Ariadne News & Events

Ariadne’s 2024 Forecast, celebrating 10 years of forecasts for European Social Change and Human Rights Funders is here!

We invite you to read 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.

Join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #2024AriadneForecast, or get in touch with Jana Stardelova to write a blog for us.

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

New Research, Articles and Judgements

Media Defence: Journalist Impact Report: Media Defence published key insights from their 7th Journalist Impact Survey. The report shares findings on the impact of their legal and financial help, as well as trends affecting the journalists they support around the world. Read more.

Catalyst: Tech Justice Report: The latest report exposes digital disparities, urging for transformative solutions to empower all in the digital age. Looking at private foundations and public donors, this mapping reveals the absence of actionable data tracking what is being funded and by whom, making it difficult to identify gaps, and calls for the development of space for sharing and coordination, among public and private donors, and with civil society. Access it here.

EIIP and Bates Wells launch EDT Principles to address legal power imbalance: EIIP and Bates Wells are delighted to launch the Equalising Deal Terms Investor Key Principles, which aim to address power imbalances between impact investors and their investees arising from current practices related to impact investment terms, legal documents and processes. The two-year Equalising Deal Terms project, supported by the Connect Fund was undertaken by Bates Wells (with the leadership of Sung-Hyui Park) and EIIP (led by Rana Zincir Celal), with the invaluable collective guidance of the EDT Reference Group.

Urgent Action Fund (UAF): New campaign – Feminist Activism Without Fear: UAF launched a new initiative, Feminist Activism Without Fear: Facing Risks with Collective Power and Care which shares the stories of feminist activists and provides insights into how to support those at risk through a lens of care and connectivity.

CIVICUS: State of civil Society Report 2024: This year’s report, the 13th in the annual series, looks back at 2023 to identify trends in civil society action, at every level and in every arena, from responses to conflicts and struggles for democracy, inclusion, and climate justice to demands for global governance reform. Available in English, Français and Español.

Center for Disaster Philanthropy: “Observing International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination with a call for action”: On the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Alex Gray, director of international funds, and Sally Ray, director of domestic funds, drew attention to how the systemic issues of colonialism, marginalisation and discrimination both cause and exacerbate the negative humanitarian impacts of disasters and crises. They share four ways donors can eliminate racial discrimination when supporting long-term recovery to build a more just world where all communities can better withstand disasters. Read more.

OHCHR: Guide to Sex Workers’ Rights: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the highest standard of physical and mental health (SR health), the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (IE SOGI) and the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls (WGDAWG) compiled and released a Guide on the Human Rights of Sex Workers. The guide offers an accessible overview of key issues in sex work, e.g. impacts of criminalisation, stigma, and different legal models.

Blogs and Other Sites of Interest

The Engine Room: Reflections on 2023 support trends: Last year, The Engine Room supported 85 social justice and civil society partners with targeted advice, guidance and connections. Navigating emerging technologies and adopting responsible data practices continued to be key themes. Read more here.

Election Tech Handbook 2024: Through curated insights, best practices, and practical tips, the Election Tech Handbook is a vital hub for navigating the complexities of election technology for the upcoming UK general election.

Public dialogue on trust in digital identity services: The UK Department for Science, Innovation & Technology has published a report from a public dialogue on trust in digital identity services. A group of 96 participants, broadly reflective of the UK population, were engaged in discussion over six online workshops. The report summarises the dialogue findings and explores policy implications. 

The New Humanitarian: The Yemen Listening Project: This project will take you into the heart of a long-neglected conflict, with around 100 stories, poems, testimonies, and other messages from Yemenis who live with war. Access the website here.

PreventConnect: Disability justice: Ableism and systems of harm: This Podcast episode is the first in a two-part series, exploring Disability Justice as a fundamental value in the anti-sexual and intimate partner violence movement, in honour of National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month.

Article: How Omidyar Network is working to shift beliefs about capitalism and our economy: A new article explores how Omidyar Network embedded narrative change into its grant-making strategy and what that looks like in its Reimagining Capitalism focus area.

