Ariadne's Thread

Dear Ariadne Community,

As summer draws to a close in Europe, September has already begun at pace.

The past months have offered little rest from the trends many of us are grappling with: the increasingly visible effects of climate change, growing hostility towards migrants and minoritised communities, continuing pressure on rights and civic space, and electoral developments across Europe and internationally that are raising urgent questions about how philanthropy responds and prepares for possible futures ahead. Recent events are also a reminder that many of these challenges cannot be addressed by funders acting alone. They require stronger coordination, shared intelligence and a willingness to think and act collectively.

This is very much the message emerging from Ariadne’s 2026 Forecast: in an increasingly volatile environment, philanthropy needs not only to respond to immediate challenges, but to strengthen its capacity to anticipate change, build resilience and invest in the ecosystems and conditions that make social change possible.

We have returned from the summer energised by these questions. Last week, the Ariadne team came together in Paris to work on our 2027–2030 Strategic Framework and reflect on what this changing context means for Ariadne and our community. Our purpose remains unchanged: strengthening philanthropy’s contribution to human rights and social change. But the environment in which we pursue it has changed profoundly, and our new strategy will reflect how Ariadne can combine the strength of its community with strategic insight, foresight and collective action. Thank you to feedback and engagement from our members we are now working on a framework that we will be sharing over the coming months.

Earlier this week, on the International Day of Democracy, we joined the Fonds pour la Démocratie in Paris to bring together French philanthropy ahead of the 2027 presidential elections to discuss democratic backsliding, shrinking civic space, human rights and the rule of law.

There will be many opportunities to continue these conversations together this autumn. Registration is open for our Tech & Society Funders Meeting in Brussels on 15–16 October, and for this year’s Edition of our Grant Skills Day, Building Resilience: A day for learning,  practice and collaboration, in London on 17 November. We also have new online exchanges and webinars coming up, which we will share in the coming weeks with our community.

Over the coming month, you can meet the Ariadne team at various events. Renata will be at the WINGS Forum in Montréal, while Jana will be at Konektor in Chișinău. If you are attending either gathering, do reach out to them.

We are very much looking forward to reconnecting with you all, and to a busy autumn of learning, questioning, strategising and acting together.

With my best wishes,

Maja Spanu | Ariadne Director

• European Tech and Society Funders Annual Meeting 2026 (14–15 October, Brussels): Join Ariadne and Aspiration in bringing together funders working across digital rights, technology governance, democracy, media, climate justice, racial gender and social justice, public-interest technology and related fields to collectively reflect on the challenges and opportunities shaping our future. Learn more and register here. 
• Building Resilience: Join us on 17 November in London for Ariadne’s Annual Grant Skills Day, dedicated to learning, collaboration and practical tools for funders. Learn more and register here.
• Save the date: Ariadne, Civitates and Philea will host a webinar on 27 October from 13:00-14:00 CET where we aim to demystify the European Commission’s rule of law report for the philanthropic community. Registration will open very soon.
• Save the date: Ariadne’s 2027 Annual Reconnect will take place from 13-15 April 2027 – Location to be announced soon!

The next Thread will go out on Thursday, 15th October. We would love to hear from you! Please contact us by Tuesday 13th October if you would like to share announcements, events, or resources for the next issue. 

All resources 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.

Media Defence published the Lawyer Impact Report 2025: A global network of over 300 lawyers defending journalists. In the report you can learn more about Media Defence’s global network of over 300 lawyers defending journalists. 

Funders Concerned About AIDS – FCAA, amfAR, Johns Hopkins University, and Data Etc released the Measuring the Global Impact of PEPFAR Disruptions: Findings from the PEPFAR Pulse Study. It is a first large-scale assessment of how recent PEPFAR disruptions have affected HIV service delivery worldwide. Drawing on responses from 166 implementing partners across 46 countries, the study provides an unprecedented look at a system in turmoil: destabilized treatment programs, a breakdown of prevention work, and the collapse of services for the communities most impacted by HIV.

