Ariadne's Thread
Ariadne’s Thread is a monthly update of events, briefings and research for social change and human rights funders.
Ariadne news & events
- Webinar: How Investor-State Dispute Settlement Undermines Human Rights and Harms the Planet. Date & time: 23 October, 10:00 EST| 15:00 BST | 16:00 CEST. Register via our Community Hub.
- Register now: Ariadne’s 2024 Grant Skills Day & Networking Dinner “Grant Skills Day: Confronting Europe’s Shifting Landscape—Are We Ready?”. Date: 13 November. Location: London, United Kingdom. Register via our Community Hub.
- Location announcement: Ariadne’s 2025 Reconnect will take place in Zagreb, Croatia from 8-10 April 2025 supported by Solidarna. Save the date and we look forward to seeing you there!
New research, articles and judgements
“Expanding Our Understanding of Evidence for Meaningful Participation” report: This report, was co-authored by Trimita Chakma, Georgia Booth, and Ruby Johnson, commissioned by Porticus and produced in partnership with Closer Than You Think Collective. This report aims to expand our understanding of evidence in two key ways. It explores and consolidates existing evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of participatory approaches in contributing to social change efforts and transforming philanthropic practices. Second, it proposes a new tool for evaluating the quality of evidence in a more inclusive manner.
Migration Policy Group (MPG)’s report “Unpacking Structural and Institutional Racism in 8 EU Member States”: MPG report exposes the pervasive, yet often overlooked, forms of racism embedded within the structures of society across eight EU member states: Czechia, Germany, Greece, Latvia, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain, and Sweden.
Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) “Bridging the Gap: Grantee Perspectives on Intermediary Funders” report: This work represents the largest study of grantee experiences with intermediary funders to date and raises important considerations for intermediaries and originating funders alike. The information was gathered from 3,444 grantees of 24 intermediary funders. In total 62,138 grantees from 364 funders were surveyed.
Global Witness “Missing voices – The Violent Erasure Of Land And Environmental Defenders” report: More than 2,000 land and environmental defenders have now been murdered since Global Witness began documenting killings in 2012. 196 of these killings occurred just last year. The total since 2012 now stands at a staggering 2,106.
Just Associates publishes “Just Power: A Guide for Activists and Changemakers”: The Just Power Guide offers valuable resources to help you build solidarity, analyse power dynamics, and develop effective strategies for action.
Civitates: Grantee Spotlight: Bulgarian Fund for Women: How can civil society advocate during times of political crisis? As Bulgarians wearily head to the polls with only a remote prospect of breaking their country’s long-standing political deadlock, Nadejda Dermendjieva of the Bulgarian Fund for Women explains how solidarity is keeping hope alive among civic society.
Women’s Fund Armenia & Mama Cash study “Collective Care Approach”: “Collective Care Approach: On-line Study among Partners” aims to understand its importance in partnership relations, to identify the existing practices, challenges and opportunities among partners for further integration of collective care approaches.
Blogs and other sites of interest
The Global Fund for Community Foundations (GFCF) blog “Did the pandemic prompt a rethinking of funder-grantee dynamics?”: Authored by the people at Solidarity Foundation in India, this four-part blog series dives into insights from the study Cerana Foundation & Solidarity Foundation carried out in 2023 “Resourcing social movements: How do we shift the power?”.
Georgia’s Dangerous Anti-LGBTQI+ Law: Georgia’s parliament recently approved a law making it virtually impossible for LGBTQI+ people and organisations to take public action. This follows a law it passed earlier this year forcing organisations that receive international funding to declare they’re agents of foreign interests. Read more on CIVICUS lens.
Robert Bosch Stiftung “Escaping the Deterrence Trap: Key Building Blocks for a Better Migration System” Policy Briefing: In the first issue of the new Policy Briefing publication series, Jessica Bither and Hannes Einsporn, both experts in the Migration Team at the Robert Bosch Stiftung, show how a combination of different policy measures can respond more quickly and flexibly to the growing challenges in migration policy. The authors argue that restrictive measures alone will not lead to more “control” in migration policy. In fact, they can have the opposite effect.
