to digital justice and better digital futures.

Community Is Resource: Reimagining LGBTQI Resourcing, Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF) and GiveOut came together to undertake this research. The aim was to examine the wider resourcing ecosystem that sustains LGBTQI movements — including internal and local resourcing, diaspora solidarity, and external funding — and to explore how these flows can better complement one another.

The Mott Foundation celebrates 100 years of impact with 100 voices, helping strengthen civic space worldwide. On this occasion they have collected 100 years of stories available on their website.

MacArthur Foundation “What Our Directors Learned from the Field in 2025“: This set of Perspectives contains lessons learned from MacArthur’s Program Directors in a year full of global challenges.

Grantmakers for Effective Organizations releases “Toward Meaningful, Valuable, Equitable Governance“ resource which examines how philanthropic governance must not only keep up with change but also enable grantmakers to move forward as agile, courageous partners to nonprofits and communities. According to the authors, it is designed for board members and staff leaders at grantmaking organisations, this publication offers both inspiration and practical, accessible ways to move from intention to action.

The Fund for Global Human Rights (FGHR) – 2024–2025 Annual Report: Learn how FGHR supported activists as they tackled injustices in their own societies. In number, the FGHR delivered 15milion USD, to 527 grantee partners in 68 countries.

Global Fund for Children – 2024–2025 Impact Report: capturing what becomes possible when community-based organisations have the resources and trust they need to lead. Inside, you’ll find examples of resilience, community leadership, and locally driven solutions that are creating a better future for all children and young people.

One Project publication “Who Decides Where Money Goes? The Benefits of Participatory Funding“: This report analyses available research literature, searching for evidence of the benefits of four proven models of participatory funding: participatory budgeting, participatory grantmaking, participatory investing, and indigenous/traditional financial mechanisms.

Strategy for the Norwegian Human Rights Fund “Human Rights Under Pressure: Our Commitment for 2026–2030“, the fund aims to continue being a courageous and flexible donor and partner, acting in solidarity with grassroots organisations and human rights defenders around the world.

Mozilla Foundation – Program Officer, Arts & Technology. Reporting to the Director, Global Grants, the Program Officer serves as Mozilla Foundation’s connector and operational lead for grantees within the Arts + Technology focus area. This role plays a central part in advancing Mozilla’s work at the intersection of performing arts and technological innovation through the multi-foundation initiative, Artists Make Technology (AMT). Location: Remote (Germany, UK, Canada, or USA). Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

CS Mott Foundation – Program Officer. CS Mott Foundation is recruiting a Program Officer to support grantmaking, strategy development, and partnership management, working closely with stakeholders to advance programme goals and ensure effective delivery and learning across initiatives. Salary: 125,000 USD. Location: Flint, Michigan, United States. Deadline: 20 March 2026.

Global Greengrants Fund – Director of Communications and Influencing. Global Greengrants Fund is recruiting a Director of Communications and Influencing to lead global communications strategy, narrative development, and advocacy, amplifying grassroots environmental justice work and strengthening the organisation’s positioning across philanthropic and movement ecosystems. Salary: 100,000 – 110,000 USD. Location: Remote (global). Deadline: 29 March 2026. 

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation – Social Investment Manager. Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is recruiting a Social Investment Manager to lead the development and management of a social investment portfolio, including sourcing opportunities, conducting due diligence, managing relationships with fund managers and stakeholders, and ensuring both financial and social impact performance. Salary: 57,500 – 57,500 GBP. Location: Hybrid – Tuesday and Wednesday core office days in London (with some UK travel). Deadline: 31 March 2026.  

International Alumni Center (IAC Berlin) – Senior Coordinator, Network Development & Engagement. The International Alumni Center is hiring a Senior Coordinator for Network Development & Engagement to strengthen global alumni networks, manage partnerships, design engagement strategies, and support programme delivery across international stakeholders. Salary: 45,000 – 49,000 EUR. Location: Berlin, Germany (hybrid). Deadline: 6 April 2026.  

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation – Director of Communications & Learning. Esmée Fairbairn Foundation is hiring a Director of Communications & Learning to lead organisational communications strategy, knowledge sharing, and learning functions, ensuring effective storytelling, stakeholder engagement, and impact dissemination across programmes. Salary: 89,548 GBP. Location: Hybrid – Tuesday and Wednesday core office days in London (with some UK travel). Deadline: 15 April 2026.

*For more jobs, see the ‘Career Opportunities’ section of Ariadne’s Community Hub. To address pay gaps in the charity sector, we strongly encourage you to #showthesalary in your job adverts.

19 March 2026, Online 

Fliplanthropy #5: Scaling Up Spending Down. Hosted by Guerrilla Foundation, in this session of the Fliplanthropy series, Farhad Ebrahimi explores how “spending down” can be used as a strategic tool rather than a moral endpoint. The webinar examines how sunsetting can de-risk radical giving, catalyse institutional funders, and build long-term economic power in movements. Date and time: 19 March 2026, 6:00pm–7:15pm CET. Learn more and register. 

24 March 2026, Online 

Water, Conflict and Governance in Fragile Contexts: Insights from Yemen and Iraq. Hosted by the Berghof Foundation, this webinar explores how water challenges intersect with conflict and governance in fragile contexts, drawing lessons from Yemen and Iraq. Date and time: 24 March 2026, 3:00pm–4:00pm CET. Learn more and register. 

24 March 2026, Online.  

Class Traitorship: The Merits of Collective Risk. In this discussion, Ismatu Gwendolyn examines class traitorship through a collectivist lens, exploring how individuals can move beyond personal wealth accumulation to support collective liberation and long-term community power. Date and time: 24 March 2026, 6:00pm–7:15pm CET. Learn more and register. 

30 March 2026, Den Haag and online

Reclaiming Democracy: Lessons from around the globe. The International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) and the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) will be hosting this seminar examining how lived experiences and lessons from the global South can help strengthen democracy in the global North, and how European countries can collaborate to strengthen democracy around the world. Date and time: 30 March 2026, 3:00pm-5:00pm CET. Learn more and register.

14 April 2026, Online

Financing for Feminist Futures: Seeding Pathways for Feminist Resourcing. During the webinar a Reflection Paper emerging from the Financing for Feminist Futures Conference that took place last October will be launched. The paper is for feminist movements, women’s funds, civil society allies, philanthropic actors, and decision-makers committed to transforming how gender equality is financed. Date and time: April 2026, 3:00pm-4:30pm CET. Learn more and register.

25 April 2026, London 

Resisting Big Tech Empires. Organised by Global Justice Now in partnership with the Balanced Economy Project, this conference explores strategies to challenge corporate power, democratise digital infrastructure, and prioritise human and planetary needs over profit. Date: 25 April 2026 in London. Learn more and register. 

July 24-25, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 

FCAA Global Philanthropy Summit. Registration is now open for the Funders Concerned About AIDS Global Philanthropy Summit, bringing together funders and partners to address key issues in global health and philanthropy. Learn more and register.