TAI Weekly

TAI Weekly | Justice Can’t Wait: What’s at Stake as COP30 Approaches

By TAI (Role at TAI)
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TAI Weekly

Dear readers,

Enjoy our usual round up of all things democracy, civic space, finance and climate accountability related, including a deep dive on climate justice and governance debates leading up to COP next month.

But we start with Hannah Wanjie Ryder explaining why South-South perspectives are essential to effective development finance reform. Meantime, the World Bank is under scrutiny for how it will respond to today’s needs. We offer an update on its reform of accountability mechanisms below, but first check out the video of Bank President Anjay Banga’s recent Town Hall with civil society.

Happy reading!

TAI team

WHAT'S NEW?

The Philippines offers a remarkable turnaround story. Two years after a corruption scandal nearly closed the country's central procurement agency, it has transformed into a transparency champion. As the Open Contracting team highlights, achievements include modernizing procurement legislation with new beneficial ownership disclosure requirements, advancing electronic procurement systems, and strengthening government capacity for planning.

We are excited to see Stanford Social Innovation Review feature Tracka, a nonprofit dedicated to government transparency and accountability. Since 2014, founders Oluseun Onigbinde and Joseph Agunbiade have translated the country's annual budget into accessible terms, informing citizens about government funding for community projects and  tackling corruption through citizen engagement. 

A Standard & Poor's methodology change could unlock $600-800 billion in additional lending capacity for multilateral development banks (MDB) over the next decade. Thanks to improved data granularity now available from the Global Emerging Markets Database, the credit rating company has reassessed sovereign risk weightings across MDB portfolios. Publish What You Fund reflects on this transparency win and its significance for MDB reform.

Youth-led movements across the Global Majority are reimagining democracy on their own terms without waiting for traditional gatekeepers. In their new essay, Maheen Kaleem, Jody Myrum, Laura Vergara challenge funders and institutional actors to listen and invest with humility, not control. 

Civil society activists who have confronted "foreign agents" laws are sharing vital resistance strategies in this blog by Alesia Sedziaka for Just Security. Their approaches include knowledge-sharing to preempt threats, building public support for the nonprofit sector, and forming coalitions with domestic and international allies.

Matt Williams argues that philanthropy has a language problem. Despite billions invested in defending democracy, the sector relies on abstract terms like "strengthening institutions" rather than connecting democratic values to everyday experiences in classrooms, clinics, or grocery stores. He proposes alternative language to connect people in the United States with the fight to strengthen democracy. 

Freedom House launches a new series examining civic space erosion in the United States. The first edition, "Foundations of Freedom," emphasizes that erosion is a gradual process involving tactics to curtail fundamental freedoms through security, anti-NGO, and foreign agent laws.

The launch of the International Nonprofit Accounting Standards (INPAS) marks a watershed moment. For too long, NGOs across countries have juggled multiple accounting frameworks, steep compliance costs, and opaque financial reporting. According to the International Non‑Profit Reporting Foundation, INPAS will bring long-awaited consistency and trust into nonprofit finances, and potentially save the sector millions.

The data is clear on democracy and economic prosperity. Gerardo Berthin's analysis shows that robust rule of law, reduced corruption, and expanded rights create productive environments for private enterprise. Conversely, a weak rule of law and fewer freedoms generate uncertainty, risk, and diminished economic prosperity.

Fiscal sponsorship enables mission-driven projects to access infrastructure and operational capacity. Bipisha Ray details new guidance to practice it in justice-driven and feminist ways, balancing requirements with feminist values and governance. 

As the World Bank considers an overhaul of its accountability framework, it has pledged “no dilution, no regression” in protecting access to remedy for communities harmed by its projects. This move, detailed by Devex, signals a reminder to funders that governance and accountability should be non-negotiable for finance.

FROM OUR MEMBERS

OPEN SOCIETY FOUNDATIONS: Senior vice president, Leonard Benardo, revisits the American ideal of free speech in an essay, arguing that the once-principled defense of all speech has transformed into a partisan weapon. Benardo proposes viewing free expression as a living ideology that evolves with democracy, rather than a sacred, timeless constitutional right.

