Ariadne's Thread

Dear Ariadne community,

In the past couple of years, we have often heard references to Antonio Gramsci’s concept of the ‘Interregnum’, the period when the old world is fading while the new one struggles to emerge. Indicating that we are living in a tension, which I am certain many of us can feel. We are witnessing closing civic space, digital surveillance, rising racism, polarisation, the cost-of-living crisis and the erosion of the welfare state. Having all these circumstances in mind, one has to ask whether or not we are already in a new world and what role will we hold in it, how will we choose to act and show up in the emerging reality?

At Ariadne we appreciate not being a space that resembles an echo chamber. Our diverse membership comes from different contexts, carrying the tensions inherent to philanthropy, whilst feeding in their knowledge and perspectives with the wish to co-create and learn from each other. Together with and for our members, we have been shaping our activities and have advocated for multi-year, flexible funding, justice-oriented practices and building stronger bridges across fields. Together with our community, our small team has been able to weather numerous challenges posed by the current context, to respond, and create the conditions in which we can act collectively and step up to meet this moment with urgency.

Through trusted peer exchange, collaboration and shared strategy, Ariadne helps philanthropy respond more effectively to complex challenges. In a moment of democratic pressure, I strongly believe that Ariadne’s diversity is one of our biggest strengths, and I am always inspired by the words of Diane di Prima in her Revolutionary letter #8: “No one way works, it will take all of us shoving at the thing from all sides to bring it down.” Change is possible and together we can all be part of it.

With your contribution we continue shaping Ariadne. I would love to hear from you to better understand your priorities, challenges and plans ahead, and how we can best support your work in this emerging world.

In solidarity,

Jana Stardelova
Grants and Engagement Manager

02 June 2026, webinar: The Case of Winning Mass Regularisation for Migrants in Spain – Resourcing Power from Below

Join Ariadne, Calala Fondo de Mujeres, Migration Exchange and Safe Passage Fund on 02 June for this donor-only webinar bringing together global philanthropic actors to explore one of the most significant recent migrant justice victories: the mass regularisation campaign led by Regularización Ya in Spain.

The next Thread will go out on Thursday 18th June. We would love to hear from you! Please contact us by Tuesday 16th June 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.

Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) measures perceived levels of public-sector corruption in 182 countries and territories, drawing on 13 independent data sources and using a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). This year, the global CPI average has dropped for the first time in more than a decade to just 42 out of 100. The vast majority of countries are failing to keep corruption under control: 122 out of 182 score under 50 in the index.

Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) Civic Space Update: Enabling civil society to uphold EU values and strengthen democracy: This report presents FRA opinions on how EU Member States can better protect civic space and support civil society organisations in safeguarding fundamental rights. The findings are based on data and information collected by FRANET, FRA’s multidisciplinary research network, and FRA’s consultation with CSOs participating in its Fundamental Rights Platform.

The report by Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2026: The Growing Shadow of Autocracy, found that 54 countries experienced deterioration in their political rights and civil liberties, while only 35 registered improvements. Now just 21 percent of the world’s people live in countries rated Free, down from 46 percent two decades ago.

The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) Research Snapshot Foundation Governance Today: How Boards and CEOs Are Navigating Risk, Accountability, and a Shifting Landscape, offers insight into the specific challenges reported by foundation leaders in the current context and what they need from their boards to respond effectively to the sector-wide crisis. It also examines what characterizes boards that foundation CEOs describe as most supportive. 

Giving for Change Alliance publishes From rhetoric to practice: What it takes for international funders to shift power to communities. The key research questions explored in this study are: What strategies did GfC partners used to influence donors? and What achievements, challenges, and impacts have resulted? The analysis draws on GfC partners’ perspectives, as well as reflections from donors and others in the sector. For a condensed version, access the 2-pager.

TransActual has published new report, Trans Lives 2025: Continuing to Endure the Hostile Environment. The report reiterates that rising anti-trans hatred is creating a hostile environment for trans people in the UK. The report includes recommendations on three areas: access to healthcare and services, reducing transphobia, and improving access to gender-congruent ID.

