Ariadne’s Thread – January 2022

Ariadne’s Thread – January 2022
January 20, 2022 Hannah Stevens

January 2022

Ariadne’s Thread is a monthly update of events, briefings and research for social change and human rights funders. 

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Ariadne News & Events

WELCOME, MOLLY! We’re very happy to introduce you to the newest member of the team, Molly Mathews! Molly joined us last week as Ariadne’s Administration and Events Officer, based at Philanthropy House in Brussels. She joins us from her role as Events and Membership Assistant at IFOAM Organics Europe, and her main interests lie in migrant rights, climate justice, and youth engagement. We’re really excited to have Molly with us, and we know you’ll make her feel very welcome! Please do drop her a line to introduce yourself at molly.mathews@ariadne-network.eu.

REGISTER NOW! 2022 ARIADNE FORECAST (ONLINE) ROUNDTABLE MEETINGS: We’re creating the eighth (!) Ariadne Forecast for European Social Change and Human Rights Funders! You are invited to contribute by attending our online roundtables, focusing on Italy (02 February, 11:00-13:00 CET); France (08 February, 14:30-17:45 CET); United Kingdom (09 February, 15:30-17:00 GMT); The Netherlands (10 February, 15:30-17:00 CET); and Germany (time and date to be confirmed), which will focus on relevant trends in the field of social change and human rights at national, European, and global levels and in the philanthropic field itself. We’ll open each meeting with the results of a short survey of pivotal grant-makers in their region. Two to three senior forecasters in each location will then offer expert input and there will be an open discussion between funders. The results of the survey and roundtables will be collated into a 2022 Ariadne Forecast for publication by the end of March. For more details and to register for the location of your choice, please click on the country. Please note these are funder-only events.

FUNDER BRIEFING ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT: Ariadne and the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) invite you to a funder-only briefing on the reform of the UK Human Rights Act. The government has made clear its intention to repeal the Human Rights Act and replace it with a Bill of Rights, expected to be narrower and more restricted in scope. This reform threatens the protection of human rights across the UK and could put vulnerable groups such as refugees and asylum seekers at risk.  At this briefing, human rights experts will share their analysis of the reform process, and participants will discuss the potential role that funders could play in responding to this threat to human rights in the UK. Speakers: Sanchita Hosali, British Institute of Human Rights; Martha Spurrier, Liberty; and Martin O’Brien, Social Change Initiative. Moderator: David Sampson, Baring Foundation. Click here to join us on Tuesday 25th January, 13:00 GMT.

WEBINAR ON UNDERSTANDING AND UPROOTING RACISM IN GRANTMAKING INSTITUTIONS: Multiple systems of power and privilege operate across the European or global contexts in which we work. This webinar will be a chance to learn more about racism and identify internal policies and practices that inhibit equity within foundations’ efforts to support social change and human rights. Whether your organisation has already started anti-discrimination work or is planning to do so, this webinar and the subsequent series are relevant for any organisation working towards social change and human rights. Anyone committed to rooting their work in an intersectional understanding of racism can benefit from participating, and Healing Solidarity Collective strive to create a supportive atmosphere for those trying to introduce these discussions within their own institutions. We will build on the work started in 2020, but please note that the space is open to both newcomers and members who have participated in the webinar and sessions organised last year. The webinar will be the first of a subsequent series of interactive online sessions on racism and racial justice for our members that will be hosted by the Healing Solidarity Collective in the coming months, which you will also learn more about in the webinar. Click here to join us on Thursday 27th January, 15:00-16:30 CET (14:00-15:30 GMT | 09:00-10:30 EDT).

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: ARIADNE MENTORING SCHEME: We are pleased to announce that applications for the fourth year of the Ariadne Mentoring Scheme are now open! If you’d like to join the scheme as a mentee or a mentor, please apply as soon as possible, as spaces are limited to 10 pairs (this cohort will be smaller than normal, allowing us to redesign the scheme for launch later in 2022). Applications will be handled on a first come, first served basis, and will close when the cohort is full.  However, please note that, if we receive multiple mentee applications from an organisation, we may need to prioritise based on need, to ensure accessibility across the network. The full announcement is available on the portal, and you can apply to be a mentee here, or a mentor here.