HEWLETT FOUNDATION: Has appointed Ash Vasudeva as its new Education Program Director. With decades of experience, from launching a school garden as a science teacher to shaping national discussions on deeper learning and career-connected education, Vasudeva brings a deep commitment to advancing equitable, high-quality learning for all students. 

HUMANITY UNITED: Melanie Greenberg and John Paul Lederach took part in the Collective Trauma Summit panel “Sustainable Peace Building.” The session, part of a seven-day global event on trauma healing and social change, examined how addressing collective trauma is vital to sustaining peace and fostering transformation within communities worldwide. 

ESSENTIAL READING

The Kettering Foundation's Global Conversation on Democracy, held in Washington, DC this July, explored "Solidarity Across Borders" as both framework and call to action. Jasmine White of She Grows It Consulting Group has synthesized key insights and recommendations in a new report available in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The report captures the day's conversations alongside the underlying urgency and reasons for hope.

TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS

Philanthropies are regularly amid strategy refreshes, so may enjoy David Wheeler outlining six practical approaches to help streamline the process. Experienced consultants and nonprofit leaders share their strategies for optimizing strategic planning. 

"If we do not define what African philanthropy is, we risk losing the values, wealth, and self-understanding that shape our identity," says Sibongile Mkhabela, Executive Director of the Barloworld Empowerment Foundation. In conversation with Alliance magazine, this veteran social justice leader shares her vision for an inherently African philanthropy.

As traditional aid models contract, the Gates Foundation and Open Philanthropy are testing innovative approaches to support prosperity in low- and middle-income countries. Their ability to take risks, test ideas, and inform policy reforms offers insights that multilateral banks and bilateral donors often cannot provide.

"Fueling Transformation," a new evidence-based report from African Collaborative, demonstrates that African-led organizations thrive with trust-based funding. When local leaders are resourced and empowered, transformative and sustainable change follows. The report offers a roadmap challenging traditional development models.

Essential Reading 

As governments increasingly digitize their fiscal systems, from budgeting and procurement to audits and social transfers, fiscal digital public infrastructure (fiscal DPI) is rapidly becoming the backbone of public financial management. Are governments thinking enough about the transparency, accountability and inclusion dimensions to DPI?  This new exploratory scoping study, commissioned by TAI and authored by Mariam Umarji, examines the governance needs of this transformation.

Focused Topic of the Week 

COP30 Countdown: Without Justice, There Is No Green Transition

As world leaders prepare for COP30 in Belém, the climate conversation is at a critical inflection point. The science is clear, but political will and equitable action remain elusive. A new World Resources Institute report finds the world is backsliding on climate action. This despite the rising costs of inaction. For example, as Robert Muggah argues in the Financial Times, tackling environmental crime is not just ethical—it’s economically smart, costing far less than trying to redress damage later on.

Contradictions persist. For example, across Latin America, countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Guyana are breaking fossil fuel records while promising green transitions. This dissonance exposes the uncomfortable truth that growth and sustainability are still being negotiated as opposing goals.

The issue is not just environmental; it’s fundamentally about justice, governance, and power. Energy, for example, is too often treated as a tradable good rather than what it truly is: a human right. As Spark argues in The Right to Sustainable Energy, reframing energy access as a foundation of human dignity could reshape how we think about climate responsibility and investment.

The Tax Justice Network reminds us that climate justice is inseparable from fiscal justice, and has outlined six key demands ahead of COP30 and the #UNTaxConvention negotiations in Nairobi, calling for real, structural change to make climate action fair and effective: abolish fossil fuel subsidies and make polluters pay, and make multinationals and the ultra-rich pay their true cost are some examples. 

Momentum for more locally grounded approaches is growing. The newly launched Asia Climate Philanthropy Advisory, founded and led from Asia, aims to unlock both private philanthropic and public funds for locally led climate solutions. This first-ever regional climate philanthropy advisory represents a powerful shift toward centering Asian leadership in global climate action. A reminder that regional ownership is key to transforming ambition into implementation.

As COP30 convenes in the heart of the Amazon, the stakes go beyond targets and treaties. The real question is whether global leaders will confront the structural inequalities that fuel both the climate and governance crises—or settle for another year of lofty promises and uneven progress, again leaving the world’s most vulnerable behind.

