Ariadne News & Events

Healing Solidarity’s Senior Leader Sessions – next session is on April 25th
Recognising the central importance of leadership in enabling culture and systems change in our sector, Ariadne is organising a special event for the senior leadership of European foundations to have an honest and supportive conversation about your institutions’ anti-racist work and practices.
Healing Solidarity’s inter-racial team will facilitate three 90-minute workshops on April 25th, June 27th & September 26th. Details to register are available on our Members only portal.

BIPOC only drop in space held by Sarah Diedro Jordão
April 26th (3pm CEST, 2pm BST (GMT)). You will be welcomed by Sarah. Sarah Diedro Jordão is a multi-passion & versatile consultant. The driving interests foundational to her work are social justice, intersectional feminism, collective dreaming and Black joy. Details to register are available on our Members only portal.

Last month we launched the 2023 Forecast for European Social Change and Human Rights Funders. Access the report to find out what challenges and opportunities this year might bring for grantees; how funder practice could change; which political events are likely to affect your work; what will become more important in the months ahead; and – perhaps most importantly – what to feel hopeful about. With chapters on France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, and the UK, plus a broader, global focus. Contact us if you want to write a blog with your insights! Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #2023AriadneForecast

Webinar: How can European funders contribute to social cohesion, peace and security in Europe and beyond? on May 2, at 12:00 PM CET. Peace-related grantmaking remains marginal at the global level as it represents less than one per cent of all grantmaking. Ultimately, like the Peace & Security Funders Group, we also believe that “even those who do not consider themselves peace and security funders can learn from those who are about managing complexity”. This is why this roundtable is open to any European grantmaking foundation curious about funding for sustainable peace in Europe and beyond. Details to register will be available on our Members only portal.

Ariadne’s Membership Portal:
During the past few months, we have been introducing the co-moderators of Ariadne’s communities. They come from diverse backgrounds and experiences and bring strong knowledge and expertise in the different areas of the philanthropic world. Log in to join the diverse communities, connect and collaborate with other funders on Ariadne’s Membership portal!
P.S We are still on the lookout for new co-moderators for some of our communities. Get in contact with us to learn more about the role.
Do you have a colleague that doesn’t yet have access to the portal? They can sign up here. Need assistance? Take a look at our guide or email ariadneoffice@ariadne-network.eu.

Online course by Active Philanthropy ‘Climate + Philanthropy: A Compact Learning Journey’ – discount available for the next course starting on May 8^th
Confused about how to start applying a climate lens to the work of your foundation? Join Active Philanthropy’s online course, Climate + Philanthropy: A Compact Learning Journey, to start planning your first steps. For the course starting May 8^th, Ariadne’s members are eligible to receive a discount of 20% on the participation fee. We have a discount code for 15 seats, valid until the start date of the course, please reach out to jana.stardelova@ariadne-network.eu to receive the discount code. Find out more and enrol now via: https://learn.activephilanthropy.org

All these resources and more can be found on Ariadne’s website and Member-only portal.

New Research, Articles and Judgements

Report: “Narrative Change and Impact: Analysis of In-Depth Interviews with Experts, Practitioners, and Funders in the Narrative Change Field.” The report provides a summary of insights from 23 narrative change experts about the state of the field and how to think about impact. It also gives guidance for philanthropy on how to more effectively resource this work. People interested to learn more can contact mandyvandeven@gmail.com.

European Parliament adopts report on implementation of EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders: Visit the link to learn more and access the latest report on the implementation of EU Guidelines.

IPCC 2023 Synthesis report: The Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report aims to inform the 2023 Global Stocktake under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Access the report, presentations, figures and summary for policymakers here.

“Building Power in Crisis” report: Sage Fund released a full-length “Building Power in Crisis” report with complete stories, case studies and strategies for supporting women engaged in extractive struggles. The report is available in English and Spanish. Access it here.

Transformative Water Pact – Both ENDS: Both ENDS launched the Transformative Water Pact. In the run-up to the UN Water Conference 2023 in New York, academics and civil society representatives from around the world came together to articulate an alternative vision and framework for water governance. Contemporary water governance throughout the world goes hand in hand with exploitation of nature, neglect of human rights and extreme power-imbalances. The Transformative Water Pact is a radical response to this global water governance crisis, embracing as it core values environmental justice, equality and care.

FAIR SHARE 2023 Monitor: The FAIR SHARE Monitor 2023 is live.
Now in its fifth edition, the Monitor tracks the proportion of women leaders in the international social impact sector and ranks organisations according to the gap between women on staff and women in leadership. Find out where your organisation ranks and explore their analysis.

