Ariadne News & Events

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER: ARIADNE’S GRANT SKILLS WEEK 2022: What does accountability mean for social justice funders? This year, the event will explore what accountability means for funders and how philanthropy can be more accountable as a sector, building on the commitment to accountability. During the Grant Skills Week 2022 taking place online from 25 to 27 October 2022, we will examine questions about philanthropy’s role in the accumulation and distribution of wealth and its relationship with the movements that it seeks to support. Check out the detailed agenda and register now!

SAVE THE DATE – ARIADNE’S GREAT RECONNECT 2023: We loved seeing many of you in Lille in April and are excited to announce the dates for next year’s Ariadne’s Great Reconnect in Berlin: 28–30 March 2023. While we are working hard on developing a rich program that will include something for everyone, we ask you to save the date!

UNDERSTANDING AND UPROOTING RACISM IN GRANTMAKING INSTITUTIONS: Since the middle of 2020, at Ariadne, we have been working with Healing Solidarity to create a space for you to have more “uncomfortable” conversations about race and ethnicity, and especially racial justice issues within European foundations. During 2021, drop-in sessions were offered for all those who participated in that process. Earlier this year we provided a new series of cohort sessions for those who did not participate previously. The next webinar will take place on 15 November, at 13:00 PM (CET). The last meet-up this year will take place on:
December: Mixed drop-in session: Tues 6 Dec, 1-2.30 pm CET.

NEW BLOG: Grantmakers as Partners in the Struggle to Defend Human Rights in the MENA Region: Check out the latest blog from the Human Rights Grantmaking Principles blog series to learn why is trust a critical component of grants to support human rights in the Middle East and North Africa.

ARIADNE’S PORTAL: Connect and collaborate with other funders on Ariadne’s Membership portal! Log in here. 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.

WEBINAR: SLAPPS IN THE FACE OF EUROPEAN DEMOCRACIES: WHAT FUNDERS NEED TO KNOW TO COUNTER INTIMIDATION LAWSUITS AIMED AT INDEPENDENT, CRITICAL VOICES: Freedom of expression is one of the fundamental rights in any democratic country. In recent years in Europe, we have seen, increasing attempts from wealthy individuals, private companies, and governments to silence critical voices including activists, whistleblowers, human rights defenders, civil society organisations, journalists and independent media. Strategic Lawsuits against Public Participation (SLAPPs) prove to be an effective way for certain actors to silence such voices as the legal, administrative, financial, and psychological burdens that SLAPPs entail diverting individuals and independent organisations from their valuable work. While the European Commission released an anti-SLAPP package and the Council of Europe is preparing anti-SLAPP guidelines for member countries, many civil society and public-interest organisations are still grappling with the issue. Ariadne, in collaboration with Civitates, invites you to join this webinar to understand better the nature of the threat sweeping across European democracies and the variety of actors it affects, get a sense of what is already being done by civil society and private donors to counter this phenomenon and support those who are targeted, and explore what is still missing.
Speakers:

• Ebru Akgün, Program Manager, Adessium Foundation
• CASE Coalition:
  • Matthew Caruana Galizia, Director, Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation
  • Sarah Clarke, Head of Europe and Central Asia, Article 19
  • Shpresa Loshaj, Founder NGO Pishtaret – Torchbearers

Register here for the webinar taking place on the 8^th November at 17:00 CET.

PARTICIPATORY GRANTMAKERS BRUSSELS MEET-UP: Ariadne, EDGE and the Participatory Grantmaking Community are inviting you to join the meet-up on December 8th, 13 – 17 CET. This will be an opportunity to meet fellow funders and come together, build connections, and engage in conversations that we hope improve the work we are all doing to shift power to communities. To book your place, please complete this short registration form.

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

New Research, Articles and Judgements

REPORT: Global Leaders Call for Urgent Action on Gender Equity: The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) and The Rockefeller Foundation released key recommendations from political, nonprofit, and business leaders to advance gender equity. The women leaders offer recommendations to address democratic recession and rising autocracy, the existential threat of climate change, and failing international frameworks.