New Independent Human Rights Fund for Scotland: The new fund will help realise and defend rights, and tackle issues affecting people’s daily lives. It will focus on people whose rights are most at risk and support the use of human rights as a tool for change. The Fund is supported by a partnership of: AB Charitable Trust, The Baring Foundation, The Binks Trust, Cattanach, Corra Foundation, The Robertson Trust and William Grant Foundation. It is hosted by Corra Foundation. Learn more.

The Tough Laugh X Tough Law Podcast: The podcast explores the stories of press cartoonists and the dangers they face to make us laugh – and think. Created by Italian cartoonist, Emanuele Del Rosso (Cartooning for Peace member) and Federica Testi – with the support of Media Defence, UNESCO and Isocrates Foundation. Media Defence has participated in each episode to discuss how the law can be wielded to criminalise the work of cartoonists.

Nonprofit Quarterly Magazine: Experiences of Black Women Leaders: Nonprofit Quarterly has dedicated its Spring 2024 magazine to sharing stories and insights that shed light on how organisations and the philanthropic sector can operate in ways that are more just and effective.

Balkan Insight: “Schengen in Sights, EU and Frontex Overlook Violent Bulgarian Pushbacks”: Balkan Insight investigates“Internal documents show Frontex and the European Commission are well aware of Bulgaria’s dire human rights record on its border with Turkey, but the EU’s executive arm had other priorities – expanding Schengen.”

MADRE: “Gaza is the Most Dangerous Place in the World to Give Birth”: MADRE recently shined a spotlight on the pregnancy and childbirth crisis facing Palestinians in Gaza for a feature article in Sojourners Magazine. MADRE’s policy and campaigns officer, Kate Alexander, described the dire situation for the magazine. Read the article here.

Grant-Making

Unrestricted funding in practice series: Under the bonnet of unrestricted with The Bromley Trust: In this series, funders share their thinking about unrestricted funding and invite their funded partners to reflect on the differences it makes. This is the fourth in a series of case studies with contributions from Alexandra Parker and Laura Roling – The Bromley Trust, Naomi Delap – Birth Companions and Penny Parker – StandOut. Learn more here.

CEP Research: Funding Nonprofit Endowments:  Fewer than a third of foundations fund nonprofit endowments, according to new CEP research, and for those that do, these grants represent a small fraction of their giving.

Global Greengrants Fund Report – “A Holistic Approach to Funding Women Environmental Defenders”: The new report offers an overview of the dire state of funding at the intersection of women, the environment, and gender-based violence, and makes concrete recommendations for a more holistic philanthropic approach to supporting WEDs. Access it here.

Blog: Collaborative learning about investing for environmental impact: Jenny Sansom from Environmental Funders Network and Tom Colborne from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation share progress from the Environmental Finance and Learning Fund. They talk about the projects that have been supported and how the group are learning together to invest in environmental impact. Read more.

Media Defence’s Visual timeline: Learn more about Media Defence’s 15-year history with their immersive visual timeline, charting milestones in championing press freedom and safeguarding journalists’ rights globally. Discover their ongoing impact and vision for safeguarding press freedom and journalist safety in the face of escalating threats.

MADRE: 40^th years of advancing gender justice: MADRE envisions a world where women, girls, and people who are marginalised fully participate in shaping policies and decision-making, their expertise and leadership is recognised and upheld, and they equitably hold power and resources within their communities. Learn more about their work on advancing gender justice here.

Civitates: Investing in Change: Understanding and Enhancing Support for Civic Space in Europe: As part of its strategy refresh, Civitates commissioned a study to better understand the funding landscape for civil society organisations working to protect and advance civic space in the EU. Looking at private foundations and public donors, this mapping reveals the absence of actionable data tracking what is being funded and by whom, making it difficult to identify gaps, and calls for the development of space for sharing and coordination, among public and private donors, and with civil society. Learn more.

