Dear readers,
TAI takes a break from our regular Weekly for August, but not without offering a selection of thought-provoking readings for the beach, the mountains or the office (many of us are hard at work still).
In this edition, we focus on TAI content that you might have missed, offering insights on trust, accountability and inclusion importance for a healthy democracy, economy and planet. From tackling hidden debt and rethinking fiscal governance to sustaining civic space and reshaping philanthropy, these resources offer fresh perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing our field today.
Next week, we will feature some of our favorite books published so far this year. Tell us what you want us to include by sharing your favorite books of the year so far and tagging us on LinkedIn.
Happy Summer reading!
TAI team
Reading List
Hidden Debt Is Undermining Our Development—and Our Democracy. Corina Rebegea explores how a lack of transparency around public debt is weakening development prospects and democratic oversight in emerging economies. What can be done to fill these visibility gaps?
The Delivery Imperative: Making Every Climate Dollar Count. Anjali Garg and Warren Krafchik make the case for turning climate finance commitments into real-world action. They argue that delivery, not just pledges, must be the priority moving forward.
Why Philanthropy Should Engage Now: The UN Tax Convention and the Fight for Global Tax Justice. This TAI brief showcases why the proposed UN Tax Convention represents a pivotal moment for international tax justice, and why philanthropy has a role to play in shaping fairer global rules.
Urgent Needs to Sustain Civic Space Infrastructure. Cristina Ordóñez shares results from TAI’s global survey of 131 organizations across the civic space field. She points out pressing gaps in the systems and support structures needed to protect civic engagement.
Rethinking “Intermediaries”: Towards a New Lexicon (and Practice). Paula Castells Carrión challenges the sector to reconsider its language, and the assumptions behind terms like "intermediaries", in order to foster trust and centre local leadership.
Re-thinking Fiscal Governance: Introducing the “Strengthening Fiscal Ecosystems” Project. Warren Krafchik and Paolo de Renzio introduce a new initiative exploring how governments raise and spend money, and how this shapes public trust, inclusion, and equity.
The Power Shifting Shuffle. Anna Levy and Nonso Jideofor explore how everyday practices in human rights philanthropy can both shift and reinforce power. Based on interviews with 25 funders and practitioners (including TAI), the piece calls for bold action in times of crisis.
TAI in the media
Accountability Key to Realizing Financing for Development Promises. During a conversation at Casa Devex in Sevilla, Michael Jarvis stresses that achieving development goals will depend on how seriously we take follow-through and accountability.
We also invite you to explore our Library for curated tools and trends relevant to funders, our 3D Dialogues series featuring donor perspectives on civic and democratic space, and our collection of dedicated mini-sites available through the Knowledge Hub.
BONUS: Narratives That Win (or Lose) Democracy: A Collective Interview. Yery M. García and Ignacio Saiz host this episode of the 3D Dialogues podcast, unpacking how dominant narratives influence civic engagement—and what it will take to change the story.
We’d love to hear from you on how we can further improve TAI Weekly to better serve your needs in program management on the transparency, accountability, improved grantmaking and civic space. Please direct your feedback to [email protected] or