Dear readers,
As regular readers of TAI Weekly will know, we are closely monitoring the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), pushing for ambition on tax, debt, accountability. Alternative sources of finance matter even more given recent aid cuts. Now, the co-facilitators of the UN-led process - Mexico, Nepal, Norway, and Zambia – have released the first draft of the conference’s outcome document. The text outlines strategies for mobilizing resources in an increasingly complex economic environment, as they describe in this letter. We are pleased to see the document still includes reference to issues TAI members have championed including budget accountability, transparent procurement and taxation of high net worth individuals. (See our brief on why FfD matters).
Much more to cover this week, ranging from digital repression to shared values underpinning governance systems to accountability for climate funding commitments.
Happy reading!
TAI team
WHAT'S NEW?
Merrill Sovner explains how informal rules are used to control civil society in democracies, drawing on Central and Eastern European experiences.
Open Ownership and the Global Legal Entity Identifier Foundation are launching the Global Open Data Integration Network (GODIN) to foster open data practices and collaboration among organisations that publish open data or set open data standards.
Grieve Chelwa makes a strong case for African governments to strengthen their tax base in response to aid cuts and focus efforts on multinational companies (MNCs). “If there is one thing we know about MNCs it is that they will do everything in their power to reduce their tax liabilities.”
Since the military coup in February 2021, Myanmar’s junta has waged an escalating digital war against its citizens, tightening online censorship, ramping up surveillance, and implementing widespread internet shutdowns to suppress dissent. A new report from Tech Policy Press examines how these repressive tactics have evolved and what the future holds for digital rights in Myanmar.
Jaco Roets of Accountability Lab emphasizes the role of cross-sectoral collaboration and indigenous activism in ensuring governance systems are rooted in shared values and public participation. He emphasizes how local movements can drive meaningful change.
The Global Narrative Hive has released a report on strategies to combat the rise of far-right narratives. The publication draws on lessons from the 2022 “Building Common Cause” initiative, offering insights on movement-building and counter-messaging.
A new visualization based on the Democracy Index provides a snapshot of democratic progress and decline worldwide, highlighting shifts in civic freedoms and governance.
With financial constraints growing, NGOs need to diversify revenue sources. Joseph Foti, and Cheri-Leigh Erasmus present 20 alternative funding models, from social enterprises to impact investing, to help organizations sustain their work.
A guide from the Democracy Funders Network and New America explores the potential of citizens’ assemblies to improve democratic participation and decision-making in the U.S. We’re glad to see the report draws on international examples to offer recommendations for funders.
To acknowledge the two month anniversary of the protests in Georgia, RNW Media interviewed digital media strategist, Dodie Kharkheli, whose story encapsulates the broader struggles faced by activists.
ESSENTIAL READING
For the 19th consecutive year, global freedom has declined, with 60 countries experiencing a deterioration in political rights and civil liberties—nearly twice as many as those making improvements. The latest Freedom in the World report shows key threats, from authoritarianism to digital repression, while also spotlighting the resilience of civil society. You can also check out the Freedom Map. What trends are you watching?
FROM OUR MEMBERS
OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS: In a special lecture at the University of Cape Town, Binaifer Nowrojee, OSF president, issued a rallying call for supporters of human rights and open society to renew their resolve in the face of growing threats from authoritarian forces.
MACARTHUR FOUNDATION: Chris Cardona reflects on the latest round of proposals from the $100 million 100&Change competition and notes the postive trend that the number of proposals submitted by a partnership of more than one organization is up dramatically, from 37 percent to 62 percent compared to prior rounds.
Meanwhile, foundation president John Palfrey continues to thoughtfully engage over LinkedIn with critiques and debates, such as here, over how best philanthropy can respond to the current moment and whether MacArthur’s upping of its endowment spend is enough.
TAI SECRETARIAT: With foreign aid budgets shrinking, philanthropy alone can’t fill the gap. In his latest piece for Financial Times Professional Wealth Management, TAI Executive Director Michael Jarvis explores how family offices and wealth managers can play a strategic role in supporting debt sustainability, anti-corruption, and governance reform—not just as donors, but as investors in long-term stability.
TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDER
Closing a nonprofit is challenging, but when handled strategically, it can ensure that impact, staff, and resources are protected. Amy Miller-Taylor shares thoughts on managing closures responsibly, and offers funders a roadmap to support grantees navigating these transitions.