Civicus UK country report – UK civic space downgraded to ‘obstructed’: “Civic space can be thought of as the spaces in which democracy happens – spaces for debate, to contribute to the society we live in, to influence the laws that govern us, and the ability to organise and associate with others. Where our means of shaping our own society is restricted – through laws, practice, or political pressure – our civic space becomes obstructed. In the UK, people’s ability to engage in our democracy is now actively being obstructed.” See Civicus UK country report here.

The RINGO Project: Re-Imagining the INGO and the Role of Global Civil Society: The Ringo Project is a systems change initiative that seeks to transform global civil society to respond to today’s challenges. The next phase will focus on ensuring long-lasting impact across the civil society ecosystem through influencing two key actors in the sector: INGO Boards and funders. Their latest newsletter and news from their social lab, can be found here.

1. 1. • Read the executive summary of the RINGO strategy in English here
      • Lea el resumen ejecutivo de la estrategia RINGO en español aquí
      • Lire le résumé exécutif de la stratégie RINGO en français ici

Contact info@ringoproject.org if you want to learn more.

Freedom House ‘Still Not Safe: Transnational Repression in 2022’ Report: The latest Freedom House report finds that during 2022 more governments are engaged in more transnational repression. Perpetrators from a total of 20 states were responsible for 79 incidents of physical transnational repression last year, including the first documented cases originating in Djibouti and Bangladesh.

Blogs and Other Sites of Interest

Association for Progressive Communications (APC) – A framework for developing gender-responsive cybersecurity policy: This three-part framework by APC aims to provide practical guidance for developing gender-responsive cybersecurity policies, laws and strategies. With it, APC expects to support stakeholders interested in the contributions of a gender approach to cybersecurity to find a theoretical background that can support their policies and actions.

Social Change Initiative (SCI) – Good Friday/Belfast Agreement: a pivotal role remains for communities and philanthropy: This article by SCI explores the role of independent philanthropy in supporting peace-building work which might otherwise have never got off the ground. Read the full article here.

4 Ways Funders Can Build Authentic Partnerships With Trans and Nonbinary Communities: In this article, the author Aldita Gallardo gives insights into how trans movements are already building a future where all people can thrive. She elaborates how funders can exponentially grow their impact, starting by following the lead of trans advocates of colour. Read more.

Guide – Engaging Youth in Program Evaluation: The Youth Engagement in Research and Evaluation guide for youth-serving organisations can support you in partnering with young people in the evaluation of programs and policies. Published by the UCLA Center for the Developing Adolescent and funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, it also includes tools to help organisations create and enact a youth engagement plan.

Exploring narrative practices for broad-based movements in contexts of democratic decline: “The narratives we engage and deploy shape our world. In the face of rising authoritarianism, what stories and tactics drive collaboration within and between movements?” We invite you to read this piece co-authored by Julia Roig from The Horizons Project and James Savage, program director for the Enabling Environment for Human Rights Defenders Program at the Fund for Global Human Rights.

Social barriers faced by Roma, Gypsies and Travellers laid bare in equality survey: Published on The Guardian, this article presents the results of the Evidence for Equality National Survey of ethnic and religious minorities in the UK. According to the study, these groups experience high levels of racist assault, poor health, and job insecurity. Read more.

Decolonising Digital Rights: a process imbued with love: This blog reflects on the end of the design phase of the decolonising digital rights in Europe process. The authors, Laurence Meyer and Sarah Chander, discuss learnings and the next steps of the process.

The Frontline Podcast: This episode focuses on trans inclusion in the women’s movement – ways in which actors in the women’s movement are actively inclusive of trans women, question the exclusionary narrative that dominates much of the media. Listen to the podcast on your preferred platform.

Next Normal Podcast: Shifting the System: Incorporating a Holistic, Community-Driven Approach to Development with Solomé Lemma: In this episode Solomé Lemma, executive director of Thousand Currents discusses how to build long-lasting, community-led initiatives to improve and “shift” the current socioeconomic system. Click for more.

Do you have a great blog post, case study, or podcast you’d like to contribute? We would love to feature it. Contact us.

Grant-Making

Philanthropy Needs to Focus on “Who,” Not Just “How”: “When we rethink the fundamentals of philanthropy, we unlock its potential to create lasting, positive social change.” Read more in this article by Katherina Rosqueta.