JUDGMENT: European Court of Justice rules against impounding of search and rescue ships. The European Union’s top court ruled Monday that national maritime authorities cannot impound ships involved in search-and-rescue work on suspicion that they might be overloaded due to the number of migrants they plucked from the sea. Read the judgment here.

REPORT: Building the field of philanthropy and gender justice in Latin America and the Caribbean: A new report from ELLAS – Women and Philanthropy entitled Building the field of philanthropy and gender justice in Latin America and the Caribbean offers a wealth of information on the growing movements in these regions of the world. The report is available in Spanish.

ARTICLE: Giving with trust: how philanthropy can transform power relations: In this article Ise Bosch and Claudia Bollwinkel reflect how philanthropy can repeat oppressive patterns or transform donor-recipient relations by giving decision-making power and trust along with money. Click to read more.

REPORT: Humanitarian Accountability Report 2022: Accountability is Non-Negotiable: The report draws on seven years of accountability data analysis, system-wide studies and expert thought. It is an evidence-based overview of the current state of accountability in the aid system, providing a critical opportunity to see the trends, patterns, weaknesses, and strengths. Read it here.

ARTICLE: Building sustainable revenue in community-based organizations: lessons from the legal empowerment field: The Open Society Foundation shares key lessons from its work supporting organizations that are experimenting with earned income models. Click to access the article.

REPORT: Dollars and Dissent: Donor Support for Grassroots Organizing and Nonviolent Movements: Around the world, more people than ever before are using nonviolent collective action to secure rights, achieve justice, and build democracy. Drawing on in-depth interviews and surveys with donors and grantees, the report outlines trends in donor support and details how donors’ values, organizational structures, and perceptions of risk affect their support for the work of grassroots organizers and nonviolent social movements. Read more.

Blogs and Other Sites of Interest

REPORT: “Wherever we go, someone does us harm”: Violence against refugee and migrant children arriving in Europe through the Balkans: This report, by the 2021 SVRI Grantee, presents in-depth research into the level and types of violence that children experience while attempting to reach Western Europe via the Balkans route, the circumstances of that violence, and the policies and practices that exist to support children. Read more.

PODCAST: The Case for Connecting Global Philanthropy to Feminist Movements: Listen to this conversation with Pamela Shifman of Shake the Table and Nidhi Sahni of Bridgespan, and Denver Frederick, the Host of The Business of Giving, in which they discuss the findings of the Lighting the way report.

ARTICLE: Key takeaways from the latest snapshot of the humanitarian system: In this article you will find an assessment the state of the international humanitarian system based on the State of the Humanitarian System report. 

OPINION: The future is in collective impact investing: Juan Carlos Lozano, Founder and CEO and Catalina Garau, Head of Growth at Innpactia share how they have focused on impact investing to create a digital platform where donors and projects can connect with each other. Read more here.

TED TALK: The newly released TED talk, ‘Your Invitation to Disrupt Philanthropy‘, delivered by Sara Lomelin, CEO at Philanthropy Together (USA) showcases a new era in philanthropy that is shaped by greater diversity and democracy in our society and fueled by a change in who gives and what issues receive funding.

ARTICLE: Why nonprofits want an international accounting standard: Through a collaboration, Humentum and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, have developed the International Non-Profit Accounting Guidance. The process began in 2014, and a draft of the guidance is due in November. Then, after comments and revisions, the idea is to have the final version ready by 2025 — and to have 10 countries adopt the guidance by 2030. Read more.

PODCAST: BCSDN Podcast Series: Explaining Western Balkans – 22 Years on the Edge of Democracy: This episode focuses on the benchmarks that contoured the timeline of events leading to the rapid decline of civic space and the endangerment of civic freedoms in Serbia. Read more and listen here.

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

World Giving Index 2022: More than 3 billion people across the globe did last year, the highest ever recorded! Interested to learn more? Click here for the full World Giving Index report.

Global Nonprofits Guide: DLA Piper, European Center for Not-for-Profit Law Stichting (ECNL), and PILnet are delighted to introduce a free tool for navigating nonprofit laws around the world. The Global Nonprofits Guide will help you unpack the laws worldwide for different forms of nonprofits, the registration process, internal governance structures, and compliance with employment and tax regulations. New countries are added on rolling basis!