WINGS blog “Philanthropy’s hidden history: Exploring wealth origins”: Philanthropy is increasingly examining its historical roots, particularly connections to the transatlantic trafficking of enslaved African peoples. Catherine Seymour from the Association of Charitable Foundations (ACF) discusses the ‘Origins of Wealth’ toolkit, which provides guidelines for foundations to promote transparency and deepen their understanding of how historical injustices influence current racial equity efforts.
Dalan Fund – Call for Solidarity with Civil Society and LGBTQ+ Community in Belarus: “Safety, dignity, and well-being are fundamental human rights that we all deserve — to live freely, without fear. However, the authorities in Belarus persist in systematically curtailing the rights and freedoms of their citizens. In the face of increased backlash against civil society, and repressions of the LGBTQI+ community, it is critical to stand in solidarity and lift the Belarus struggle for freedom and justice”. Read more.
CEP blog “Unlocking the Transformative Potential of Intermediary Funds”: In this blog, Hilary Pennington, Executive Vice President of Programs at the Ford Foundation, reflects on one of the fastest growing philanthropic practices in recent years – the use of collaborative, or pooled funds.
Giving Done Right Podcast: The Giving Done Right season four has launched with two new episodes. Episode one, hosts Phil Buchanan and Grace Nicolette talk to climate scientist, author, and climate policy expert Ayana Elizabeth Johnson about the role philanthropy can play in implementing climate solutions and how individual givers can find their niche in taking climate action. Listen now.
Moonshot: Making the Equality Fund Podcast: This 3-part series dives into the highs and lows of building the Equality Fund, with lessons on overcoming pushback, transforming the financial ecosystem and forging unlikely partnerships between government, philanthropy, and the private sector. It charts how an idea to activate $1 billion for global gender equality became reality.
Inroads “Insights: Challenges and Opportunities to Improve Funding for Abortion Justice”: Inroads spoke with 47 movement leaders from their community to understand the barriers and opportunities in mobilising resources. The findings show that most groups rely on restricted project-based grants and volunteer efforts, making sustainability, care, and security a constant challenge.
Grant making
Astraea – Liberation Strategies, Africa & Europe, Caucasus & Central Asia: The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice designs regional strategies around the goals of local community activists, rapidly evolving social contexts, and emergent needs. Underlying each strategy is the goal that the Astraea Foundation’s grantees and partners—who have been historically under-resourced—have the power, capacity, and funding to create the conditions for their communities to live authentic and free lives.
Blog “A Field Initiative Based on Trust”: In this blog, Erin Williams of Constellations Fund explores how applying trust-based philanthropic practices is critical for overcoming traditional barriers to funding artists and culture bearers.
Grantmakers in the Arts Podcast: The latest episode of the Grantmakers in the Arts podcast, The Transformative Capacity of Narrative and Cultural Strategy, features Nyoka Acevedo (Youth Organizing and Culture Change Fund), Angeles Solis (The Action Lab), and Mandy Van Deven (Elemental) sharing concrete examples of narrative organising wins and the philanthropic principles and practices that make these wins possible.
Crisis Coordination Playbook: This is a how-to guide for foundations to act, coordinate, and move resources to civil society under threat from human rights crisis, conflict, and entrenched civic space challenges. The Crisis Coordination Playbook, part of the Better Preparedness: Funding Resilience initiative hosted by Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN) and Peace and Security Funders Group (PSFG).
FRIDA 2023 Annual Report “A Constant Becoming, A Year of Transformation and Generative Growth”: This year’s theme was inspired by FRIDA’s generative growth in 2023. The report includes a deep dive into FRIDA’s holistic funding strategy and Grantee Partner Journey; Grantee Partner voices, learning visits and spotlights of some of the incredible work our partners did in 2023; An update on our Racial Equity Audit + organisational transitions; Our Publications and Learnings from the year.
Report “Seeds for Harvest: Funding for gender, climate, and environmental justice”: Through data analysis, case studies, and the identification of trends and opportunities, the report showcases the funding landscape for gender, environmental, and climate justice movements and provide valuable new insights into the current funding landscape. Prepared in collaboration between Global Greengrants Fund, Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds, the Human Rights Funders Network (HRFN), and the Global Alliance for Green and Gender Action (GAGGA).