ARIADNE’S PORTAL: We recently launched Ariadne’s new portal! If you haven’t yet logged in, please do so here (NB: your username is your email address). Need assistance? Take a look at our guide or email portal-help@ariadne-network.eu.

MICRO PORTAL TRAINING SESSIONS: Learn how to use the new Ariadne Portal in this 30-minute training session. Ariadne members are encouraged to join one of these micro training sessions, to find out how to make the most of our new site! To register, click here.

TACKLING VIOLENT EXTREMISM: LESSONS FROM GREECE – WHAT CAN WE LEARN? In December, Ariadne co-hosted a webinar with the Social Change Initiative and the Global Citizens Circle to mark the launch of a new report capturing lessons on how an extremist movement in Greece was defeated by civil society. Social Change Initiative has put together a package of materials arising from the webinar – the SCI HR360 report, a summary article, video extracts, and links to the full webinar.

*To register for Ariadne events, your institution must be a member organisation of Ariadne. For questions regarding your membership status, please contact Hannah Stevens.

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New Research, Articles and Judgements

How to talk about civic space: A guide for progressive civil society facing smear campaigns: The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) has released a new messaging guide for civil society organisations promoting human rights and other progressive causes. It’s full of tips on how to counter smear campaigns and build public support.

Civic space and the global compact for safe, orderly, and regular migration: Last week, the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) published a new white paper on incorporating protection of civic freedom and civic space into the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.

Call for inputs for 50th Human Rights Council: The Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Clement Voule, has issued a call for inputs ahead of his thematic report which will be presented at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council. The report will focus on trends, developments, and challenges regarding the ability of civil society organisations to access resources. As we know, access to foreign funding is a key enabling environment issue and one of particular concern to philanthropy. The deadline for responses is 18th February 2022.

British Institute for Human Rights’ hub on UK Human Rights Act Reform: The British Institute for Human Rights has developed a hub for their action plan, resources and events, and information on how to get involved in their campaign to protect The Human Rights Act.

A rollback for human rights: The Istanbul convention under attack: This report from The Advocates for Human Rights details the backlash to human rights, with a spotlight on the alarming opposition to the Istanbul Convention. The report documents how organised opposition has negatively influenced the debate over ratification and undermined women’s human rights. The report’s findings are based on research from Armenia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Reporting on Kazakhstan’s chaos amid internet shutdowns and violence: This article from openDemocracy details how, in the midst of chaos in Kazakhstan, journalists have been subject to detentions or attacks, while internet blackouts left them unable to communicate for days.

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Blogs and Other Sites of Interest

Rima Lyma for Fine Acts

HUB: Funders Collaborative Hub: The Funders Collaborative Hub has relaunched, to help funders achieve more together. If you work in grant-making, visit the expanded and improved hub to explore more than 60 funder collaboration opportunities, share what you’re working on and reach out to other funders with similar interests. You’ll also find lots of learning and inspiration from funders sharing their experiences of collaborating, and practical tools to guide you through the common stages of developing a funder collaboration.

ARTICLE: What it’s like to live in a country with a near total ban on abortion: As the US teeters on the brink of outlawing abortion, in this openDemocracy article, an expert from Poland explains the practical and emotional consequences of such a ban.

ARTICLE: ‘Gay cake’ case shows power of US Christian Right: This openDemocracy article outlines how an LGBTQ rights activist losing his case at the European Court of Human Rights was due to the work of ‘dark money’ Christian legal armies.

ARTICLE: Alarming new research shows how LGBTI people are affected every day by inequality: Recent data shows that LGBTI young people perceive the labour market with fear and that most LGBTI youth living with their families have experienced violence in different parts of Europe. These are just some of the alarming facts related to the impact of inequality and oppression in LGBTI communities, identified through ILGA-Europe’s ‘No One Left Behind initiative’ and outlined in this article.

PLAYLIST: We do this ‘til we free us: This playlist has songs with themes that are addressed in the book, We Do This ‘Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice.