Policy paper: Philanthropy can be a Solution to Making Localisation a Reality: From the authors: “This policy briefing is offered as a think piece to prompt further, future reflection by international and domestic actors in development cooperation and humanitarian aid about how they each can act to reinforce local philanthropy to further genuine and sustainable localisation.” Access it here.

The Future of Family Philanthropy: In a time of complicated transitions and historical opportunities, philanthropic families must reflect on their purpose, pace, power, and practices. Read more.

Decolonising Philanthropy – what and how? – webinar recording: Check out the webinar recording from the discussion on what does it mean to decolonize philanthropy, how should it be understood in different contexts, how should it be decolonized, and more.

Investing in community organising nourishes social movements from the ground up: In this moment of urgency facing different crises, philanthropy is once again wondering how to respond. The author of this article points out that one answer has remained for as long as we’ve been asking this question: invest in community organizing as the route to authentic and sustainable movements. Click to read.

Funders must reckon with the true motivations of philanthropy if they want to decolonise: “Over the years, most of us have been taught the ‘golden rule’: do to others what you want them to do to you. But this needs to be challenged. Last year, during an incredibly inspiring conversation as part of the Thousand Currents Academy, I heard something that stayed with me and has influenced us at The Womanity Foundation. This is the ‘platinum rule’: do to others what they want to be done to them.” Continue reading.

Radical Love: The Case for Funding Trailblazing Feminists Themselves: Mama Cash shares the story about the development of their Radical Love Fund that launched in August 2022. The fund aims to support individual trailblazing feminist activists who are coordinating or catalysing projects in their own right. With this Fund, Mama Cash aims to show how the work of individual feminist activists working independently or in informal networks have always been and will continue to be part of the bedrock of innovative, creative and groundbreaking activism. Read more.

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

Jobs and Tenders

VP of Finance – Global Fund for Women: The VP of Finance oversees the finance and accounting functions of the organization. She/he/they ensures the Finance and Administration team’s workflow, resources, and systems are integrated with and supportive of organizational vision and strategic goals. She/he/they provides support to the Board of Directors’ Finance, Investment, and Audit committees. The VP of Finance is a member of the Executive Team and works collaboratively with other Executive Team members. She/he/they provides senior counsel to the Executive Team and senior management on issues related to the Finance & Administration team. Location: San Francisco or New York, California, USA. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Global AI Policy Lead – Mozilla Foundation: The Global Lead, AI Policy + Government Relations advances Mozilla’s policy goals in line with our organization’s global Trustworthy AI strategy. Currently, our global policy work is concentrated in the US and EU, with plans to expand to India, Brazil, and Kenya. The Lead will develop and implement effective strategies for bringing Mozilla’s AI policy research and recommendations to the attention of global policymakers, particularly in these key countries/regions. The Lead will work closely with Mozilla Foundation executives, program staff and the Mozilla Corporation’s Global Policy team. The Lead reports to the Mozilla Foundation’s Vice President, Advocacy. Location: Strong preference for candidates based in North America with proximity to Washington, D.C. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Grants Manager: Youth Fund – Paul Hamlyn Foundation. We are recruiting a full-time Grants Manager, with a focus on investing in the development and growth of organisations supporting young people. As a Grants Manager you will be the main point of contact between funded organisations and the Foundation. This role will assess applications for funding and manage and monitor a portfolio of grants awarded including, agreeing appropriate grant goals, analysing monitoring reports and visiting projects to see impact of work in action. You will also take an active and developmental role with colleagues and with the organisations we support to help build their capacity, enhance the effectiveness of their work and to maximise learning within and across grant themes. To be considered for this role, you will have demonstrable working experience within the youth sector and/or proven grants management experience with knowledge of policy and best practice in the area of young people. Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to give empathetic and constructive feedback is key, as is ability to analyse and synthesise complex information quickly and effectively. You will also have a good understanding of organisational dynamics and how they apply to developing business models, capacity and long-term sustainability. Location: London/Hybrid. Deadline for application is 23 October 2022.