The Value of Journalism: Global evidence on why media matters to economics, national security and crises – According to the authors, UNESCO, DW Akademie (Germany), International Fund For Public Interest Media, Bunce Mel, Pearson Beth, this issue brief is a high-impact public investment that strengthens economies, enhances security, and saves lives. The evidence shows that journalism reduces corruption, improves public services, supports resilience to disinformation, and strengthens responses to crises and disasters. 

Global Witness – Land and Environmental Defenders Report, Collective Power: According to the report, at least 124 land and environmental defenders were killed in 2025, while many may be missing. This report is dedicated to all those individuals, communities and organisations bravely speaking out or taking action to defend their rights to land and a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

No Name Kitchen Report – Blocked from Care: The Weaponisation of Health as Border Violence: According to the authors, what emerges in the report is that this is not a border crisis with health consequences. It is a health crisis produced by design. This report calls on European institutions, national governments, health authorities, humanitarian agencies, and civil society to stop describing this as a crisis and start treating it as a crime — with enforceable standards, independent oversight, and real accountability for those who deny care to people whose lives depend on it.

Full Fact Report 2026 A system under strain: strengthening the UK’s democratic information environment: This report assesses the state of the UK’s information environment, focusing on growing uncertainty about what to trust and the serious impact this is having on democracy. It examines how political and technological change is reshaping the way information is produced, distributed and amplified. This includes the growing influence of AI-mediated systems, platform design, and incentives that shape information flows.

Ipas Report Future-Proofing: The Professionalization of an Anti-Rights Youth Generation: The report examines the recruitment, funding, coordination, and mobilization of young people within anti-rights movements. According to the authors, this movement is now professionalised, young, and stronger than ever, using digital tools and misinformation as their primary strategy.

Blog Language Shapes Legitimacy: How Words Define Philanthropy in Asia Suvodeep Saha from Sattva and Milet Aquino from the Association of Foundations for WINGS. The authors explore the myth of professional jargon in philanthropy, and how complex or imported terminology can create barriers rather than build trust.

From Poison for Profit, to the Power of a United Front – A Funders’ Guide to Understanding the Toxic Fossil Economy. This funders’ guide aims to help see the fossil economy as a whole. With the guide, the authors trace how a shared analysis and more strategic collaboration is illuminating the powerful forces driving the fossil economy, and how once siloed efforts are uniting in a coordinated and effective response.

“Anti‑Gender Movements: A Global Threat to Human Rights and Civil Society“: In this blog, KIOS programme officer John Mutiro explores how anti-gender movements affect our everyday lives and realisation of human rights. And more importantly what we can and should do to counter them.

Mineral Extraction from AI series by the AI + Planetary Justice Alliance: the series examines the often-overlooked extractive foundations of AI by focusing on the planetary justice implications of mining raw materials for AI hardware and infrastructure, such as copper, cobalt, silicon, and rare earth elements.

Children at the centre – Handbook on child participation practices from violence prevention projects across Europe: Eurochild and Terre des hommes published a resource capturing how their grantee partners across 9 European countries are working meaningfully with children. It presents a project-by-project overview of child participation practices, covering approaches such as co-design, peer education, child-led research, arts-based methods, advocacy, and digital tools.

CIVICUS – Global Protest guide: This guide was produced with input from the CIVICUS Protest Lab, a collective of activists from across the globe who came together to document, share and strengthen knowledge on the right to peaceful assembly. It draws on lived experience and is dedicated to all those who risk their safety to exercise this fundamental freedom.

Hungarian Helsinki Committee “Removal of high public office holders: international standards and legal options” This background paper takes stock of the international standards and legal options for removing high public office holders, and the safeguards that must guide institutional change. 

“The Living Infrastructure of Change” In this piece, Laura García, President & CEO, Global Greengrants Fund, explores what philanthropy can learn from living systems. 

Paul Hamlyn Foundation – The Backbone Fund provides core, long-term funding each year to organisations working across civil society — organisations whose work sustains the conditions for justice, democracy and collective care. This new blog explores how these organisations are working to hold communities together and safeguard hard-won progress in these uncertain times.