Large-scale funding commitments can drive transformative change, yet they require careful design and execution. Cecilia Conrad, Kristen Molyneaux and David Bowermaster analyze how to structure "big bets" to ensure lasting results, avoid common pitfalls, and strengthen systemic change efforts.
From climate change to democratic erosion, today’s challenges demand integrated responses. This new framework signals ways for funders to support cross-sector collaboration, invest in local solutions, and apply intersectional approaches to build long-term resilience.
With shifting government policies, funders must take proactive steps to sustain climate action. Jacob Harald explores strategies such as innovative financing, movement-building, and community partnerships to ensure continued progress despite political uncertainty.
HAVE YOUR SAY
The upcoming FAccT (Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency) conference in Athens will include a CRAFT (Critiquing and Rethinking Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency) track, focused on shifting AI governance discussions beyond technocratic solutions. Organizers are looking for session proposals that challenge dominant narratives and highlight power imbalances in AI systems.
FOCUSED TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
The Global Climate Finance Puzzle: New Models, Regional Shifts, and Political Threats
As the world looks toward COP30 in Brazil this November, climate finance is once again in the spotlight. Brazil’s government is finalizing plans for a new fund to reward nations that successfully protect their forests, tying financial incentives directly to measurable conservation outcomes. If implemented effectively, this fund could set a precedent for climate-positive policies, but critical governance-related questions remain: How will success be measured? Will countries with weaker environmental regulations be penalized? And how will these incentives align with those of existing global frameworks such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF)?
The need for effective climate finance mechanisms extends beyond forests. Africa, one of the most climate-vulnerable regions despite contributing little to global emissions, is facing growing pressure to strengthen its adaptation strategies. Over half of the continent’s workforce depends on agriculture—an industry increasingly at risk due to rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns. A new push for locally led climate adaptation metrics seeks to ensure that financial resources reach the communities most affected, rather than being absorbed by broad, top-down policy frameworks that often miss local realities. But without a clear and standardized way to measure impact, adaptation efforts risk being underfunded or misdirected.
Amid these developments, the GCF—the world’s largest dedicated climate fund—is taking steps to bring climate finance closer to the regions it serves. The recent approval of its first regional offices represents a major shift from its centralized operations in South Korea. By establishing a physical presence in key regions, GCF aims to make funding more accessible, reduce bureaucratic delays, and better align projects with local needs. If successful, this could be a blueprint for other international funds seeking to improve efficiency and impact.
Of course, global funding platforms should be aligning their funding to reinforce national level processes to match climate finance to priority needs. Melanie Robinson and Crispian Olver make a compelling case for “country platforms.” And we are glad to see reference to centering people with avenues for participation, sensitivity to the political economy and accountability for policy reforms. They conclude with an important call for “mutual accountability” among financiers and governments around clear principles for effective country platforms. Too often, accountability has been downwards only – not inclusive of donors – a fact highlighted by the United States pulling out of the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), abandoning its commiments.
That news was not the only worrying sign. As we have flagged before, the Trump administration has begun criminally targeting climate organizations domestically that received federal grants during the Biden era. The FBI has moved to freeze the bank accounts of major climate groups citing “possible criminal violations” and “conspiracy to defraud the United States.” This crackdown signals an increasingly hostile environment for climate advocacy, raising concerns over the politicization of climate finance and risking a chilling effect globally.
As COP30 approaches, these competing narratives—rewarding conservation, localizing adaptation efforts, improving fund accessibility, and the criminalization of climate finance—point to the need to pay more attention to the governance of climate finance. Without robust accountability, funding mechanisms risk being either ineffective or weaponized.
JOBS
Multiple openings - Hewlett Foundation
Multiple openings – Fair Tax Foundation
Several Positions - Center for Democracy & Technology
Various Opportunities - Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Multiples positions - Brennan Center for Justice
Latin America and the Caribbean Coordinator - WINGS. Deadline March 21, 2025.
Fundraising Director - International Budget Partnership. Deadline March 23, 2025.
Executive Director - Elevate Children Funders Group. Deadline March 25, 2025.
Executive Director - Transparentem. Deadline March 31, 2025.
Communication Director - WINGS. Deadline April 2, 2025.