Program Officer, Intersex Human Rights Fund (IHRF) – Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice: Astraea seeks a dedicated, passionate, and collaborative Program Officer to sustain our Intersex Human Rights Fund (IHRF) and join our program team. Working with the Intersex Fund and the program team, the Program Officer, IHRF will be responsible for managing relationships with grantee partners, providing support and accompaniment, engaging in capacity building and advocacy in philanthropy, and participating in learning and evaluation of IHRF and Astraea’s programs. The program officer reports to Astraea’s Associate Director, IHRF. Location: Remote. Deadline for application is 24 October 2022.

Regenerative Landscapes and Agriculture Sub-programme, Environment Programme Consultants – Oak Foundation: Under the guidance of the director of the Environment Programme, the consultant will design and implement the Regenerative Landscapes grant-making strategy, which will contribute to the overall Environment Programme strategy. The consultant will develop the first set of grants for the 2023 funding cycle, while concurrently working with the Trustee, President, and Environment Programme director to develop a strategy for the programme. The grant portfolio will initially be for USD 2.5 million, with a planned progression of 20 per cent per annum in subsequent years. Location: Remote. Deadline for application is 30 October 2022.

Various positions – Wellspring Philanthropic Fund
Various positions – Fondation de France
Various positions – Wikimedia Foundation

Strategy Consultant – IEFG.  IEFG started in 2008 through member efforts to informally convene foundations and donor advised funds that support education outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. IEFG has grown dramatically in recent years. It now connects over 100 organisations, whose ideas, energy and engagement make IEFG a member-led group facilitated by a small secretariat. IEFG’s purpose is to help private funders have stronger voice and impact in education by supporting their strategic analysis and thinking, informing their grantmaking, and providing opportunities for collective learning and action. This year is pivotal for IEFG, with several strategic questions emerging as the group – and wider philanthropy field – evolves This call for proposals seeks consultant or small team of consultants to conduct essential background work and brainstorm support that will inform IEFG’s direction for the next strategic period. In so doing, this work will inform and shape the wider education philanthropy ecosystem. Location: Remote. Deadline for application is 31 October.

Communications Support – Digital Freedom Fund (DFF).  The Digital Freedom Fund (DFF) works to advance digital rights through strategic litigation in Europe. We do this through grants that support the legal, advocacy, research, and other costs involved in litigation; through facilitating skill development and networking in the digital rights field; and through facilitating litigators’ access to pro bono legal support. We also co-drive a process to decolonise the digital rights field, which informs all our work. The initiative focuses on the need to reflect on the way in which uneven power dynamics, exclusion, and privilege play out in our field, including how these shape the way in which digital rights are conceived and how they are protected. As part of our work in facilitating skill development and networking, we organise several events, including an annual strategy meeting, litigation retreats, workshops, and virtual meetings to collaboratively strategise on litigation across different digital rights issues. We are seeking a Communications Support to assist in the implementation of our communications strategic plan. The position will run for six months, and the Communications Support will work directly with the Communications Lead. Location: Remote. Deadline for application is 31 October.

Finance Manager – Media Defence. We are looking for a talented and personable finance professional to oversee Media Defence’s day-today financial management. The Finance Manager has a central role in the organisation, ensuring that financial information is provided in a timely manner to the Management Team and the Board of Trustees to enable them to make decisions, working with the Development Team to support fundraising and donor reporting, and with the Grants Team to evaluate grant applications and financial reports of our grantees. The Finance Manager is assisted in this by the Finance and Administration Officer and the Programme Finance and Compliance Officer. The Finance Manager will have excellent communication and organisation skills and is able to motivate and support the development of team members. Location: London/Hybrid. Deadline for application is 4 November 2022.

Fund Director – Civitates: We are looking for a forward-thinking leader with experience in the philanthropic and civil society sectors in Europe. As the Fund Director steering this initiative, you will strengthen, cultivate and help to grow this funder partnership by scouting opportunities in the field and acting on donors’ engagement in close collaboration and support from NEF. You will empower the civil society organisations you work with to identify, design, and implement grants and convenings that address issues related to protecting and enhancing democracy. The Fund Director will be driving the strategic review of the Fund to contribute to the design and implementation of its next funding period 2024-2028 (currently three lines of work: strong and resilient civil society, healthy digital public sphere, and independent public interest journalism). The Fund Director manages a small team of two programme managers hosted at the Philanthropy House, Brussels. He/she collaborates actively with the other philanthropic initiatives hosted at NEF.  Location: Brussels, Belgium. Deadline for application is 23 of November of 2022.

