Dear readers,
People powered solutions, corruption stealing cultural legacies, shifting vs shrinking space, new job postings - lots to cover this week. But we start with how to stay salient in today’s media landscape. Traditional gatekeepers give way to social media influencers who serve as both information brokers and community builders. Renée DiResta and Rachel Kleinfeld examine how these new actors co-create perceived truth in ways that fundamentally challenge existing institutional authority. Their analysis suggests that nonpartisan organizations and experts must urgently adapt their engagement strategies to remain relevant in this evolving information ecosystem. Their piece serves as a great lead into this week’s Focus Topic digging deeper on weaponized narratives and challenges to social cohesion.
Happy reading!
TAI team
WHAT'S NEW?
Nepal is just the latest country to see a government fall after anti-corruption and inequality motivated protests. New Prime Minister Sushila Karki promises to listen to youth demanding “the end of corruption” and restoration of “good governance and economic equality.” Dramatic events in Nepal are part of what the Financial Times sees as a pattern of Gen Z led revolution in South Asia.
After two decades of advocating for transparency and accountability in extractive industries, Publish What You Pay has undergone a significant transformation, rebranding as Resource Justice Network. The change reflects a broader and bolder commitment to addressing the intertwined challenges of transparency, equity, and justice in natural and energy resource governance. Check out their new five-year strategy.
As aid budgets shrink and debt burdens mount, African nations are increasingly turning inward to strengthen their own revenue systems. This shift toward domestic resource mobilization represents both a necessity born of external funding constraints and an opportunity for greater fiscal sovereignty. There is growing recognition that sustainable development requires robust internal revenue generation capabilities - can that revenue be raised equitably?
Kleptocracy does not respect the sacred. Reporting from Egypt demonstrates how kleptocratic systems spare nothing in their reach for resources. Even the most revered cultural and spiritual institutions can become targets when corruption operates without meaningful constraints.
European journalism faces existential threats that extend far beyond economic pressures to encompass political and technological challenges. Civitates' new report highlights how current support structures prove inadequate to address mounting pressures on press freedom and sustainability.
Carbon markets in Africa are stirring both opportunity and skepticism. The African Union is developing integrity and equity principles, and its development agency, NEPAD, is building coordination mechanisms ahead of COP30. At the same time, activists like Mohamed Adow, from Power Shift Africa, warn these markets risk becoming “smokescreens for polluters” rather than genuine climate solutions. Can market-based mechanisms truly deliver equitable climate action?
Debt servicing obligations continue to constrain low-income countries' capacity to meet basic citizen needs, as U.K. parliamentarian Noah Law is the latest to argue in his call for global debt reform.
Argentina's feminist movement faces new challenges under President Javier Milei's administration, raising fundamental questions about democracy's compatibility with rolling back women's rights. Natalia Gherardi's analysis for the Kettering Foundation traces the movement from "Ni Una Menos" to current struggles, asking how consensus can be rebuilt to protect equality in democratic systems.
COP30 accessibility concerns highlight broader challenges of inclusive participation in global governance. As Brazil's philanthropy mobilizes to ensure diverse voices can attend the climate summit, logistical barriers threaten to create a gathering dominated by well-funded organizations, potentially marginalizing crucial grassroots perspectives.
Who is doing better today than before the global pandemic? Global corporations. Multinational company 2024 profits remain substantially above pre-COVID levels according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development's World Investment Report 2025. The data prompts questions about economic inequality and resource distribution at a time when many social sector organizations struggle with reduced funding and increased demand for services.
Research by the Othering and Belonging Institute shows how authoritarian movements weaponize gender, deploying narratives that reinforce hierarchies, reshape cultural norms, and sow division among opposition movements. Gender is transformed into a tool of social control, laying the groundwork for authoritarian consolidation and, in some cases, violence.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
Trust deficits in Africa receive examination through innovative approaches to enhancing cooperation between people and their institutions. The podcast features experts including electoral integrity advocates, Afrobarometer leadership, government ministers, and African Union panel members, showcasing pathways to more inclusive governance across multiple levels of society.