IVAR (Institute for Voluntary Action Research) – Searching for Life Rafts: The Funding Experience Survey 2026: The survey shows how applying for and receiving grants looks like. The findings show that for 51% of charities, grant-making has improved over the last three years. A number of funders are making their processes clearer, asking better questions, and are more willing to engage with charities before they apply. On the bleaker side, for 28% of charities their funding experiences have got worse over the last three years, with the practices they value the most − unrestricted funding, multi-year grants, and meaningful feedback – remaining the rarest. 

Paul Hamlyn Foundation (PHF) – Listening and learning: What our grant holders and declined applicants shared in the feedback survey 2025/26. These are the three themes that stood out in the survey responses: Challenging external environment; PHF processes; PHF’s impact. Learn more about the themes as well as about the actions PHF aims to take.

Robert Bosch Stiftung (RBS) Annual Report 2025: The latest Annual Report 2025 highlights how, together with their partners, RBS strengthened democracy, fostered innovation, and took responsibility for shaping a more just and sustainable future.

An exercise in fierce action and candid reflection: dig into Guerrilla Foundation’s 2025 Annual Report that had these 3 main objectives:

• lionise the grassroots activist ecosystem
• seduce wealth holders into bold wealth redistribution and
• shake up the philanthropic space that is too toothless to even make a dent in social injustice.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Annual Report 2025: The foundation provided £52.9m in grant funding towards a wide range of work supporting their strategic aims: A Fairer Future, Creative, Confident Communities, and Our Natural World. This included £1.1m through the Funding Plus support and £1.5m through the Tools budget, enabling them to take a more active role in supporting sector development and strategic initiatives. The Foundation also approved £16.3m in social and impact investment, helping organisations deliver both social and environmental impact.

UKGrantmaking 2026: For the current edition, published in June 2026, the report includes data from 2024-25. It also explores data published using the 360Giving Data Standard to understand the grants and recipients. Over 14,000 UK grantmakers provided grants worth £24 billion in 2024-25. This represents a 4% increase from the previous year, slightly above inflation. Access the report to learn more about the overall grantmaking trends, grants and their recipients.

Giving USA 2026: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2025: According to the report, which looks at all U.S. giving in 2025, giving by individuals, bequests, foundations and corporations to U.S. charities increased 5.7% in current dollars (3.0% adjusted for inflation) to an estimated $617 billion in 2025.

Funders Concerned About AIDS (FCAA) – Manager/Director of Finance and Administration. FCAA seeks a highly organized, detail-oriented, and systems-minded Manager/Director of Finance and Administration to strengthen the internal operations of a small but influential global philanthropy-serving organization. The final title will be determined based on the selected candidate’s experience and qualifications. Salary: $80,000-$100,000, depending on experience and final title. Location: Remote, U.S.-based. Deadline: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis beginning in mid-September.

Ford Foundation – Disbursement Associate. The Ford Foundation is hiring a Disbursement Associate within its Financial Services department to manage and execute daily global banking, cash, and corporate expense operations, ensuring the accurate and timely distribution of domestic and international funds across grants, payroll, and vendor payments. Salary: 103,000 USD. Location: New York, United States (hybrid). Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

Hivos – Project Assistant. Hivos are looking for a Project Assistant to provide operational, financial and administrative organization work according to the requirements and procedures of the Hivos organization. They are looking for an enthusiastic, proactive colleague who gets energy from supporting and organizing projects and activities. A candidate who enjoys working with many different colleagues from diverse backgrounds, able to multi-task and prioritize workload. Salary: 2,931.36 – 3,757.56 EUR. Location: The Hague, The Netherlands. Deadline: 20 September 2026. 

Henry Smith Foundation – Communications Officer.The Henry Smith Foundation is hiring a Communications Officer to create communications that share learning, showcase grant holders, and support the Foundation’s work. The role covers digital content, publications, design, events, media, internal communications, website and social media management, and communications support for teams across the organisation. Salary: 35,000 GBP. Location: London, United Kingdom (hybrid). Deadline: 21 September 2026. 