Do you have a great blog post, case study or podcast you’d like to contribute? We would love to feature it. Email Hannah Stevens at hannah.stevens@ariadne-network.eu.

Grant-Making

Racial justice and social transformation: How funders can act: Ten Years’ Time has published a new report for all those interested in advancing racial justice in the UK. It seeks to inject ambition into the British funding landscape and create a clear roadmap for action. See also, blog, ‘Neo-colonial philanthropy in the UK’.

Centering disability: If the philanthropic sector is to advance social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion, then it must recognise disability as essential to its work. This supplement from Stanford Social Innovation Review offers critical perspectives and recommendations for dismantling ableism.

What the water brings: Lessons on funding young feminist activism on climate and environmental justice: FRIDA’s new report is a holistic reflection based on qualitative participatory research drawing from the wisdom, lessons and dreams of FRIDA grantee partners and institutional donors that support climate and environmental justice work. See also, blog, ‘Feminist friendship as method: Conversations on advisory models in philanthropy’.

Philanthropy and digital civil society: Blueprint 2022: Lucy Bernholtz of the Digital Civil Society Lab has published her 13th annual industry forecast about the ways in which private resources are used for public benefit in the digital age. Each year, the Blueprint provides an overview of the current landscape, points to big ideas that matter, and directs attention to horizons where we can expect some important breakthroughs in the coming year.

Sisterhood feminist principles of philanthropy: The Sisterhood of Urgent Action Funds have developed their feminist principles of philanthropy as their vision of a world in which people and the planet flourish, and bold, vibrant, and resourced social movements bring about the equitable sharing of power and resources among all. These principles speak to their commitment to use their unique positions in philanthropy – as independent feminist funds rooted in their regions – to bring about a world characterised by regenerative and nourishing interdependence, cultures of sharing, and collective care.

On the frontlines of the climate emergency: Where immigrants meet climate change: This new report commissioned by Unbound Philanthropy seeks to inspire justice-oriented funders to invest at the nexus of the climate and immigrant justice movements, with a particular eye to the unique vulnerabilities and contributions of immigrants. Philanthropic investment at this pivotal juncture would help build a healthy and collaborative ecosystem across movements and is both a moral and strategic priority. This can enable forward planning of legal pathways for people who lose their homes; protections and opportunities for workers and communities who are striving to build resilience; and the power to win and implement urgent, equitable, and effective responses to climate challenges. See also, report, ‘Foundation funding for climate change mitigation: Europe spotlight’.

The next Thread will go out on Thursday 17th FebruaryWe would love to hear from you! Please contact Hannah Stevens by Tuesday 15th February if you would like to share announcements, events, or resources for the next issue.

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Jobs and Tenders

England Director (Strategy, Partnerships and Engagement) & England Director (Programmes, Operations and Regions) – National Lottery Community Fund:The National Lottery Community Fund is recruiting for an England Director (Strategy, Partnerships and Engagement) and an England Director (Programmes, Operations and Regions) who together will have shared accountability for the England Directorate’s day-to-day operational delivery and longer-term strategic direction, positively leading the team into its next chapter of growth and development. Location: England. Deadline for application is 30th January.

Head of UK Democracy Fund – Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust: The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust is recruiting for the Head of its UK Democracy Fund. The successful candidate will drive forward the Fund’s ambitious strategy to register and turnout a million people from low voting groups at the next General Election, securing funding for the campaign, building institutional partnerships, and supporting learning and evidence on what works. Location: York, UK. Deadline for applications is 31st January.

Programme Officer, International Human Rights Programme – Oak Foundation: Oak Foundation is looking for a Programme Officer to join its International Human Rights Programme. Recent years have seen a marked deterioration in the quality and substance of political discourse. Human rights (and the liberal values underpinning our rules-based system) have come under sustained attack. These developments have rendered citizens susceptible to demagoguery and political manipulation, and nations easy quarry for potential autocrats. These information challenges have become even more acute in the context of the pandemic. The post holder will be responsible for the development of a new stream of grants within the programme’s strategy to address the production, packaging, and dissemination of malign content (including fake news, deep fakes, and disinformation). Location: London, UK. Deadline for applications is 31st January. Oak Foundation is also recruiting for a Programme Officer, Evidence to Action, Prevent Child Sexual Abuse Programme.