Oak Foundation Annual Report 2022: In 2022, Oak provided 413 grants to 366 organisations in 35 countries. The total grant-making for 2022 came to USD 481.62 million, including programme, discretionary, and special grants. Their Annual Report shares stories that bring to life the accomplishments of their grantee partners all around the world, as they strive daily to make the world a safer, fairer, and more sustainable place. Access it here.

Global Resources Report – Global Philanthropy Project: The biennial Global Resources Report provides foundations, governments, multilateral agencies, corporate donors, and civil society with the most detailed and accurate understanding of the global LGBTI funding landscape. Data collection for funds awarded in 2021 and 2022 is open from March through September 2023. Visit the Data Submission Site.

7 best practices in participatory grantmaking: “Participatory grantmaking has been practiced in modern philanthropy for over 40 years, and beyond that, the act of communities determining how to distribute resources collectively has roots that go back farther than modern philanthropy.” Kelley Buhles talks to 10 groups who have been practicing participatory grantmaking in various forms and shares the insights.

Foundation Giving for Disability: Priorities and Trends Report: The report offers a detailed examination of how U.S. foundations focus their support for disability communities. It serves as a resource for understanding the scale and priorities of current support and provides a baseline for measuring changes in funding going forward.

Fund the People podcast with Ford Foundation – Ending Non-profit Starvation Cycle: In this episode of the Fund the People podcast, Tiffanie W. De Gannes and Jim Gallagher of Ford Foundation give insight into their work on ending the non-profit starvation cycle, providing more equitable and effective grants to the organisations they support. The episode also touches on the Funders for Real Cost, Real Change learning collaborative and the current Funding for Real Change project implemented by Ariadne and EDGE Funders Alliance.

Research collaborations for better, more impactful research: Why the money matters: To strengthen our understanding of violence against women and violence against children, and ultimately prevent it, dedicated investment is needed into research that is priority-driven and carried out in such a way that it provides sound, practical and empirical guidance for interventions, programmes, policy, and advocacy. Read more about the reality of overseas development aid for violence against women and violence against children programming in low-and middle-income countries in this article by Ayesha Mago and Elizabeth Dartnall from the Sexual Violence Research Initiative.

Report: ‘Why Wait? How the Humanitarian System Can Better Fund Women-Led and Women’s Rights Organizations’: In this report the International Rescue Committee focuses on three contexts: Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ukraine, to explore “pervasive, systemic barriers” to actually moving funding to Women’s Rights Organizations (WROs) and Women Led Organizations (WLOs) in humanitarian contexts.

An introduction to the Equality Fund’s Intersectional Investment Guidelines: These guidelines are the Equality Fund’s values at work; they are the foundation upon which the Equality Fund gender-lens investing criteria are built. The authors state that the guidelines ensure all of the criteria are rooted in the pursuit of systems change, grounding each investment decision within their broader goals of disrupting the status quo and redistributing power.

Seizing the moment to shake up philanthropy: In this article, Liliane Loya & Ellen Sprenger & Lucas Paulson share five trends that are reorganizing the way funding agencies can work for philanthropic causes. Click to read.

The next Thread will go out on Thursday 18th May. We would love to hear from you! Please contact us by Tuesday 16th May if you would like to share announcements, events, or resources for the next issue. 

Jobs and Tenders

Omidyar Network – Digital Communications Coordinator. Omidyar Network seeks a Digital Communications Coordinator to run the organization’s digital and social media work, including writing, curating, publishing, and editing social media and website content; leading all aspects of newsletter and email campaigns; and crafting other digital and video content. Location: Washington, D.C. (Preferred); Redwood City, CA. Salary: $75,000 in Washington D.C. or $81,000 in Redwood City, CA. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Director, Digital Engagement – Mozilla Foundation The Mozilla Foundation’s Director of Digital Engagement is a strategic and creative thinker passionate about mobilizing a global community of people committed to improving the health of the internet now and for future generations. This role will lead Mozilla’s digital supporter engagement work across the organization, ensuring that we provide a relevant and engaging experience to a wide range of individuals connected to Mozilla. The Director, Digital Engagement is responsible for delivering a compelling, impactful strategy, including meeting online fundraising goals. They are a visible and trusted leader with vision about digital engagement strategies across Mozilla and clearly ‘own’ the digital engagement approach and outcomes. Locations: Remote US, Remote Canada, Remote UK, Remote Germany Salary: Dependent on location. Candidates are encourages to apply as soon as possible.

EDGE Funders Alliance – Executive Director. EDGE Funders Alliance seeks an Executive Director to lead a bold collective vision and strategic planning process of shifting philanthropy to social justice values, collaboratively foster an equitable organizational culture based on intersectional feminist values, and lead the co-creation and execution of an effective strategy that strengthens the financial sustainability of the organisation. Location: Remote (global). Salary: $142,000-147,000. Deadline for applications is 23 April.