Corra Foundation “Open & Trusting Grant Making” Progress Report: Open and Trusting is a framework developed by Institute for Voluntary Action Research (IVAR), which urges funders to be more flexible with their grant making. Since 2021, Corra Foundation has set out actions according to the eight Open and Trusting grant making principles. This is their third report offering an update on their grant making.
Video “Shifting Power in the Context of Extreme Wealth”: At the Next Frontiers in Philanthropy conference, Leticia Peguero spoke about the ways narrative influences the design of philanthropy during a session that explored “Shifting Power in the Context of Extreme Wealth.”
Jobs and opportunities
Thousand Currents – Director, Institutional Partnerships. Thousand Currents seeks a highly skilled and results-driven Director of Institutional Partnerships to lead their efforts in securing transformative funding from institutional donors. The ideal candidate will have significant experience raising 7+ figure gifts from foundations and funders collaboratives, a strong understanding of their programmatic work, and a demonstrated ability to cultivate and steward institutional relationships. Salary: 152,000 USD. Location: Remote. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Thousand Currents – Senior Director, Major Gifts. Thousand Currents seeks a highly experienced and results-driven Senior Director of Major Gifts to lead their efforts in securing transformative philanthropic support. The ideal candidate will have significant experience securing 7+ figure gifts and managing a diverse portfolio of high-net-worth individuals. Salary: 163,500 USD. Location: Remote. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Mozilla Foundation – Grants Manager (Incoming, Fixed-Term). The Partnerships Team is looking for a dedicated Grants Manager to join Mozilla as they implement their strategic plan aimed at revenue growth from diverse funding sources, including grants from private foundations, U.S. and foreign government agencies, and corporations. Salary: Dependent on location. Location: USA, UK or Canada. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation – Senior Investment Officer. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation are looking for a Senior Investment Technician to join the Finance and Investment Service team, who will manage and monitor various investment activities in accordance with current standards and processes, with the aim of driving and promoting the financial returns of the Foundation’s investments, as well as ensuring the necessary funds for its activities. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
Hivos – Project Officer Grants and Contracts for Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Hivos are looking for a part-time Project Officer, specializing in grants and contracts for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as part of their work with the Digital Defenders Program (DDP). The candidate will be supporting with emergency requests, proposals, and external stakeholder management. Location: Remote, global. Deadline for applications is 18 October.
Ford Foundation – Manager, Systems Integrations. The Ford Foundation’s Information Technology department seeks a Manager, Systems Integrations to join their team. The Manager collaborates closely with the Associate Director, Integrations and Reporting to supervise all the integrations between applications in the Foundation’s IT environment. Salary: $130,000 – $140,000. Location: Hybrid (New York, USA). Deadline for applications is 21 October.
Ford Foundation – Program Officer, India. The Ford Foundation Office for India, Nepal and Sri Lanka, based in New Delhi, seeks a collaborative and innovative Program Officer to help drive the Foundation’s regional work on strategic philanthropy. Location: New Delhi, India. Deadline for applications is 21 October.
Comic Relief – Fundraising Development Officer x2. The Fundraising Development Officer will play a pivotal role in advancing our organisation’s mission by managing and delivering a range of projects within the Fundraising and PR portfolio. This newly established role is integral to ensuring that our fundraising and public relations efforts are executed with precision, impact, and in alignment with our strategic objectives. Salary: £37,099 – £40,437. Location: Hybrid (London, UK). Deadline for applications is 30 October.
Limelight – Operations Manager. Working closely with the team and external service providers, the Operations Manager is essential to the seamless daily operations of Limelight. As part of a small but growing team, the role is broad. The Operations Manager provides essential administrative support and is also responsible for HR and IT. Location: Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Deadline for applications is 30 October.
Justice Together – Senior Influencing and Grants Manager. This is an exciting new role, which offers the opportunity to work with a wide variety of stakeholders to develop and implement Justice Together’s influencing strategy. The post holder will also be responsible for managing a small number of influencing grants and working with the Grant Manager to ensure that the process for grant renewals runs smoothly. Location: Hybrid (London, UK). Salary: £55,000. Deadline for applications is 04 November.
Luminate – Strategic Litigation Lead, LSI. Luminate is seeking a Strategic Litigation Lead to join the Luminate Strategic Initiatives [LSI] team. This is an exciting opportunity to support LSI’s work focusing on addressing digital threats to democracy created by the surveillance commerce business model of Big Tech. Location: Brussels, Belgium. Deadline for applications is 10 November.
