TAI Weekly

In Search of Accountability: Turning what we know into what we can change.

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

October 27, 2026

Dear readers,

We have lots of civic space stories this week, the latest accountability reflections - including from the ten-year anniversary of the Accountability Research Center -, and a major strategy update from one of TAI’s members.

But we start with the question of who will demand and shape accountability in an online space populated and run by AI agents. Shuwei Fang tries to anticipate the emerging information ecology and asks whether it will serve private interests or the public good. 

Happy reading!

TAI team

What's New 

Electoral wrap up: a student led protest movement in Serbia has translated into election success - ousting the long standing populist government of President Aleksandar Vučić. India’s government has turned to arresting leaders of the youth led “Cockroach” movement as their demands now center on more politically sensitive electoral rolls. President Lula pulls off a come-from-behind victory in Brazil.

How much do we really know about development cooperation beyond traditional donors? A new report from Publish What You Fund examines transparency across 47 providers, finding that 19 had no meaningful information available through the channels assessed and none published current data to the International Aid Transparency Initiative. 

Drawing on 15 years of research on tax and development, political economist Martin Hearson makes the case for stronger national tax systems as a key to helping countries finance their own development, particularly as debt burdens rise and international aid declines.

Africa holds minerals central to global supply chains, but capturing more of their economic value remains a challenge. A new OECD policy paper looks at cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium, manganese, and nickel, identifying policy approaches to promote responsible investment, strengthen supply-chain resilience, and increase the domestic benefits of mineral production.

The United Kingdom's widely reported exodus of wealthy residents may have been more of a media narrative than an economic reality, according to the Tax Justice Network. The organization is bringing a case to the country's press complaints body to investigate reporting that it argues has distorted public debate over taxation.

Building on PILnet's 2026 data, Ana de la Cruz Cubeiro explores how nonprofits' legal challenges vary across regions: 62% of cases in Europe involved operational needs, such as registration and compliance, while 53% in the Global South focused on programmatic needs, including legal support related to forced displacement.

After a year of exploring what the future might hold for European democracy, Civitates has released The Time to Act Is Now, outlining possible scenarios and practical steps civil society organizations and funders can take to prepare for an uncertain political future.

What does civic resilience look like beyond individual organizations? At this year's UNGA, Accountability Lab, the Ban Ki-moon Foundation, Civic Strength Partners, and UNDP brought together civil society, philanthropic, and multilateral actors to explore the question. Their reflections point to the need for stronger connections and shared infrastructure that can sustain collective civic action.

Who gets to decide what role AI should play in our societies? In Reimagining a Future With (or Without) AI, Tambelin Boykin of Mannifera, a network of Australian funders, argues that AI development should be a democratic choice, shaped by civil society, funders, and policymakers rather than technology companies alone, with fairness, accountability, and public benefit at its core.

The Human Rights Foundation's Tyranny Tracker offers a global view of democratic erosion, resilience, and authoritarian rule, providing funders with a resource to better understand the political environments in which civil society organizations operate.

A new paper from RUSI calls for a Fraud Victims Charter to establish consistent standards of care and clarify the responsibilities of banks, police, technology companies, and telecoms providers in England and Wales, where fraud accounts for 45% of all crime but support for victims remains fragmented.

The 2026 Global Human Rights Defenders Protection Dialogue and Summit has published a report and commitments focused on strengthening protection for human rights defenders. The report offers a reference point for organizations and institutions working to support those facing threats and restrictions.


ESSENTIAL WATCHING:

From the 2026 IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, this video by Forus brings together civil society voices reflecting on the future of development finance, the importance of meaningful participation, and the need for greater accountability in global decision-making.

From Our Members

OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS: As Brazilians went to the polls, Laura Carvalho, Director of Economic and Climate Prosperity, joins former Argentine Economy Minister Martín Guzmán and Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz in examining the risks of adopting Javier Milei's economic model in Brazil.

FORD FOUNDATION: Has unveiled a new strategic direction centered on strengthening democratic values, fundamental freedoms, and inclusive economies worldwide. The strategy outlines seven interconnected funding priorities, including global cooperation, alongside plans to expand flexible, multiyear funding and general operating support to help organizations navigate an increasingly uncertain landscape.

MACARTHUR FOUNDATION is rethinking what it takes to sustain local journalism. Drawing on its Local News Big Bet, the foundation highlights the need to invest beyond individual newsrooms, strengthening shared infrastructure, collaboration, and community-centered information ecosystems.