Program Manager – Open Data Watch. Deadline April 18, 2025.
CALLS
Call for abstracts. Submit for the International Center for Evidence and Development regional conference from May 26-30 to discuss participatory governance and sustainable development in Africa. The event will bring together experts, policymakers, and civil society leaders to explore citizen engagement strategies. Deadline April 1.
The Amazonia+ call seeks a managing organization for local forest governance projects led by women and youth in the Amazon. Grants up to 400,000 Euros for 10 projects. Deadline March 19, 2025.
The YCompassion Leadership Programme helps leaders integrate compassion into their approach. The next cohort begins in April 2025, with only 10 spots available. Apply by March 21st to secure your place!
Philanthropist and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman is looking for answers with a $10 million open call for organizations working to build faith in government, the media, public health, universities, and more. Learn further at this March 26 webinar.
Local cross-border investigative journalism grants available in Europe. Deadline March 27, 2025.
Call for submission of abstracts for a short paper and panel presentation at the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference. Selected research papers will be presented at the 2025 Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from November 20 – 24, 2025. Deadline 31st March 2025.
The Brazilian Association for Investigative Journalism invites academics and students of Investigative Journalism to submit research papers. Deadline March 31st, 2025.
Call for Proposals – The Eastern Partnership Civil Society Innovations for Open Government Grants are open! Apply by April 10, 2025.
Publish What You Fund is offering free, online training on using the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)—the leading global open aid dataset.
Working on the political economy of aid and development? Join PEADS2025, April 23-24, 2025 in Pitlochry, Scotland.
Funding available for investigative journalism projects in Belgium and the Netherlands. Deadline May 15, 2025.
The Thousand Currents Academy in Atlanta, will bring funders and allies together to support unrestricted, long-term funding for Global South movements, fostering systems change through trust and accountability, May 19-22, 2025.
The 10th edition of the School for Thinktankers returns to Fundació Bofill in Barcelona in 2026. Submit your early-bird application.
CALENDAR
Coda Conversations: The Playbook: From Global Patterns to America’s New Reality, March 23, 2025, 3pm ET - hear from those who have witnessed the destruction of democracies first hand.
Looking Back to Look Forward: The Role and Challenges of Accountability in Post-Assad Syria, March 24, 10am EDT
The Commons in Conversation with Reid Hoffman and Cecilia Conrad. Event by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. March 26, 2025.
Meeting the Moment with Trust-Based Philanthropy: A Virtual Discussion Series to Activate Collective Action, March 26, April 30, & May 29. 11-12:30pm PT // 12-1:30pm MT // 1-2:30pm CT // 2-3:30pm ET.
Land tenure and national carbon frameworks, webinar. March 27, 2025.
Disappearing before our eyes: Can philanthropy save civil society? registration - Webex, March 28, 2025.
World Bank Group's Partnerships for Anticorruption Global Forum, in Washington, DC, April 8-9, 2025,
EDGE Conference 2025 | From Pledge to Action: Accountability in Philanthropy”, Bogota. April 28-30, 2025.
Labor And The Crisis Of Democracy: Working-Class Politics in an Age of Authoritarianism, Conference sponsored by the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies. May 8 y 9, 2025.
Ten Red Flags for Corruption Risk in Transition Minerals Licensing and Contracting, webinar, Thursday, March 20, from 2-3pm GMT / 10-11am EDT.
2025 Financing for Feminist Futures conference, Madrid, Spain. May 21-23, 2025.
Philea Forum 2025 “Power and Equality: A Balancing Act”, Lisbon, June 2-5, 2025.
8th Impacts of Civic Technology Conference (TICTeC), Mechelen, and online. June10 & 11 2025.
Leading Locally 2025, Minneapolis-St. Paul, June 10-12, 2025.
On Think Tanks Conference 2025, Johannesburg, South Africa, June 16 - 18, 2025.
2025 World Justice Forum, Warsaw, Poland. June 23-26, 2025
4th International Financing for Development Conference, Seville, June 30 - July 3, 2025
2025 Global Procurement Forum, OECD, Paris, July 1 & 2, 2025.
Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, October 7-9, 2025
Global Investigative Journalism Conference (#GIJC25). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Thursday, November 20-24, 2025.
11th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP11) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), Doha, Qatar. December 14-19, 2025.
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