Various positions – Open Society Foundations.
Various positions – American Jewish World Service (AJWS)
Various positions – Ford Foundation
Various positions – National Lottery Community Fund
Various positions – Urgent Action Fund for Women’s Human 

*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

25^th to 27^th October

Ariadne’s Grant Skills Week 2022: Ariadne’s annual Grant Skills Week is an opportunity for funders to delve more deeply into their grantmaking practice and to gain practical advice and skills relating to a specific aspect of their work. As one of Ariadne’s flagship events, it is attended by social change and human rights funders from across Europe with an interest in developing their own skills and the practices of their foundation. This year, the event will explore what accountability means for funders and how philanthropy can be more accountable as a sector, building on the commitment to accountability outlined in our Human Rights Grantmaking Principles, co-developed with the Human Rights Funders Network and Gender Funders CoLab. During the Grant Skills Week 2022 taking place online 25 to 27 October 2022, we will examine questions around philanthropy’s role in the accumulation and distribution of wealth and around its relationship with the movements that it seeks to support. Check out the detailed agenda and register here!

20^th October

Engagement of Indigenous Peoples at COP27. There is a need for continued, Indigenous-centered, collaboration between Indigenous Peoples and philanthropic communities to contribute to mitigating climate change. IFIP’s Virtual Dialogue on the “Engagement of Indigenous Peoples at UN COP27” will provide a curated space for funders and Indigenous partners to explore and co-create the next action steps, especially while preparing for the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference to be held in November 2022. This will expand the sphere of influence of Indigenous Philanthropy that centers on Indigenous self-determination and wellbeing to alleviate poverty and help secure a sustainable future. Register here for this event taking place on 20 October 2022 at 08:00 AM PT.

Online

27^th October

What’s All the Fuss About Participatory Grantmaking? Making Sense of This Evolving Practice  While Participatory Grantmaking is no longer a new concept, it continues to gain attention and evolve within the field of philanthropy. Grantmakers of all kinds are eager to learn more about how they might embed participatory practices into their own funding programs. Join Blackaud Grantmaking for this in-depth and interactive webinar as they host Katy Love and Diana Samarasan, two independent philanthropy consultants—both deeply experienced in participatory grantmaking—who will share the origins of this practice, key components and practices, the benefits and the challenges, some soft-expressed perceived barriers or confusions about the practice and tangible examples.  The knowledge that this panel will share will be of interest to any and all staff levels of community, corporate, independent & family foundations. Register here for this event taking place on 27 October 2022 at 14:00 CET.

15^th November & 6th December

EDRI (EUROPEAN DIGITAL RIGHTS), ‘OPEN HOUSE’ FOR FUNDERS. EDRi is the largest network of civil society organisations active in Europe to put forward a vision of a world in which people live with dignity and vitality in the digital age.  EDRi will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2023, maturing into a dynamic and resilient collective of NGOs, experts, advocates and academics working to defend and advance digital rights and freedoms across Europe. EDRi has made a substantive change to promoting human rights and freedoms in a fast-paced regulatory ecosystem, with a global effect.
The scale of crises we are currently facing – securitisation, climate, energy price and inflation, weaponisation of human rights, attacks on the rule of law and democracy  – calls for acting in solidarity, joining forces and emboldening steps to resist unprecedented abuse of power. EDRi – members, team, partners, supporters and community – will continue (re)claiming open and inclusive digital environments for people, democracy and the planet.  You are an experienced digital rights funder and want to strategise on future partnerships and funding areas? You are funding other fields and want to understand how digital technologies are impacting your programmes?
Come meet us and see how you can join the community and support the movement.
You can RSVP for the Open House (specifying which session you would like to attend – 15 November from 2.30 to 4pm CET or 6 December from 5 to 6.30pm CET, or if you want to join both) by emailing Katarina, katarina.bartovicova@edri.org. We look forward to hearing from you by 25 October.