ESSENTIAL LISTENING:

In this episode of In Pursuit of Development, Dan Banik speaks with corruption scholar Michael Johnston about why fighting corruption takes more than tougher laws and greater transparency. Their conversation explores how inequalities of power shape corruption and why empowering citizens to hold leaders accountable is essential to meaningful reform.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS

Relying too heavily on one type of funder can leave organizations vulnerable. The Funder Diversification Matrix offers a practical way to assess different funding sources against seven criteria, helping nonprofits decide which opportunities to prioritize as they plan their funding strategies.

The Trust-Based Philanthropy Project has launched AskTBP, a free AI-powered tool drawing on more than 100 resources to help funders explore grantmaking practices, strengthen relationships with grantees, and put trust-based philanthropy into practice.

How healthy is your organization? McKinsey.org's Organizational Health Index for Nonprofits is a free program designed to help nonprofits understand what drives their effectiveness, identify areas for improvement, and strengthen their organizational performance.

The 2026 State of Global Giving by U.S. Foundations highlights the growing role of donor-advised funds in international philanthropy, which distributed $14.1 billion between 2020 and 2023. Yet only 14% of global funding from U.S. foundations went directly to locally based organizations, raising concerns about how much international philanthropic funding actually reaches local organizations and the communities they serve.


Focused Topic of the Week

In Search of Accountability: Turning what we know into what we can change.

We have more tools than ever to expose wrongdoing, track public spending, and scrutinize those in power, but this does not necessarily translate into a greater ability to hold them accountable.

Consider public debt. Governments can borrow billions on behalf of their citizens, yet the terms of those agreements are not always open to public scrutiny. An analysis by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy on parliament's role in ending public debt secrecy raises a fundamental question: what good is financial transparency if elected representatives lack the power to scrutinize decisions and demand answers?

The same tension arises in efforts to address corporate misconduct, particularly when there are limited avenues to challenge wrongdoing and ensure that those responsible face real consequences. In a recent article, Amina Ahmad makes the case for greater philanthropic investment in strategic litigation as a way to move beyond exposing wrongdoing and pursue legal action that can hold powerful corporations accountable.

Strengthening these mechanisms is particularly important at a time when transparency is gaining prominence in governance debates, yet, paradoxically, many of the institutions responsible for ensuring accountability are weakening. The 2026 Rule of Law Index by the World Justice Project finds that the rule of law has declined in most countries for the ninth consecutive year.

Such trend lines are one factor leading to the reflective mood at last week’s gathering to mark ten years of the Accountability Research Center (ARC). TAI joined others in noting we are working in a very different context to 2016 when ARC was launched. Yet the need for evidence and learning that can inform demands and practice of accountability is more important than ever.

JOBS

CALLS

  • Coefficient Giving has introduced Launchpad Funds, a request for proposals to seed new funds or scale existing ones addressing important, underfunded problems.

  •  The European Endowment for Democracy provides rolling funding for local democracy organizations in the Eastern Partnership, Middle East and North Africa, and Western Balkans and Turkey.

  • The Fifth Element invites blog contributions on systems transformation from practitioners and researchers, drawing on both lived experience and analysis across diverse perspectives.

  • Open Technology Fund, Internet Freedom Fund: Grants of up to $900,000 support tools and research for online privacy, anti-censorship, and digital security. Individuals aged 18+ and organizations worldwide may apply. Full proposals are by invitation after a concept note, with applications accepted on a rolling basis. 

  • RINGO Reverse Call for Proposals: RINGO invites international actors, including funders and INGOs, to support locally determined priorities through funding or in-kind assistance. The model puts local civil society organizations in the driving seat, allowing them to assess which partners can best meet their needs. 

  • Call for Papers: The Authoritarian Ecosystem: The Westminster Foundation for Democracy and the Political Studies Association's Autocracy and Regime Change Specialist Group invite abstracts on authoritarianism. Deadline: November 10, 2026.

  • Creative Bureaucracy Festival, Global Call for Participation 2027: Submit projects, research, and creative ideas to challenge public administration. Selected contributions will be presented in Berlin on June 3, 2027. Deadline: December 11, 2026. 

  • Support for Local Media Initiatives: EEA Civil Society Fund Greece offers project-based funding for local media initiatives led by civil society organizations in Greece. Deadline: December 15, 2026.

  • OECD Anti-Corruption Research Challenge 2027: Researchers are invited to participate in the 2027 challenge. Deadline: January 10, 2026.

  • Investigative Reporting Grant for Nonpartisan Stories: FIJ Grant Applications 2027 offers funding for freelance journalists producing nonpartisan stories across all regions. Deadline: January 29, 2027.

CALENDAR

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