Philea – Consultant(s), Strategic Review and 2028-2032 Strategic Framework. Philea is seeking a strategic consultant or consultancy team to evaluate its 2023-2027 strategic framework and support the development of its new 2028-2032 strategic framework. Salary: Proposed by applicants, including daily rates and a total budget excluding VAT. Location: Remote, with 2-3 in-person engagements during the assignment. Deadline: 25 September 2026.  

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation – Program Director, Environment. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation is seeking a Program Director, Environment to lead implementation of its new 10-year Environment strategy across One Water, Finance for Sustainability, and Land, Water and People of the Amazon Basin.  Salary: 250,000 GBP. Location: Flint, Michigan, United States (hybrid). Deadline: 2 October 2026. 

Robert Bosch Stiftung – Expert on Syrian Civil Society. Robert Bosch Stiftung is looking for an expert on Syrian civil society to support a deeper understanding of the context in Syria and neighbouring countries. The opportunity is focused on providing expert analysis of the Syrian civil society landscape and its regional context. Deadline: 2 October 2026.  

Ford Foundation – Program Officer, Adaptive Philanthropy. The Ford Foundation is hiring a Program Officer, Adaptive Philanthropy within its Office of Innovation to help shape and steward a grantmaking portfolio focused on philanthropic infrastructure, strengthening the field of philanthropy, and supporting innovation across the sector in the United States and globally. Salary: 173,000 – 185,000 USD. Location: New York, United States (hybrid). Deadline: 4 October 2026.  

Oak Foundation – Programme Officer, Environment Programme. Oak Foundation is hiring a Programme Officer to manage its international wildlife trafficking grant portfolio and develop grantmaking focused on conservation in Brazil and neighbouring countries, initially concentrating on the Pantanal and Atlantic rainforest. Location: Geneva, Switzerland. Deadline: 12 October 2026. 

The Bromley Trust – Investment Lead Trustee. The Bromley Trust is recruiting an Investment Lead Trustee with experience managing large-scale, long-term investments to take over from the retiring Investment Lead Trustee. Location: United Kingdom. Deadline: 30 October 2026.  

*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.

17 September, Online  

Global Philanthropy Project – Tilting the Balance Webinar. This webinar will explore how funding global trans organizing to become a beacon of democracy, rather than a scapegoat for authoritarianism, is at a decisive moment. Learn more and register here. 

17 September, 1 October, 15 October, Online 

Spring Strategies – Seeds of the next economy. The Seeds of the Next Economy invites participants to look beyond the immediate funding challenges of a world of shrinking resources and civic space. During three sessions with experts from Spring and guest practitioners, explore the question: What kinds of economic systems might better support long-term flourishing for people, communities, and the planet? Learn more and register here.   

21 September, Online

International Day of Peace 2026 – Building peace from the ground up. The event will bring together policymakers and practitioners to explore what it takes to build sustainable peace before, during, and after formal agreements. Drawing on experiences from Catalonia and Uganda among others, our speakers will share their stories on rebuilding trust where it has been eroded and on maintaining political and diplomatic momentum when progress is slow and setbacks are inevitable. Learn more and register.

9-10 October, Louisville, Kentucky, USA

Othering & Belonging Conference. An immersive, two-day gathering with leaders from grassroots movements, research and academia, arts and culture, policymaking and government, philanthropy and business – united by a common purpose to fostering inclusive, multiracial, pluralistic democracies and building a bigger “we”. Learn more and register here.

22-23 October, Online

Global Philanthropy Project – Mobilizing for Trans Futures Training. The curriculum is being updated and adapted the curriculum for this cohort from the perspective of democracy and trans rights. The training is aimed exclusively at grantmakers looking to enhance their funding practices to better include trans populations. Learn more and register here. 

28-30 October, Barcelona, Spain 

Mozilla Festival 2026. Mozilla Festival, aka MozFest, is three days of bold conversations, hands-on building, and ideas worth traveling for. This year, MozFest is taking over Barcelona’s Recinte Fabra i Coats – a former industrial complex turned cultural powerhouse – from Wednesday, October 28 through Friday, October 30, 2026. They are partnering with the City of Barcelona and taking part in Open Tech Week – a city-wide celebration of the people shaping a better digital world. Learn more and register here.