TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly | Can Philanthropy Reshape Tax Policy?

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

Dear readers,

Looking at the listings of events for upcoming London Climate Action Week and 4th International Financing for Development Conference (FfD4) debt is a hot topic. As a lead in to that, check out TAI’s latest blog from Corina Rebegea where she reflects on the recent IMF debt transparency conference and remaining needs “to set better standards and enforce them, work with creditors on curbing hidden debt, and expand capacity support to all the actors in the accountability ecosystem.”

This will require multilateral cooperation that may seem unlikely in this moment, but Jayati Ghosh calls for leadership that can move reform agendas even if the US is absent. FfD4 is the place to start.

Now on to the rest of the week’s news, jobs and events. Happy reading!

TAI team

WHAT'S NEW?

Syed Raza Ali Shah of Accountability Lab Pakistan makes the case for pushing beyond traditional electoral processes to create more meaningful citizen engagement mechanisms. 

Environmental governance is seeing significant policy shifts as Vietnam mulls halting new mining approvals. Meanwhile, Indonesia takes decisive action by revoking nickel mining licenses in Raja Ampat following public outcry over ecological damage.

South African community organizations are helping residents navigate public procurement information. This latest guide demonstrates how informal settlement dwellers are successfully extracting crucial service delivery data from government documents, offering practical lessons for community-driven accountability initiatives.

A major Swedwatch investigation reveals chronic underfunding of worker and community-led due diligence processes. This research, which featured insights from TAI, highlights how inadequate resourcing is undermining efforts to enforce human rights and environmental standards under new mandatory due diligence legislation.

Chile's procurement reforms are breaking new ground by integrating beneficial ownership transparency requirements. This new cast study of reforms provide a concrete example of how open contracting principles can be strengthened through corporate transparency measures.

Climate governance is gaining attention as policy experts highlight how public institutions serve as critical enablers for addressing climate change. Verena Fritz and Rachel Ort examine the institutional foundations necessary for effective climate action at scale.

Latin America's environmental rights framework expanded significantly as the Bahamas became the 18th nation to join the Escazú Agreement, strengthening regional cooperation on environmental information access and citizen participation. 

This decade-long study by the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre documented over 6,400 attacks across 147 countries against individuals who voiced concerns about business-related risks or harm. The records underscore the dangerous intersection of business interests and civic space.

The relationship between natural resource wealth and democratic governance remains complex, as illustrated by Suriname's ongoing negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. As the country prepares for its first female president, officials emphasize that good governance, not oil revenues, will determine long-term prosperity. 

Dona Bertarelli calls for urgent action on ocean governance. The author discusses the role of the High Seas Treaty and explains how digital tools can advance global conservation goals. Transparency mechanisms will be crucial for achieving the global 30x30 conservation targets.

In financial crime prevention efforts, sovereign wealth funds are emerging as a significant blind spot in global oversight mechanisms. ACAMS highlights gaps in transparency and accountability frameworks for these massive investment vehicles.

Human rights measurement is advancing with new data from the Human Rights Measurement Initiative, covering 203 countries and territories. Scores point to troubling declines in civil and political rights. Journalists and CSOs can request early, embargoed access to prepare responses. 

What do accountability ecosystems look like in the Pacific? New research from Lisa Denney and Glenn Bond offer region-specific insights into how governance mechanisms function across diverse island contexts.

Explore the winners of the 2025 Anti-Corruption Collective Action Awards, presented by the Basel Institute on Governance with support from the Siemens Integrity Initiative. The awards celebrate innovative, collaborative efforts to tackle corruption around the world.

New research offers a compelling typology of ten distinct civil society activities, drawn from Australian experiences. It’s a valuable tool to reflect on the diverse roles CSOs play. See what resonates with your context and what might be missing.

Asian corporate accountability advocates are making the case for stronger international frameworks. They argue that upcoming global negotiations offer unprecedented opportunities to address business and human rights violations in the region.

ESSENTIAL READING AND WATCHING! 

Curious about who holds power in the age of AI? In Empire of AI, Karen Hao explores how emerging technologies are reshaping democracy and reinforcing global inequalities, offering a sharp lens on the new digital colonialism we can’t afford to ignore. Watch this interview with the author.