Rights and Justice Grants Committee Members – The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust: Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust is looking to appoint one or two co-opted members to join its Rights and Justice committee from June 2022. JRCT gives £3+ million a year in funding to those who uphold equality and human rights in support of refugees, other migrants and minorities who face the most severe forms of racism. They’re looking for people to help advise on spending this funding. As well as learnt and practised experience, the committee is keen to hear from those who bring a lived experience of life at the margins of society. They particularly welcome applicants from communities that have been marginalised in the UK, including people under 25, people from racialised communities, people with disabilities, refugees, poor and working-class communities, and people from LGBTQ+ communities. Time commitment: 6 days per year (approximately). Pay: Standard day rate of £400. Expenses: All additional expenses are paid, including travel, accommodation and childcare if required. Deadline for applications is 23rd January.

Donor Education Manager – Thousand Currents: Thousand Currents is hiring a Donor Education Manager. This role will be key to mobilising the organisation’s base of 950+ individual and institutional donors to learn, shift practices, and act on three issue areas: climate justice, economic justice, and food sovereignty. Location: Remote. Flexible within the United States and open to outside of the United States. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Conference and Events Manager – Philea: Philea is looking for a Conference and Events Manager. Key responsibilities will include organising annual flagship events in collaboration with the team and membership; facilitating, coordinating, and overseeing internal or external events taking place at Philanthropy House; and supporting the organisation of Philea meetings. Location: Brussels, Belgium. Deadline for applications is 3rd February. Philea is also recruiting for an Operations Department Internship.

Responsable de Programmes et Fondations Transition Ecologique et Solidaire – Fondation de France : La Fondation de France cherche Un Responsable de Programmes et Fondations Transition Ecologique et Solidaire. Les responsabilités du titulaire du poste sont les suivantes : concevoir et mener à bien des programmes de soutien en lien avec la stratégie de missions sociales de la Fondation de France et conseiller les représentants de fondations dans leurs projets de mécénat et dans leurs évolutions. Lieu : Paris, France. Les candidats sont encouragés à postuler dès que possible.

Grants Management Assistant – Wellspring Philanthropic Fund: Wellspring Philanthropic Fund is looking for a Grants Management Assistant to collaborate with and provide administrative support to a Grants Management team of 11, split between New York City and Washington, DC. Location: New York, USA. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Learning Partner – Justice Together: Justice Together is seeking a Learning Partner to work with the initiative to help to identify areas for learning and future funding to make a real difference to the lives of people within the immigration system. The key aims of this learning brief are to agree a clear plan and theory of change for the approach to learning for the initiative, based on existing work; gather initial feedback from grantee partners on how they have found being part of the initiative; and write a short initial one-year report on key findings from grantee partner monitoring reports. Deadline for applications is 7th March.

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Public Meetings

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

21st February
Film as a trigger for social change: Filmpact forges strategic relationships between films and social change organisations to improve our societies. Film and visual stories are powerful empathy machines that can nuance and adjust our view of the world and spur us into action. Together with change organisations and Flemish filmmakers, Filmpact develops and implements impact campaigns, starting from the topics and message of a documentary film, with a particular focus on child welfare, ecology, migration, and identity. In this session, Céline Broeckaert, Impact Producer for Filmpact, will invite participants to think about how films can be best used as a tool for social change. This event will take place on 21st February in Brussels, Belgium.

 

ONLINE

25th January
How to put inclusivity at the heart of your job description process: ‘Diversity’ and ‘inclusion’. Are these words used so often in talent attraction strategies they have almost become meaningless? Despite an increase in awareness of the issues around D&I, actions are not progressing in line with the conversation. So, how can we get serious about this business-critical aspect of not just hiring but development and growth? You are invited to join The HR World, Diversifying, and Maru Search & Consultancy as they investigate these challenges. Participants will leave with tips on how to make a difference to their job description processes right away. This online event will take place on 25th January.

