Ariadne's Thread

Upcoming events 

• Webinar: Funders’ Learning Lunch- Strategic Actions on the Enforcement of the European AI Act. Date & time: 26 September, 13:00 BST | 14:00 CEST via Zoom. Register via our Community Hub.
• European Tech & Society Funders Annual Meeting 2024. Date & time: 8-9 October 2024. Location: Brussels, Belgium. Register via our Community Hub.
• 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!

 

All these resources and more can be found on Ariadne’s website and Member-only Community Hub. Are you a member of Ariadne but don’t have access to the Community Hub? Sign-up here or email jana.stardelova@ariadne-network.eu.

The 2020 Advancing Human Rights report is here! The latest report looks back at a world in flux: a global pandemic, widespread mobilisation for racial justice, and resistance to rising authoritarianism had ignited a firestorm of change. Communities grappled with unprecedented challenges, and movements rose demanding a more equitable world. The 2020 grants data analysis was made in partnership with HRFN, Candid, and Prospera International Network of Women’s Funds. Thank you to all Ariadne members who continue to share their grants data with us and make these reports possible.

Blog: “That underfunded ‘thing’ called investigative journalism in Italy” by Cecilia Anesi (Co-Director, IRPI) and Claire M. Roney (Fundraiser, IRPI): We invite you to read the latest blog if you are interested in learning more about funding journalism in Italy from a critical standpoint.  

Global Fund for Women “A Blueprint for Feminist Crisis Response” Report: This report explores how feminist principles can enhance crisis response within humanitarian and crisis sectors by analysing research from 73 organisations. It aims to clarify the role of feminist approaches in crisis response and guide the integration of these principles across the sector. Available in English, Spanish and French.

Dreilinden “What might a movement-owned property funding mechanism for Southern and Eastern Africa look like?”: Access this short report on a consultation process to answer the question: What might a movement-owned property funding mechanism for Southern and Eastern Africa look like? Activists and members of the LGBTQIA* communities from nine countries in Southern and Eastern Africa participated to put our deliberations on a firm footing and provide their thoughts on the idea.

ENNHRI launched its new report and tool on the state of the rule of law in Europe: For the fifth year in a row, National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) from across wider Europe shines a light on the rule of law situation in European countries. They identify challenges across various thematic areas and provide recommendations for policymakers on how to address them.

Fundamental Rights Agency releases Fundamental Rights Report 2024: The report analyses the year’s developments in fundamental rights. It focuses on the most pressing fundamental rights concerns facing Europe in 2023: the cost-of-living crisis, rights concerns at the EU’s external borders and migration, and threats to democracy. Re-structured, this year’s new approach is a shorter and sharper analysis. It also presents FRA’s opinions on these developments, including a summary of the evidence supporting these opinions. 

Rights Relations Collaborative – Reciprocity Report 2024: The second Reciprocity Report shares stories, accountability practices, abundance mindset, and rich relationships. illustrations and graphic design by Arianna Augustine.

Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) – “Philanthropy’s Response to HIV and AIDS”: For over two decades, the annual resource tracking report from FCAA has been  illuminating the landscape of HIV-related philanthropy. This year marks the 21st edition of the report, and analyses data on calendar year 2022 grantmaking.

Amnesty International “Under Protected and Over Restricted” Report: The report maps out the state of the right to protest in 21 European countries. It documents an array of trends and patterns of human rights violations that curtail this right and contains detailed recommendations for states to ensure that everyone’s right to protest is protected, respected and fulfilled.

Luminate “Advocacy by survivors of online harms” Landscape Analysis: What more can be done to build and uplift survivor-centred campaigns and survivor-led activism? Explore the full report here. Read Elise Tillet-Dagousset’s blog post for more insights.

International Civil Society Center “Toolkit for Tomorrow: Anticipating Civil Society Futures”: This toolkit provides tools, strategies, and resources to strengthen your ability to anticipate future challenges and opportunities, practice foresight, and build resilience in the face of rapid change.

Migrants Rights Network “Hostile Office” Report: The Home Office and immigration system are racist by design, explores how immigration legislation limits the ability of racialised people from coming to the UK and controls their freedom to live their lives.

Article “How can philanthropy fund narrative power at scale?”: Does philanthropy have a scarcity mindset that is holding us back from transformative change? This summary by Virginia Ruan of Oak Foundation, provides key takeaways from a recent interactive session at the Philea Forum on how philanthropy can fund narrative power at scale.

European AI & Society launches Build & Breakthrough: Build & Breakthrough contains two new initiatives to empower public interest advocates across Europe to drive the agenda on AI. They invite funders from across philanthropy to join this mission and shape their work. Read more about the opportunity.

Blog “Making It Count: Expanding the Ford Foundation’s Diversity Data Collection Beyond the United States”: In this blog for CEP, Ford Foundations Eric Li, Luc Athayde-Rizzaro and Bess Rothenberg write about the process towards collecting diverse data, lessons learned and decisions around which data to collect.

Weaving Liberation “Digital Policing: Challenging Harmful Practices and Planning for Safety”: Weaving Liberation joined forces with the European Network Against Racism (ENAR) to organise a strategic workshop on digital policing. More than 20 organisers, lawyers, racial justice and digital rights organisations gathered to share knowledge and organise collectively.