FROM OUR MEMBERS
MACARTHUR FOUNDATION: President John Palfrey draws on the diversity and vibrancy of the social sector as sources of optimism for meeting current challenges and weathering future difficulties. His message emphasizes courage and community as essential resources for navigating an era marked by funding cuts and political pressures.
PACKARD FOUNDATION: Mouna Ben Garga reframes civic space debates by distinguishing between "shrinking" and "shifting" narratives. Her analysis suggests that viewing civic space as only shrinking risks fatalism, while recognizing it as shifting empowers actors to understand and shape their roles in democratic governance.
FORD FOUNDATION: Launches "People-Powered Solutions: Connecting Local Communities and Global Challenges," an initiative that Martin Abregu describes as bridging grassroots innovation with global problem-solving. The program reflects growing recognition that effective solutions often emerge from communities directly experiencing challenges rather than from top-down approaches.
TAI SECRETARIAT: As governments and advocates look for stronger ways to drive just energy transitions, green industrial policy (GIP) is gaining momentum. A new TAI working paper by Leila Kazemi shows how political dynamics, from power and interests to institutions, shape the success of GIP worldwide. Drawing on global experiences, it offers practical strategies for making climate policies more equitable and effective for both THE people and the planet.
TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS
Philanthropic language barriers may be undermining efforts to build broader public engagement, as sector jargon and grandiose terminology keeps people at arm's length. Alex Daniels suggests that if philanthropy genuinely wants to bring people together, it must reconsider communication approaches that inadvertently create exclusion.
Tamsin Ractliffe reflects on how organizational resilience emerges from relational infrastructure rather than individual characteristics. If resilience is co-produced through the quality of connections, culture, and relationships within organizational systems, it points to the importance of collaborative approaches to building sector strength.
Lisa Witter's concept of "hard hope" reframes optimism as action-oriented rather than belief-based, calling for imperfect but persistent engagement even when communities feel overwhelmed. Her leadership lessons emphasize moving from thinking to doing, and suggest that hope becomes meaningful only when translated into concrete steps toward change.
Rogue Union emerges as a new learning platform designed for "misfits and movement-makers" seeking alternatives to traditional professional development approaches. Founded by Krizna Gomez and Ishtar Lakhani, the initiative promises future-ready skills development within communities that prioritize joy, courage, and authentic connection over conventional training models.
ESSENTIAL READING
USAID's "Thinking and Working Politically" agenda offers lessons for how development approaches can better account for political realities and power dynamics. David Jacobstein's reflections on advancing this framework provide ideas for practitioners continuing to push for social change and development effectiveness in complex political environments.
FOCUS TOPIC OF THE WEEK:
Weaponized Narratives, Fragile Trust, and the Future of Civic Space
Civil society today faces a paradox. On one hand, it remains a cornerstone of democratic governance, helping societies navigate questions of trust, identity, and rights. On the other, it is under increasing pressure, attacked, delegitimized, and constrained. Recent research and policy debates shed light on the challenges ahead while pointing to the opportunities for renewal.
The 2025 Social Cohesion Survey Report from Nigeria underscores the intricate relationship between citizens’ perceptions and the health of democracy. It reveals how views on corruption, impunity, gender equity, and migration shape trust in institutions and expectations of governance. These dynamics matter far beyond Nigeria: they illustrate how social foundations, whether fractured or resilient, can either bolster or weaken democratic systems.
In Europe, the European Commission’s forthcoming Civil Society Strategy signals recognition that organizations need coherent and structured support. Civil society groups across the region face not only resource pressures but also hostility from the very democratic institutions they aim to strengthen. Providing meaningful backing is no longer just a matter of policy efficiency but of safeguarding democracy itself.