25th – 26th January
Effective philanthropy for advisors: You are invited to attend an interactive workshop on the core principles and practices of effective philanthropy, and how to use Stanford’s Philanthropy Toolkit and other resources to improve client philanthropic engagement, services, and retention. Topics include engaging others, involving family members in a philanthropic giving conversation, finding and vetting organisations, and more. This online event will take place between 25th and 26th January.

26th January
Community call: Digital IDs rooted in justice: In 2021, The Engine Room coordinated a research project investigating civil society advocacy on and around digital ID systems across the globe. The research looked at how organised civil society actors are seeking to shape the design, implementation, and oversight of digital ID systems to eliminate harms to vulnerable populations. With the goal of understanding how justice-based systems might be achieved, they analysed existing digital ID advocacy strategies in Indonesia, Jamaica, Pakistan, and Uganda. You are invited to join the Engine Room for the launch of the report ‘Digital IDs rooted in justice: Lived experiences and civil society advocacy towards better systems’. To share their learnings with civil society organisations, activists, and funders, they’ll be hosting two community calls. In both calls they’ll present their findings, hear from researchers involved in the project, and facilitate a discussion about digital identity and potential advocacy strategies whilst answering questions from the audience. This online event will take place on 26th January.

26th January, 31st January and 8th February
Human Rights Act reform: Ask the experts:
This British Institute for Human Rights (BIHR) event is open to anyone who is interested in Human Rights Act reform. BIHR CEO Sanchita Hosali will be joined by other leading experts in the field of Human Rights, including Martha Spurrier, Director of Liberty and Professor Francesca Klug OBE, Visiting Professor at LSE Human Rights, and an Academic Expert at Doughty Street Chambers. Experts will discuss Human Rights Act reform, present on why it matters and what we can do to protect our rights both pre and post consultation. This online event will take place on 26th January. The British Institute for Human Rights is holding other events on 31st January (Human Rights Act reform: What’s happening, why it matters and what we can do together) and 8th February (Easy Read Workshop: Changes to the Human Rights Act and what we can do together).

31st January
Youth-led interventions: We Belong’s campaign win:
We Belong have been campaigning for a shorter, more affordable route to citizenship for more than four years. In October 2021 came the news that the Home Office will remove the ten-year route to settlement for young people who came to the UK as children and are fully integrated and replace it with a five-year route. This is a major campaign win that could impact over 330,000 children and young people with precarious status in the UK. Young people have spoken truth to power and built relationships with Immigration Ministers and civil servants during this time, organising campaigns, actions and most importantly being strategic in the very hostile environment against migrants in the UK. You are invited to join We Belong as they share key learnings and reflections on their approach to lived experience expertise; specific advocacy interventions and how they develop relationships with the Home Office and parliamentarians; and key learnings for the sector and funders. This online event will take place on 31st January.

2nd February
How the social sector can develop the next generation of BIPOC leaders:
According to a US 2017 study, 87% of executive directors or presidents of non-profit organisations and foundations were white. Ironically, many of these organisations serve Black, Indigenous and People of Colour communities, and the tiers below the senior executive level are often staffed by young BIPOC leaders. Frustrated with the homogeneity of your senior team and don’t know where to start? This session will seek to address how our sector can accelerate the development of BIPOC executive leadership by analysing an often-overlooked factor in the dominant model of leadership development that disadvantages the development of BIPOC leaders: the expectation that organisations develop talent on their own, in an ad hoc manner, and with an individualistic framework. This online event will take place on 2nd February.

ONLINE

9th February
The fight to stop online abuse against women:
Online abuse is a growing problem for many girls and women. Last year, more than a third of women, and almost half of girls and women aged 15 to 25, said they had been cyberstalked, sent explicit images without their consent, or abused online. Many more are coming forward with shocking accounts of violence that leave them traumatised or fearing for their lives, with women of colour being disproportionately affected. Social media giants have pledged to tackle gender-based violence. Is it enough, or should big tech do more to crack down on perpetrators? As a new bill criminalising cyberflashing is set to be published, what more can governments do to protect the online safety of women? Speakers at this Guardian Live event will discuss the issue and explore the tireless and essential work of those leading positive and proactive change. This online event will take place on 9th February.