Essential Reading 

In her new book, The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy, Boston College Law professor Ray D. Madoff argues that modern philanthropy has become a tool for the ultra-wealthy to preserve power and avoid taxes. Madoff, known for challenging the influence of big philanthropy, argues that tax incentives and donor-controlled structures have created an unequal system where charitable giving often serves private interests more than the public good.

JOBS

CALLS

  • Omidyar Network’s Tech Journalism Fund offers $5,000–$25,000 to U.S.-based journalists for in-depth reporting on how technology shapes society. Priority topics include AI regulation, industry accountability, impacts on youth and families, and the future of work. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with decisions in 30 days.

  • Philea invites participation in their survey on foundation governance: "Futures of Governance in Philanthropy".

  • MobLab is running a 15–20 minute survey to benchmark leadership and talent development in civil society, mapping current capacity-building approaches and identifying opportunities for strengthening. Participants will receive shared results and insights.

  • Evidence in Governance and Politics Innovation Grants: Up to five grants (~$10,000 each) for projects that strengthen research quality and integrity in governance and politics. Open to all applicants (membership not required). Deadline: October 31, 2025.

  • Call for Papers: The Eighth Academia Against Corruption in the Americas Conference is now accepting submissions. Deadline: October 31, 2025.

  • Free 6-week online masterclass for policy reformers! Join Julio Guzmán to learn practical strategies for advancing democratic reform—coalition building, navigating resistance, and more. Wednesdays, Oct 29–Dec 3, 8–9:30 AM ET. Limited spots!

  • Applications are open for the Democracy Masterclass 2026, a program for 30 frontline changemakers to sharpen strategies, connect globally, and gain tools from the Anti-Authoritarian Toolkit. Includes online sessions, a fully funded in-person gathering, and year-round peer support. Deadline: November 1st, 2025.

  • Open Ownership, together with the World Bank Group and the Centre for the Study of Corruption at Sussex, invites submissions for its research symposium on beneficial ownership transparency (BOT), to be held in Brighton, UK on 26–27 February 2026. Researchers, advocates, and practitioners are welcome to submit work related to policy design, impact measurement, or emerging issues in BOT by 16 November 2025.

  • Want to make a real impact? People Powered is accepting applications for programs on participatory climate action, youth democracy, and community sustainability. They offer funding and mentorship to bring ideas to life. Deadline: November 30, 2025.

  • Tinker Foundation 2026 Institutional Grants are open! Supporting Latin American civil society advancing Democratic Governance and Education. Grants up to $500K (multi-year possible), preference for regional organizations. Deadline: January 7, 2026.

CALENDAR

  1. OECD speaker Series from October to December 2025, as speakers explore fresh approaches to engaging the public on the major fiscal challenges facing OECD countries.

  2. RINGO Connect Meeting - October 29, 2025 | 12:00-13:15 GMT.

  3. The Center for the Study of Democracy's  Shadow Economies Research Launch. October 30, 2025 | 12:00-13:15 GMT.

  4. International Civil Society Week 2025, co-organized by CIVICUS global civil society alliance and Asia Democracy Network, Bangkok. 1-5 November 2025.

  5. Freedom House Report Launch: Freedom on the Net 2025 - An Uncertain Future for the Global Internet. November 13, 10:00 AM–11:15 AM EST.

  6. Webinar: Navigating the Crossroads: Philanthropic Strategies for Global Human Rights. November 17, 2025 | 10:00-11:00 AM ET.

  7. Senterej Series #6: Beyond Finance – New Blueprints for a New Economy.November 20th, 2025. 3PM UK / 4PM CET / 5PM SAST / 10AM ET / 7AM PST.

  8. Global Investigative Journalism Conference (#GIJC25).  Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Thursday, November 20-24, 2025.

  9. MIT Polarization Workshop Academic conference examining political and social polarization dynamics and research approaches. December 5-6, 2025.

  10. 11th Session of the Conference of the States Parties (CoSP11) to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC), Doha, Qatar. December 14-19, 2025.

  11. People Powered 2026 Convening - A global gathering on participatory democracy. Nairobi, Kenya. March 2–5, 2026.

  12. Othering & Belonging Conference, Louisville, Kentucky, March 31-April 1, 2026.

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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