FROM OUR MEMBERS

PACKARD FOUNDATION: Has introduced a significant innovation in grant-making practice by allowing applicants to submit proposals and reports in their preferred languages. This multilingual approach represents a meaningful step toward more inclusive philanthropy that reduces linguistic barriers for international grantees.

HUMANITY UNITED: Highlights how open and integrated data can support labor rights and accountability in global supply chains. Based on a peer-learning initiative, partners detail the promise and the challenges of using supply chain data for corporate action, raising important questions about trust, governance, and real-world impact.

MACARTHUR FOUNDATION: After nine years, the MacArthur Foundation’s On Nigeria initiative is coming to a close. In this powerful reflection for Alliance Magazine, Kole Shettima and Erin Sines share lessons from supporting Nigeria’s accountability ecosystem—from funding investigative journalism to fostering peer networks and centring equity.

ESSENTIAL WATCHING

Conservation practitioners are sharing valuable insights about integrating political analysis into environmental work. Micol Martini with the World Wide Fund for Nature International discusses her experience applying political economy thinking to conservation challenges.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS

Understanding the UK's evolving philanthropic landscape has become easier with new comprehensive data showing remarkable growth in grant-making activity. Check out the data of over 14,000 funders and £23 billion in grants distributed during 2023-24.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) practices in complex political environments are getting renewed attention as practitioners seek more relevant and useful monitoring approaches. Analysis by M. Florencia Guerzovich and Thomas Aston explores how traditional evaluation methods can be adapted for contexts where political dynamics significantly influence program outcomes.

The feminist funding movement is generating compelling evidence about the power of trust-based philanthropy. New research from Fenomenal Funds across 44 women's funds demonstrates how investing in organizational infrastructure and allowing funds to direct their capacity building creates stronger, more resilient movements.

Development organizations are grappling with resource constraints as global aid dynamics shift. Will Thompson,  Rebecca Gong Sharp, and Marc Shotland offer guidance from trade theory and technology innovation to help organizations maintain impact while operating with reduced funding. 

FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK:

Turning Point in Tax: What Recent Shifts Mean for Global Policy

Recent developments in global tax policy and transparency suggest that the international tax landscape is at a pivotal moment. Evidence-based challenges to conventional thinking on corporate taxation, proven successes in transparency initiatives, and emerging opportunities for systemic reform through international cooperation are converging to potentially reshape how countries approach tax policy and administration in the years ahead.

Public Services International has a new international study that questions the widely accepted belief that higher corporate taxes necessarily harm employment levels, suggesting that the relationship between corporate taxation and job creation may be far more nuanced than previously understood.

The Fair Tax Foundation's analysis of the first 75 tax transparency reports mandated by the European Union's public Country-by-Country Reporting Directive provides crucial insights into corporate tax behavior, revealing both promising developments and concerning practices in how multinational corporations approach their tax obligations across different jurisdictions.

Meanwhile, Latin American countries have demonstrated measurable benefits from their tax transparency efforts throughout 2024, according to findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. These tangible gains illustrate how enhanced transparency mechanisms can translate into concrete improvements in tax administration and compliance, providing a model for other regions seeking to strengthen their tax systems.

Against this backdrop, negotiations for a United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation represent a potentially transformative opportunity to restructure global tax governance, as presented in the latest TAI brief. This initiative could rebalance international tax rules, enhance domestic resource mobilization capabilities, and better align fiscal policies with sustainable development objectives, human rights commitments, and climate goals.

However, the success of this ambitious undertaking faces significant challenges, particularly regarding ensuring meaningful participation from Global South countries, maintaining robust civil society engagement, and providing adequate technical support for implementation. These challenges create a critical opening for philanthropic intervention, where strategic funding could help secure more equitable outcomes and ensure that the voices of developing nations are adequately represented in shaping new international tax frameworks.

What do we know of the value of grantmaking on tax issues? A comprehensive evaluation of philanthropic investments aimed at creating a more equitable tax system in Australia offers clues. This assessment demonstrates how strategic private funding can support systemic tax reform efforts, highlighting the potential for collaboration between public institutions and private donors in advancing tax justice initiatives.

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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

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