At the same time, anti-NGO rhetoric continues to spread globally. Civil society organizations are often dismissed as “state-funded lobby groups” or “instruments of state policy.” The Maecenata Foundation’s study, by Peter Schubert and Siri Hummel, systematically dismantles these claims, offering evidence-based rebuttals that reassert civil society’s legitimacy as an independent democratic actor (In German).
Mexico's civil society ecosystem faces complex challenges that span funding models, conflict dynamics, and organizational capacity constraints. Liliane Loya's analysis for INTRAC reveals critical findings about effective support strategies, highlighting how understanding local contexts and systemic issues is essential for international funders and capacity builders working in the region.
Taken together, these insights reveal that civil society stands at a crossroads and a moment for self reflection. As Brendan Halloran argues, organizations must navigate between short-term survival and long-term transformation. Crisis responses are essential, but they cannot substitute for a broader vision: building inclusive, coherent, and resilient civic ecosystems that can withstand authoritarian backlash and social fragmentation.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
Democracy narratives may be part of the problem rather than the solution. In season 3 of the Thank You Democracy Podcast, Josh Lerner and Diana Dajer suggest that current framings may inadvertently undermine civic power and engagement. (Listen also to TAI’s collective interview with five r
emarkable narrative thinkers and practitioners working across different regions and contexts.)
JOBS
Multiple openings - Hewlett Foundation
Multiple openings - MacArthur Foundation
Multiple Openings - Ford Foundation
Multiple Openings - Gates Foundation
Various Opportunities - Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Head of Policy - Global Fund for a New Economy
Chief Operating Officer - Land Trust Alliance
Senior Program Officer, Grantee Partner Resilience - Waverley Street Foundation
Programme Coordinator, Journalism and Arts and Culture - Philanthropy Europe Association (Philea). Deadline: September 22, 2015.
Digital and Data Support Manager - Open Ownership. Deadline: 24 September 2025
Impact and Learning Manager - Civitates. Deadline: September 28, 2015.
CALLS
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.
LION Publishers, supported by the MacArthur Foundation’s Local News Big Bet, is offering $100,000 grants. Deadline: September 26, 2025.
2026 Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights Indigenous Fellowship Programme: A 4-week training in Geneva (June/July 2026) for Indigenous advocates to strengthen their knowledge of the UN system and human rights. Open to Indigenous persons from all backgrounds; travel, living costs, and health insurance covered. Deadline: September 31, 2025.
Democracy at Work Fund 2025/2026 Call for Proposals - Grants up to $80k to support worker organizing in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Argentina, and Brazil. Focus areas: underrepresented workers, building alliances, and addressing major crises like climate change and gender-based violence. Info webinar: September 30. Apply by October 27.
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.
CALENDAR
AI and Climate: Trade-offs and Transformation - Apolitical. Self Paced.
Expanding Cross-Border Philanthropy and Partnering with Communities in Latin America registration - Webex, 17th September 2025 - 19:00 BST | 13:00 CST.
Breaking Through: How Citizens Are Fighting Modern Authoritarian Censorship. Thursday, September 18, 2025.
Overdue Diligence: shifting power and mobilising funding for rightsholder driven due diligence, September 23, 2025. 15:00-16:30 CET.
Ariadne's 2025 Grant Skills Day & Networking Dinner, London, UK. September 29-30, 2025.
New Economies: Hope in a time of collapse, Partners for a New Economy, Lyon, France, 1st-2nd October 2025.
The PPPN Conference 2025 focuses on "How to Push Back the Threats to Democracy" at the Olof Palme Centre, Stockholm, October 7-8, 2025.
Open Government Partnership (OGP) Global Summit in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, October 7-9, 2025.
2025 IPI World Congress and Media Innovation Festival, Vienna, October 23 - 25, 2025.
International Civil Society Week 2025, co-organized by CIVICUS global civil society alliance and Asia Democracy Network, Bangkok. 1-5 November 2025.
Global Investigative Journalism Conference (#GIJC25). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Thursday, November 20-24, 2025.
MIT Polarization Workshop Academic conference examining political and social polarization dynamics and research approaches. December 5-6, 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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