Europe Press Freedom Report On the Tipping Point: Press Freedom 2025. Press freedom across Europe remains under sustained pressure, according to the annual report of the partner organisations to the Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists.

European Network Against Racism – ENAR publishes a new report, Raceless in Name Only: Whiteness and the Racial Governance of Mobility in the European Union. The report is a product of eighteen months of field research across 5 European border regions (German-Austrian, German-Czech, Italian-French, Slovenian-Croatian, the Basque border region) and 3 EU countries (France, Greece and Cyprus). It provides the most comprehensive investigation to date of how racial logic determines who moves freely in Europe, and who does not.

Civitates and The European AI & Society Fund publish Closing the expertise gap: How to strengthen civil society’s skills to shape Europe’s tech future. The report makes the case for long-term public funding and philanthropic investment in equipping civil society with the technological skills to do this.

Community philanthropy as infrastructure: Sustaining democratic resilience in wartime Ukraine: In this article for Philea, Daria Rybalchenko, Director of the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development (NNLPD), writes about the culture of philanthropy in Ukraine and its historical rootedness in the community level.

The research brief How to Talk about Democracy produced for the Democracy Narratives Alliance (DNA) is part of a three-part series of research. It maps the dominant narratives that shape how people understand democracy, explains how messaging interacts with deeper mental models, and identifies  strategies that can help rebuild support, engagement, and participation.

Building More Locally-Led Aid Ecosystems by NEAR is an attempt to bring nuanced insights from Global South civil society on the hopes and struggles of daily realities, as well as their efforts to find a different way forward. The report and resource are available in Arabic, English, French and Spanish. 

Imagine Intel: Imagine Intel, Mozilla Foundation’s new zine built with artists, designers, technologists, and cultural leaders who see technology as something to shape, not just ship. The zine examines how artists and creative workers are navigating a defining moment for culture and technology.

Exploring the impact of every pound: how foundations are putting all their assets to work, the Impact Investing Institute and Access – The Foundation for Social Investment have published a new resource. It maps the UK foundation ecosystem, identifying existing support structures, gaps in provision, and opportunities to catalyse a sector-wide move towards considering the impact of every pound. 

Trans Rights Index & Map 2026: TGEU’s (Trans Europe and Central Asia) latest index reveals a year of change on paper across Europe and Central Asia but not sustained political progress. While more developments have been recorded than in recent years, many of these hard-won shifts are driven by activists and courts rather than proactive government action. 

Global Fund for Children ‘8 Things to Know about Supporting Healthy Masculinities in Boys and Young Men’: In this article, the Fund shares eight key things to know about promoting healthy masculinities in boys and young men based on their experience with community-based organisations leading this work.

Ford Foundation Adds $60 Million in New Funding to Strengthen Democracy. The grants include support for a broad range of nonpartisan organisations across the ideological spectrum pursuing vital work across all 50 states — from increasing civic participation to protecting the fundamental right to vote. 

Between Opportunities and Risks – Robert Bosch Stiftung Makes Artificial Intelligence its Key Focus for 2026. Robert Bosch Stiftung will provide a total of around 17 million euros in funding this year to promote the use of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence for the common good. 

Media Defence’s 2025 Annual Impact Report: Defending Truth. In 2025 alone, Media Defence supported 817 cases of journalists across 86 countries — a 133% rise in new cases since 2021. Behind that number is increasing lawfare, violence, digital surveillance, and a culture of impunity when it comes to attacks on journalists. The full report is available in English, French and Spanish.

Equity in UK Grant making – Analysis of data from the DEI Data Standard and recommendations for future practice. The DEI Data Group has published the first cross-funder analysis using the DEI Data Standard, a shared framework for capturing data on funding for groups facing structural inequity.

Open Society Foundations Announce $30 Million Investment to Counter Antisemitism and Anti-Muslim Hate. The three-year initiative will support organisations working to address an alarming surge of antisemitism and anti-Muslim hate in the United States and around the world. The funding will support efforts to keep communities safe by strengthening interfaith solidarity, expanding education, and combating discrimination and violence.