OECD: No strings attached? Making sense of flexible financing in philanthropy: This paper critically looks at philanthropic financing to establish which donors are making the shift, which are not, and what explains the differences. Based on data from over 180 private philanthropic donors from 32 countries, and historical yearly giving from 20 large international foundations, the report finds flexible financing to be uncommon, around 19% of all funding between 2016 and 2019. Read more and access the report here.

EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA): Consultation on funding for the promotion, protection and enforcement of fundamental rights: In 2024, the European Commission’s Annual report on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (‘2024 Charter report’) will be dedicated to funding to promote, protect, and enforce fundamental rights in the EU. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) will contribute to the report with the results of a consultation with its civil society network. Learn more and fill out the survey here. The deadline is 30 April.

Jobs and Opportunities

Fondation de France – Senior Officer, Institutional Projects and Studies. Fondation de France is seeking a Senior Officer to support the team with writing studies and reports in French on the sector and major social trends, connecting with major philanthropic networks internationally, favoring multi-stakeholder dialogue in France, partnering with researchers and academic institutions in France and Europe. Location: Paris, France. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Global Fund for Women – Vice President, Development & Co-Lead, Global Partnerships. The VP of Development is part of the Executive Team that drives Global Fund for Women’s strategy to center movements and shift power. Together with the VP of Programs, the VP of Development co-leads the Global Partnerships Team, which mobilises and deploys resources in response to movements’ needs through diverse initiatives and partnerships worldwide. In partnership with the CEO, this position is responsible for the organisation’s fundraising and development activities, providing strategic leadership to meet the organisation’s annual fundraising goals. Salary: $160,000 – $248,000. Location: United States, Remote. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Trust for London – Trustees. Trustees play a critical role in the work of the Trust for London. They set the strategy of the organisation and ensure that the endowment is used effectively. The Trust is looking for three new trustees to help them on the next stage of their journey. Candidates with experience in human resources and diversity, equity and inclusion, charity finance, and social investment are invited to apply. Salary: All reasonable travel and subsistence expenses relating to Trust for London duties and responsibilities will be reimbursed in full. Location: London, UK. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

JRCT – Interim Chief Executive. JRCT is recruiting an interim chief executive to play an important role in creating a more peaceful, just and equitable society. The interim chief executive should be available to start as soon as possible and be available for a minimum of 12 months. At present, the role has two direct reports: head of people and operations and head of finance and investment. Salary: £119,000 (pro rata for part-time – minimum 0.8). Location: Flexible within the UK with regular travel to York and London expected. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Ford Foundation – Special Assistant, Office of the Vice President. The Office of the Vice President  (OVP) for US Programs (USP) is hiring a Special Assistant (SA) to proactively support the Vice President and OVP through efficient management of budgets, administrative processes, and staff organisational practices. Reporting to the Director, OVP, the SA is a highly organised administrator who manages heavy scheduling, travel planning, calendar management, and budget tracking for the OVP and other senior staff. Additionally, the SA collaborates closely with senior colleagues, foundation offices, and external entities to facilitate planning, provide guidance on administrative procedures and policies, and ensure coordinated support across divisions. Salary: $96,000 – $111,000. Location: New York, USA. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Global Fund for Women – Communications Consultant, Caribbean Feminist Climate Justice Movement (Remote). In consultation with the CMLA communications subcommittee, the Communications Consultant, Caribbean Feminist Climate Justice Movement will support the CMLA Advisory Committee with the implementation of a communication and marketing strategy and produce communications and marketing materials with a short turnaround time, high quality, and in close adherence to CMLA’s Advisory Committee’s intersectional feminist ethos and values. Salary: $10,000. Deadline for applications is 19 April.

Global Dialogue – Trustees. Global Dialogue has a friendly and collegiate board with a range of expertise and experience. Although trustees occasionally meet in person in London, most board meetings are held online and remote participation is always possible, and we welcome applications from outside the UK. Global Dialogue has a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and always value applications from people with personal experience of the issues their hosted programmes seek to address. Deadline for applications is 30 April.