9th February
2022 welcome meeting with HRC incoming and former presidents:
ISHR and HRCnet are hosting an online welcome meeting with Ambassador Federico Villegas, the incoming President of the Human Rights Council and former president Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan. This will be a unique opportunity for civil society partners, human rights experts, and diplomats to have a conversation with both the incoming and former Presidents of the world’s peak human rights body. The event will include interventions from civil society organisations and an interview of both Presidents based on questions by ISHR and the audience. The event will be in English with simultaneous interpretation in French and Spanish. This online event will take place on 09 February.

10th February
Aligning funding with data equity goals:
You want reliable, data-based answers from an equity-centred process, and you’ve got the money to make it happen. But how will you set up a funding structure that supports those goals, instead of holds them back? And how will you evaluate the power, money, and data flow dynamics that you create? We All Count’s Data Equity Framework contains a suite of tools for assessing and improving the impact of funding structures on any data process, in any sector. Attendees of this webinar will go away with a tool they can implement immediately to explore and improve the way they fund, or deal with funding in their data projects. This online event will take place on 10th February.

1st March
From human rights to digital human rights: A proposed typology:
 ‘The same rights that people have offline must also be protected online’ has in recent years been the dominant concept in international discourse about human rights in cyberspace. But does this notion of ‘normative equivalency’ between the ‘offline’ and ‘online’ afford effective protection for human rights in the digital age? This event from The Centre for Ethics at the University of Toronto will review the development of human rights in cyberspace as they were conceptualized and articulated in international fora and critically evaluate the normative equivalency paradigm adopted by international bodies for the online application of human rights. It will also attempt to describe the contours of a new digital human rights framework, which goes beyond the normative equivalency paradigm, and presents a typology of three ‘generations or modalities in the evolution of digital human rights. This online event will take place on 1st March.

7th – 10th March
MozFest: The Mozilla Festival, affectionately known as MozFest and hosted by the Mozilla Foundation, harnesses the collective power of unexpected partnerships – from analogue artists and public interest technologists to policymakers and neurodiverse activists – to creatively disrupt the status quo and reframe and reimagine our online world. Mozfest believes that together we are stronger and can accomplish more towards our common goal: a healthy internet and Trustworthy AI. You are invited to join the festival to explore what it means to reset, refocus, and refresh: reset your expectations of self and self-care needs during the pandemic; refocus personal and professional goals; and refresh and invigorate our communities when we’re all battling virtual meeting fatigue. The online event will take place between 7th and 10th March.

8th March
Homelessness and rough sleeping in the UK and EU: Taking preventative action and supporting the most vulnerable:
Across Europe and the UK, governments have been forced to deal with increasing rates of homelessness, particularly as a result of Covid-19. Prior to the start of the pandemic, levels of homelessness were already on the rise, with the last decade seeing a rise of 70% in rough sleepers across Europe. As individuals and families across the UK and Europe continue to reckon with the long-term financial consequences of the pandemic, this symposium, organised by Public Policy Exchange, will provide an opportunity for policy makers, professionals from the housing sector, charities, and specialised homelessness agencies to discuss the latest strategies for tackling homelessness and improving the lives of rough sleepers. This online event will take place on 8th March.

22nd – 24th March
Frontiers of social innovation: Power at play in social change:
At this year’s conference, Stanford Social Innovation Review will use power as a lens to examine the strategies and practices commonly used in the field of social innovation today, as well as those emerging approaches that may be more widely used in the future. You are invited to this exchange of ideas as participants examine important topics including power and policymaking; global white privilege; feminism and the climate crisis; empowering communities; trust-based philanthropy; and public interest technologies. This online event will take place between 22nd and 24th March.

Ariadne is supported by the American Jewish World Service, Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Oak Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Sigrid Rausing Trust and Zennström Philanthropies.

Ariadne is also supported by voluntary contributions from its participants.

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