Digital Freedom Fund (DFF) Strategic Framework for 2026–2030. DFF’s new strategy is built around two main priorities:

• Advancing strategic litigation as a tool for change
• Shifting power to those most affected by digital harms

These priorities align with DFF’s vision for a society in which everyone uses technology justly and fairly so that all individuals and communities can fully enjoy their human rights in digital spaces.

SSIR Article, Funding the Invisible, by Martha Lackritz-Peltier. How nonprofits in countries with conflict and closing civil spaces are doubly penalized in the funding world, and 10 ways funders can better serve them.

The Alliance for Gender Equality in Europe published a new report, Resourcing movements for gender equality in Europe. Drawing on 30 in-depth interviews with organisers, funders, and researchers, the report captures how movements are advancing equality, democracy, and human rights – and exactly what kind of resourcing would enable them to thrive and create positive, lasting change.

Weaving Liberation launches the Digital Justice Fund. €500,000 will be distributed to movements, by people within movements. The aim of the fund is to reach groups that are currently not funded through usual digital rights grantmaking. 

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation – Program Officer, Environment. The Foundation is seeking a Program Officer to manage the One Water’s national approach, a new focus area within the Environment program’s water initiative. CSMF plans to grant $10 million per year for ten years to advance the goals of the One Water initiative in its entirety, with the funds split between the Great Lakes and national work. Salary: 125,000 USD. Location: Flint, Michigan, United States. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.  

Laudes Foundation – Director of Strategy, Foresight and Innovation. Laudes Foundation is hiring a Director of Strategy, Foresight and Innovation to shape long-term strategic direction, develop future-oriented philanthropic approaches, and lead innovation and systems thinking across philanthropic initiatives and partnerships. Location: London, United Kingdom (hybrid). Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

Fondation de France – Responsable Grande Cause Solidarités & Vulnérabilités. Fondation de France is recruiting a Head of Major Cause – Solidarities & Vulnerabilities to lead strategic initiatives addressing social inequalities and vulnerable populations, oversee programme implementation, and coordinate partnerships and philanthropic action across the foundation’s social impact portfolio. Location: Paris, France. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

Open Society Foundations – Program Manager, Normalizing Migration. Open Society Foundations is hiring a Program Manager to serve as the Normalizing Migration opportunity’s primary point of engagement in the Western Hemisphere, connecting stakeholders across the region – governments, civil society, faith communities, the private sector, multilateral institutions, and research organizations – with the Day One Project, a multi-year effort, supported by OSF and partner foundations, to develop policy ideas for a future U.S. administration prepared to govern immigration competently from its first day in office. Location: Mexico City, Mexico, or Bogotá, Colombia. Deadline: 25 May 2026.  

Hivos – Portfolio Manager EU/SWANA. The Portfolio Manager EU/SWANA is a newly created strategic, cross-cutting role responsible for overseeing the coherence, design, and performance of an assigned project portfolio in line with Hivos’ strategy. The role leads and strengthens program and project design, contributes to idea generation and proposal development, steers portfolio-level planning and reporting, leads project managers, and drives quality, compliance, accountability and continuous improvement across assigned countries and initiatives. Salary: Gross 71,661.88 EUR in the Netherlands; Gross 65,488.73 USD in Lebanon. Location: The Netherlands, Lebanon, or Tunisia. Deadline: 25 May 2026.

Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust – Executive Assistant, Reparations. JRCT is recruiting an Assistant to provide Executive support to the Head of Reparations and enables the smooth administrative delivery of the wider reparations work. The role will collaborate across the organisation, including liaising with the SLT and Executive Team staff, trustees and key external stakeholders. Salary: 47,814 GBP. Location: York, United Kingdom (hybrid). Deadline: 26 May 2026. 

Joseph Rowntree Foundation – Regional Lead, North East. JRF is recruiting a Regional Lead to act as the central steward and weaver of JRF’s Regional Programme, bringing coherence, alignment, and connection across its many elements. Sitting at the heart of the programme, this senior role will connect people, practice, and purpose across the whole Regional team – ensuring the work remains collaborative, and in service of just transitions across York and the North East. Salary: 57,000 GBP. Location: North East of England, with travel expected across the region. Deadline: 31 May.  