JRCT – Four Power and Accountability committee members with expertise in corporate accountability (x2 roles), democracy, and the media. The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) wishes to appoint four co-opted members to join the Power and Accountability committee from October 2024. They will have expertise relating to corporate accountability and reform, democratic accountability and reform, and power and accountability and the media. Salary: Day rate of £475/six days’ work per year. All additional expenses are paid. Deadline for applications is 09 May.

Network of European Foundations – Admin & Payroll Officer. The NEF Admin and Payroll Officer is an active team member of the NEF operations team. They are responsible for supporting the management of the payroll and HR support functions across projects teams. They support the NEF finance & resources senior manager in fulfilling the financial and administrative tasks (payments, reconciliation of expenditures, liaison with main providers…) of the organisation. They are responsible for the office management. Salary: €39.000 to €44.500. Location: Brussels, Belgium. Deadline for applications 19 May.

The National Lottery Community Fund – Head of Community Wealth Fund. The Fund is looking for an experienced and ambitious leader to lead the new Community Wealth Fund, created with funding from Dormant Assets. You’ll lead a team comprised of new and existing staff members working on this priority. Working closely with partner organisations, experienced people and organisations in the field, and Government you will lead the design, development, launch and delivery of a large programme improving the lives and aspirations of people and communities across England.  You will have a strong understanding of the aspirations of a Community Wealth Fund as set out in the recent Government consultation. As well as the leadership skills to drive progress, ability to articulate the ambitions to various audiences, and analyse learning and evaluation to maximise benefit. Salary: £51,039 – £56,142. Location: UK. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Various roles – American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
Various roles – Fondation de France
Various roles – Ford Foundation

*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.

Events

Online

18 April

Global Fund for Human Rights: ‘A Conversation on Climate Justice’. Indigenous activists in Central America are on the front lines of climate justice, but often face threats and violence. The Global Fund for Human Rights is organising a live conversation with two long-time grantee partners who are courageously defending the environment and human rights. Participants: Communities for Integrated Development of the Ch’orti Region (Asociación Coordinadora de Asociaciones y Comunidades para el Desarollo Integral de la Región Ch’orti)—a grassroots group fighting for Indigenous peoples’ land rights and sustainable development in Guatemala; Black Fraternal Organization of Honduras (Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña)—an organisation protecting the environment and rights of the Afro-Indigenous Garifuna community in Honduras. Date & time: 18 April, 15:00 ET. Location: Zoom: Register here.

Perugia, Italy

17-21 April

International Journalism Festival

From 17 to 21 April, journalists worldwide will gather for the International Journalism Festival in Perugia again.

• 18^th April Panel: Defending the defenders – upholding justice in the face of lawfare. Speakers include Media Defence CEO, Carlos Gaio, alongside Caoilfhionn Gallagher, Karuna Nundy, Jose Zamora and Antonio Zappulla.
• April 19^th and 20^th Safety Clinics: Media Defence CEO, Carlos Gaio will be among the experts offering free safety clinics to independent journalists and editors. These 1-2-1 consultations, organised by the ACOS Alliance, are a rare opportunity to receive personalised safety guidance from leading experts.

Online

24 April

Shaping the future of Europe’s climate justice movement: The next generation of environmental defenders.
Join Systemic Justice for a deep dive into the collective power of youth movements for justice. The episode spotlights the creative resilience and resistance of young people fighting for climate justice. Speakers: Salam El Youssef and Denise Mundia Sala. Learn more and register here.

Accra Ghana

23-25 April

Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum

• April 24^th Panel: Safeguarding Independent Journalism: Cross-Regional Reflections on Litigating Digital Rights. Media Defence Training Officer Hanna Uihlein, will moderate the panel. With representatives from CSO’s across Africa, the panel will explore the role of legal support for journalists in sub-Saharan Africa and discuss challenges and opportunities these organisations have encountered.

Online

2-4 May

World Press Freedom Day

• 2^nd May Side Event: Join Media Defence’s member event – Profiling and surveillance: a renewed challenge to freedom of expression for the use of new technologies.
• 2^nd May Side Event: Article19’s side event – International Cooperation for the Pursuit of Innovative Solutions for the Protection of Environmental Journalists and Communicators.