Interview “Long-Term Commitment to Independent Journalism: Insights from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund”: In this blog for the Journalism Funders Forum, Mia Vukojević of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund speaks about the crucial role of supporting independent media in fostering democracy in the Western Balkans.

Podcast “Fortress Europe”: The new seven-part documentary podcast Fortress Europe shows how years of increasingly brutal and dehumanising anti-migrant policies have fanned the flames of extremism but still failed to prevent record high asylum applications. The podcast features stories across the continent, hearing from people making treacherous journeys, those trying to stop them, and those standing up for their rights.

Both ENDS new Transformative Water Pact website: In collaboration with IHE Delft, Both ENDS facilitated this initiative that was developed by over 40 environmental justice advocates. On the new website you can endorse the pact, find a framework for action as well as news, and much more.

Interview “What Would It Look Like to Direct $6 Billion to Feminist Movements by 2026?”: Swatee Deepak speaks about the recent, Lighting the Way, report and the future of feminist philanthropy.

European Center for Not-for-Profit Law “How to respond to civic space restrictions: experiences from Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia”: Narratives of  “foreign influence” and “foreign agents” are increasingly being used against CSOs across Europe, Georgia or Republika Srpska. Despite this trend, CSOs show remarkable resilience and innovation in their efforts against these restrictions. For example, CSOs in Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia have successfully countered some of the harmful legislative proposals. Together with Ökotárs, VIA IURIS and Civic Initiatives, ECNL has collected and analysed the strategies they used. Explore the case studies in English and Bosnian on how joint actions can protect civic space.

Article “Young people are the best renewable energy: We need to fund their work”: “In the face of the triple planetary crisis – climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss – community-led solutions are emerging as a beacon of hope for just climate action. Among these, youth-led grassroots movements are not only contributing significantly to these solutions, they are often leading the charge.”

Article “Digging deeper into nonprofit trends in Europe”: Across Europe nonprofits face a multitude of challenges as well as opportunity, from the impact of economic turmoil on costs, donations and service demand, to the rise and promise of AI. To further examine the current environment for nonprofits and how they’re responding, a recent webinar delved into some of key findings and trends revealed in this year’s Nonprofit Pulse Report. Read more.

Environmental Funders Network (EFN) “Where the Green Grants Went 9” Report: The latest report reveals that environmental giving has never been higher – environmental grants from UK-based foundations have almost tripled since our last report in 2021. Yet, the report highlights worrying trends in environmental philanthropy that need addressing. Current levels and approaches to funding leave many issue areas, geographies and environmental organisations underfunded and unable to act effectively, rapidly and strategically. Read the full report here.

Giving Tuesday “The Giving Bridge – A Lookback at 2023 Trends in Global Generosity”: Building on previous reports, this year’s findings highlight a robust giving ecosystem despite concerns about polarisation and declining donor participation. The report reveals that people are still eager to give across ideological and community boundaries, although nonprofits face challenges in adapting their strategies to maintain engagement and financial support.

Article “Setting a New Standard: Responsibly Transitioning Out of a Funding Relationship”: This reflection piece shines light on FRIDA | The Young Feminist Fund’s transition strategy that’s responsive to their grantee partners’ unique journeys and quest for sustainability once their funding by FRIDA comes to an end. Written by Davina Rojas of FRIDA, Mayra Zamaniego and Sandile Ndelu, former FRIDA staff.

Norwegian Human Rights Fund Annual Report for 2023: In 2023, the fund supported 153 projects and 131 grantee partners in 7 priority countries in their struggle for access to justice and the fight against impunity, in their efforts to dismantle discrimination, inequality and marginalisation and in their work to protect human rights defenders and the right to defend rights.

Esmée Fairbairn  Foundation Annual Report 2023: Last year was Esmée Fairbairn’s biggest year of funding, with £57.3m in grants and £12.9m approved in social investment. The Foundation also updated their Investment Policy Statement with dual objectives of financial return and sustainability. Learn more about their year in the Annual Report, which shares information about their funding, investments, and operations during 2023.

The Fund for Global Human Rights “The President’s Report: A Year of Listening and Learning“: Gabriela Bucher reflects on her first year leading the Fund and the evolving human rights environment in a letter to our community.

Thousand Currents “Shifting the Funding Paradigm”: “The most difficult thing we face is that funders don’t meet us where we are at. Their practices force us to become technical and bureaucratic, limiting our vision and impacting our movement.” Watch the new animation on funding practices that do—and don’t—work, and learn how philanthropy can turn good intentions into real support.

Both ENDS – Annual report 2023: The 2023 annual report highlights a year in which social movements all around the world let their voices be heard, calling out loud and clear for justice and systemic change.

Interactive platform on UK grantmaking: UKGrantmaking.org is a new interactive platform for understanding grant-making in the UK. The hub brings together data and insights from regulators, funder accounts and 360Giving to help strengthen collaboration, decision-making, strategy and practice in the sector.

Study “Illuminating the Invisible: Social Impact Infrastructure Organizations”: A study commissioned by Propel Philanthropy, supported by WINGS, into the work of Social Impact Infrastructure
Organisations (SIIO) and the contribution they make to the philanthropy sector across the world.