Strategic Communication Expert – On the Right Track. On the Right Track is a cross-regional initiative of 20 Women’s Funds from Europe and Latin America, to defend human rights and the values of democracy, freedom and diversity from the attacks of the rising religious conservatism and the right-wing. The coordination team of the On the Right Track project is currectly searching for a Strategic Communication Expert for the next 12 months of implementation. She should communicate the added value produced by women’s funds and grassroots groups working together regional and cross-regionally, showing the values of feminism, highlighting the goals of this Latin American and European project and enhancing hope and social action for democracy. With this action, we aim to increase the availability of funds for the project and to enhance social awareness and action in favor of democracy. Interested people should submit a professional record and a brief proposal to greta@calala.org  before April, 24th, 2023.

Events Manager – Paul Hamlyn Foundation. The Shared Ground Fund was created in 2015 to help ensure those who migrate to the UK can get the support they need to settle and thrive, and that communities experiencing immigration become stronger and more connected. Since 2015, we have awarded over £25 million and supported 160+ organisations. Our work is guided by our Theory of Change, which outlines the aspirations of our Fund, our analysis of how positive change might happen, our role in facilitating that change, and the types of work we are keen to support. Applications from candidates with experience of systemic oppression and/or of immigration to the UK are strongly encouraged. Salary: £33,600 – £36,225 pa. Location: London (hybrid model which requires 2 days per week attendance in the office). Deadline for applications is 24 April.

Deputy Director, Grants Management – Open Society Foundations The Office of Grants Management oversees legal and administrative compliance for the grant-making activity of the Open Society Foundations. We are in a period of transformation with the Grants Management Radical Redesign (GMRR) thus an exciting period of change.  Our staff work with colleagues and grantees to administer 3,000+ new grants every year. We ensure and monitor timely processing of grants and improve grant-making operations through the adoption of innovative technologies and industry best practices, while ensuring the proper implementation of grant making policies and procedures. We train staff and grantees on the use of our grant making system, as well as on procedural and compliance aspects of grant making. We serve as steward for the grant making data and records that the foundation relies on for management, board, and statutory reporting. Salary: $145,100 – $275,700 Location: Hybrid role based in New York. Deadline for applications is 30 April.

Approaches Manager – Pop Culture – Comic Relief. Comic Relief is offering a fantastic opportunity to join our funding team as an Approach Manager. This role will be responsible for overseeing the development of the pop culture for social change work across Comic Relief, including managing a portfolio of pop culture investments (including the Power of Pop Fund – a pooled fund Comic Relief has established with a group of other funders to invest in organisations advancing narrative power and cultural change), supporting our storytelling, narrative change work, fundraising and public engagement agenda and engaging key stakeholders to drive forward the learning and growth of the field in the UK and internationally. Salary: £40,422-£43,015 Location: London (hybrid working organisation). Deadline for applications is 2 May.

Head of Programme, European Energy Transition – Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union office. The Head of Programme will be responsible to design and implement the programme activities. Specifically: Plan, coordinate, implement and evaluate the European Energy Transition Programme in close cooperation with the office Director; Maintain and develop the network of relevant actors in the frame of the programme (including European and German institutions, international organisations and relevant civil society actors, academia); Conducting and/or commissioning policy analysis, research and briefings; Draft concepts for and organise events, conferences, workshops and visiting programmes; Maintain and develop liaisons in the framework of the programme with the headquarters in Berlin and international offices of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung; Manage funds in consultation with the office Director, and in close cooperation with the Financial Manager, including budget planning, expense monitoring, project evaluation and reporting to our funders; Assume principal responsibility for the programme reporting, including regular updates, preparation of reports, and other information. Location: Brussels, Belgium. The deadline for applications is Sunday, 7 May 2023, 23:59 CEST.

Program Officer, Technology and Society – Ford Foundation. The Ford Foundation’s Technology and Society thematic area seeks a globally focused, dynamic, strategic, and collaborative Program Officer to join a team working together to ensure that the internet and digital technologies are increasingly equitable; designed and governed to advance social and economic justice, particularly for those experiencing persistent discrimination. Reporting to the Director, the Program Officer will largely manage a grantmaking portfolio that advances meaningful free expression online, counters unjust surveillance and algorithmic harms, and challenges power asymmetries and inequities in the current structure of internet access and the data economy, with a particular focus on international internet governance systems. The ideal candidates will be grounded in the broad field of technology rights and justice. They will be deeply knowledgeable about topics at the various intersections of technology and social justice, particularly outside of the U.S., and understand the roles that policy advocacy, litigation, organizing, research, narrative shifts, and philanthropy play in advancing social justice. Salary:  $165,000 – $185,000. Location: Hybrid role based in New York. Deadline for applications is 19 May.