Trust for London – Director of grants, social justice. The Director of Grants – Social Justice, is a key member of the Senior Management Team. They manage a small team of staff and report directly to the Chief Executive. They are jointly responsible, alongside the Director of Grants – Economic Justice, for the management of the Trust’s funding policies, the development of its funding strategy, and the delivery of our grant programmes. Salary: £83,306-97,185. Location: Hybrid (Moorgate, UK). Deadline for applications is 13 November.
*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
21 October, online
Challenging racial injustice in the criminal justice system: a history of legal action: What role has the law played in challenging racial injustice within the UK criminal justice system during the late 20th and early 21st centuries? In this webinar, Dr Adam Elliott Cooper and Dr Kojo Koram will discuss findings from their research exploring this question. The webinar will be Chaired by Sabah Hussain from Rights & Security International. Read the report here. Date and time: 21 October from 10:30 am – 11:30 am BST / 11:30 am – 12:30 pm CEST. Learn more and register here.
22 October, the Hague and online
Freedom on the Net 2024 | Europe Launch Event: Marking the launch of Freedom on the Net 2024: The Struggle for Trust Online, Freedom House joins the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Freedom Online Coalition for the Europe launch of the report. Date and time: 22 October at 10:00 am EDT / 4:00 pm BST / 5:00 pm CEST. Learn more and register here.
23 October, online
The FCAA webinar series, Amplifying Voices at the Intersection: The FCAA webinar series, Amplifying Voices at the Intersection, is dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities, mobilizing philanthropy, and tackling intersectional issues such as HIV, LGBTQ rights, and human rights. FCAA in partnership with the Sex Work Donor Collaborative, you’re invited to join this exciting webinar featuring global sex workers’ organizations. They will delve into the movement’s history, its current state, and the exciting possibilities for the future. Date and time: 23 October at 12:00 pm EDT / 5:00 pm BST / 6:00 pm CEST. Learn more and register here.
24 October, online
Trust in Action: Flexible Funding at Global Fund for Children: Join Global Fund for Children on Thursday, October 24 as they pull back the curtain on 30 years of flexible funding. In this dialogue-based session for funders, intermediaries, and INGOs, learn how Global Fund for Children’s flexible funding has evolved to be more inclusive and participatory with community-based organizations and young people. Date and time: 24 October from 10:00 – 11:30 am EDT / 3:00 – 4:30 pm BST / 4:00 – 5:30 pm CEST. Learn more and register here.
30 October, online
Rising Political Violence in America: How can America reverse the trend and mitigate risks related to the upcoming election? In a recent Journal of Democracy piece, political violence expert and Freedom House trustee Rachel Kleinfeld and Freedom House interim president Nicole Bibbins Sedaca identify five critical strategies that can help, drawn from research and international experience – from more principled political leadership to community organizing to upholding the rule of law. Date and time: 30 October from 11:30 am-12:30 pm ET / 4:30 – 5:30 pm BST / 5:30 – 6:30 pm CEST. Learn more and register here.
31 October, online
Borderless Repression: Transnational Threats to Journalists in the European Landscape: Join Media Defence and Free Press Unlimited (FPU) for a 60-minute webinar exploring key threats and strategies to protect journalists from cross-border repression, featuring legal experts, journalists, and case studies on defending press freedom in Europe. Date and time: 31 October from 8:00 – 9:00 am EDT / 1:00 – 2:00 pm BST / 2:00 -3:00 pm CEST. Learn more and register here.
27-28 January, Washington DC
2025 FCAA Global Philanthropy Summit: FCAA’s Global Philanthropy Summit aims to unite 200 donors and activists in Washington, D.C. to galvanize our collective action toward health, human rights, and justice. A series of plenary sessions and workshops over two days will: Assess the impact of recent elections on the people and places most impacted by HIV; Explore the role of philanthropy in this political moment; and, strategize together to protect and strengthen the global HIV response. Date and time: 27-28 January 2025 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm EDT. Learn more and register here.
Ariadne’s core operations are supported by the American Jewish World Service, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Oak Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Sigrid Rausing Trust.
Ariadne is also supported by voluntary contributions from its members.