Trust for London – Co-opted Committee Member. Trust for London is seeking two new co-opted members to join the investment committee. Co-opted members bring area-specific expertise to committees, which meet three times a year. This is a voluntary position. Both vacancies are for the investment committee, which oversees the management of Trust for London’s endowment. Salary: Voluntary role with expenses reimbursed. Location: London, United Kingdom. Deadline: 01 June 2026. 

The National Lottery Community Fund – Executive Director (Country Portfolios). The National Lottery Community Fund is recruiting an Executive Director (Country Portfolios), who will lead the four country portfolios through the Country Directors and alongside the Country Committees, overseeing around £700 million of annual grant-making and supporting more than 500 colleagues across the UK. Salary: 110,000 – 120,000 GBP. Location: United Kingdom (hybrid). Deadline: 05 June 2026. 

Oak Foundation – Director, Environment Programme. Oak Foundation is recruiting an Environment Programme Director to lead the foundation’s global environmental grantmaking strategy, oversee partnerships and programme teams, and advance ambitious philanthropic responses to climate, biodiversity, and environmental justice challenges. The role includes strategic leadership, movement engagement, and oversight of a substantial international grants portfolio. Location: Geneva, Switzerland. Deadline: 14 June 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.

20-21 May 2026, Brussels/Online 

Decolonial Europe Day – Various sessions. Decolonial Europe Day 2026 brings together activists, researchers, organisers and practitioners working on decolonial struggles across Europe. This fourth edition takes place as a series of four sessions, combining online and in-person conversations to create deeper dialogue, collective reflection and stronger connections across movements. Learn more and register.  

27 May 2026, Online 

Community Land Trusts in Europe: State of the Sector Report Launch. Hosted by the European Community Land Trust Network and The Good Economy, this event presents new data and analysis on how Community Land Trusts are addressing Europe’s housing crisis, alongside recommendations for scaling CLTs through policy and partnerships at municipal, national, and EU levels. Learn more and register. 

4 June 2026, Online 

Funders-only: Big Tech Cash for the Backlash: Corporate Funding Flows Sowing Hate. Hosted by the Institute for Journalism and Social Change in partnership with Noor, this donor briefing presents findings from a new investigation into how Big Tech philanthropy has funded anti-rights organisations internationally while also supporting human rights initiatives. Learn more and register.  

4 June 2026, Online

Philanthropy For Climate: State of the Movement Report. Join this webinar for the launch of the first-ever Philanthropy For Climate: State of the Movement Report which provides a collective snapshot of progress and identifies priorities for the next phase. Learn more and register.

16 June 2026, Online 

Launch Webinar: 2023-2024 Global Resources Report: Join Global Philanthropy Project for the launch of this biennial report, which analyzes 12 years of LGBTI funding by geography, issue, strategy, population focus, type of donor, and more. Learn more and register. 

22 June 2026, London

Crisis to Solutions: Coordinating Capital, Courage and Collective Action. The gathering brings together progressive philanthropists, foundations, wealth holders, movement leaders, and networks including WINGS, EDGE Funders Alliance, Action for Sustainable Development, Human Rights Funders Network, and The Collective to strengthen progressive coordination and accelerate bold, values-led action. The event will focus on resource flow, movement infrastructure, collaboration, and practical pathways for collective impact. Learn more and register.

July 24-25 2026, 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. 

02-07 August 2026, Sao Paulo, Brazil 

Thousand Currents Academy. The Academy is an immersive, in-person experience focused on building solidarity with grassroots movements in the Global South. The goal of the Academy is to support participants to move more unrestricted, long-term, and flexible funding to movements in the Global South, with practices rooted in mutual trust and accountability. Learn more and register.  

28-30 October 2026, Barcelona 

Mozilla Festival 2026. Mozilla Festival 2026 is three days of bold conversations, hands-on building, and ideas. Invitations for session proposals for this year’s festival, under the theme “Wilding.”, are open until 24 May. Learn more and register.