Program Officer, JustFilms – Ford Foundation. Ford Foundation’s Creativity and Free Expression (CFE) team is hiring a Program Officer (PO) for its work in global documentary film and emerging media practices as part of its JustFilms initiative. Reporting to the CFE director, this PO works alongside another JustFilms PO and collaboratively with other CFE team members to develop and implement program strategies to achieve significant and scalable impact. The PO helps shape and advance the Foundation’s work at the intersection of non-fiction media and social justice. They assess and analyze the field to identify its key ecosystems, and work with various actors to shape and influence agendas to address strategic problems and opportunities. They also serve as a ‘connector’ of grantees and work with practitioners, government officials, scholars, NGO and business leaders in addition to other donors to leverage positive impact toward strategic goals. Salary: $165,000 – $185,000. Location: Hybrid role based in New York. Deadline for applications is 2 June.

Various positions – La Fondation Abbé Pierre
Various positions – Fondation de France
Various positions – Wikimedia Foundation
Various positions – Open Society Foundations
Various positions – American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
Various positions – Firelight Foundation
Various positions – Mama Cash 

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

Public Meetings

Online

April 20th

Us Too: Funding the Needs and Priorities of LGB+ Women and Non-Binary People. This event will focus on the findings of Human Rights Watch’s first global report on the rights of lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ+) women and non-binary people with Erin Kilbride (HRW LGBT rights Program) in conversation with feminist and queer philanthropy practitioners, Anisha Chugh (Women’s Fund Asia) and Rebecca Fox (Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice). The session is specifically aimed at donors seeking to address the critical LBQ+ funding gap. Date and time:  April 20, 10 am EST/ 4 pm CEST/ 5 pm EAT. Register here.

Sarajevo

June 15th – 17th

POINT Conference POINT Conference is a platform where technology connects with politics, civil society, media and academia. It is the largest conference of this type in the South-East Europe (SEE) region. Since its first edition in 2012, the POINT Conference has become a unique meeting place for civic activists and civil society representatives from SEE, but also from all over the world, as well as a platform for exchanging ideas and innovative solutions to promote an accountable and open society. Register here.

Online

May 3rd

WEBINAR: Insights on Public Opinion on Big Tech and Regulation in Europe
The special funder webinar and discussion will share insights from narrative and public opinion research on digital threats to democracy and social justice in Europe. The research was conducted immediately after the passage of the landmark Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA). Date and time: 3rd May 2023, 2-3pm CEST, 1-2pm BST, 8-9am EDT. Registration.

Online

April 26th

WEBINAR: Moving the Money
What are the current challenges with directing and transferring funds to where it’s most needed and what can we do about it? Join this webinar to learn about some of the real and perceived obstacles to getting timely funding to the Global South, what this means for youth activists and frontline organisations, and how we can overcome these barriers by partnering with trusted intermediaries.
This webinar is hosted by the Climate Justice – Just Transition Donor Collaborative in partnership with HERO Labs, Impatience Earth, Youth Climate Justice Fund, Adeso, KujaLink, and GAYO. Date and time: 26 April 2023, 15:30 – 17:00 BST. Register here.

Madrid

June 8th – 9th

Addressing Statelessness in Europe: Closing Protection Gaps and Realising Everyone’s Right to a Nationality. The pan-regional conference will take place on 8-9 June 2023 at the Universidad Complutense Madrid. The event is organised by The European Network on Statelessness in collaboration with Fundación Cepaim and the Universidad Complutense Madrid. You can read the full programme here. Registration will close on 28 April.

Hybrid (Online / London)

May 11th – 12th

The Extinction or Regeneration Conference will be held Thursday 11 May – Friday 12 May, online and at the QEII Centre, London SW1P 3EE. Compassion in World Farming, IPES-Food, BirdLife International and other partners are hosting this conference about the urgent need for more sustainable methods of food production that can feed future generations, while protecting people, animals and the planet. We need a whole food system approach to providing sufficient nutritious food for everyone. This must remain within the safe operating space of all nine planetary boundaries whilst protecting wild and domestic animals and restoring soils, oceans, forests and biodiversity. In-person tickets cost £250 and online costs £110. Register here.