Dear readers,
We start with a thank you to the civil society partners and funders who joined for the TAI Learning Days last week, one event among a busy Berlin Freedom Week. We heard some much needed inspiration in the fight for democracy and civic space. We will be packaging insights, but you can get a sense of the mood in this video.
However, you may have a sharp change of mood when you read the latest data on the funding situation facing so many in civil society. Blair Glencorse guides us through Accountability Lab, Humentum and Global Voices survey findings, while International IDEA has released its report examining the impact of foreign aid cuts on the worldwide democracy, rights, governance, and peacebuilding ecosystem. Together, they paint a dark picture.
TAI team
WHAT'S NEW?
A new alert from The Sentry draws on corporate records to document links between the UAE and Colombian mercenaries deployed to Sudan. The investigators urge financial institutions to conduct enhanced due diligence on customers and transactions involving UAE private security providers, their owners, and their suppliers.
Accountability Lab Nepal showcases six community-based organizations that received Innovation Grants over the past ten months to promote government accountability, inclusion, youth participation, and responsive local governance. These organizations have advanced inclusivity in local governance, transparency through data, and creative activism across Nepal.
As negotiations for a UN Tax Convention continued last week, Bemnet Agara and Alex Cobham highlighted India’s intervention demanding attention to illicit financial flows and urging a broad UN definition inclusive of aggressive tax avoidance. Want to know more? The new UN Tax Convention Hub brings together the latest updates, analysis, and official resources to track developments in this landmark process.
Research from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue tracks how disinformation about Czechia’s 2025 elections evolved for over a year, centering on the false “Romanian Scenario” claims of electoral interference. The study maps key actors, from opposition figures to influencers, and shows how such narratives erode trust in democracy, prompting President Petr Pavel to publicly reaffirm electoral integrity.
A new OECD report finds that people in Latin America and the Caribbean are more optimistic than the OECD average about their governments' ability to tackle complex global challenges, even as overall levels of trust in government remain lower. Findings offer important insights into the relationship between optimism and trust in the region.
The Open Government Partnership's Independent Reporting Mechanism Local Report explores over 500 commitments to showcase successful examples of real-world reform at the local level including feedback loops for citizen reporting of public service problems in San Pedro Garza García, and co-creation strategies shared among OGP Local members in the Philippines.
After Thailand signed a controversial rare earths Memorandum of Understanding with the United States, civil society groups, including the Thai NGO Coordinating Committee on Development and the Network of People Who Own Mineral Resources, petitioned the United States Embassy for repeal. The groups cited legal and environmental concerns.
Freedom House's new report, “Freedom on the Net 2025: An Uncertain Future for the Global Internet”, analyzes 15 years of data on internet freedom. The report finds that governments have deployed increasingly advanced and widespread measures to control the digital sphere, relying on sophisticated censorship technology to suppress online dissent.
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) has announced a four-week public consultation period for the updated FiTI Standard, version 2.0, inviting stakeholders to provide suggestions and comments on the global framework for transparency in fisheries management through December 5th.
Mara Bolis offers a compelling analysis of the AI gender gap paradox, arguing that women's skepticism toward generative AI reflects not risk aversion but risk awareness. The piece explores how women often see flaws in systems they have not built and challenges the framing of caution as weakness rather than mindful stewardship.
Sasha Caldera celebrates the news that the Government of Ontario has committed to a corporate beneficial ownership registry that will align it with Canada’s federal beneficial ownership framework by 2027.
From Our Members
PACKARD FOUNDATION: Welcomes Christopher Burnett and Sarah Stephens to its Board of Trustees. Both embody a longstanding tradition of service and stewardship, bringing professional and philanthropic experiences combined with deep connection to the Foundation's mission.
FORD FOUNDATION: Welcomes Noorain Khan back, this time as vice president and chief innovation officer, a newly-created executive role. After previously serving as a senior advisor to our former president, Darren Walker, Noorain will now drive the foundation's innovation strategy and commitment to accelerating the foundation and social sector’s impact.
HILTON FOUNDATION: Spotlights the Center for Scholars & Storytellers (CSS) at UCLA, which is working to change how young people are portrayed on screen. CSS’s latest Teens and Screens report shows that teens want relatable stories, with guidance on how media can better support empathy and healthy identity development.
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
Coda's Tech, “Tyrants and Us” podcast explores how WhatsApp and Telegram are now prompting Russian users for email addresses as operators prepare to stop sending SMS codes. The episode provides crucial insights into how an email address can be weaponized in authoritarian contexts.
TOOLS AND TRENDS FOR FUNDERS
Ntefeleng Nene and Riti Mohapatra of Bridgespan make a compelling case for funding community-driven change in a post-aid world. Their piece calls for reimagining development programs by investing in building the power and assets of communities themselves, rather than imposing external solutions.
Masana wa Afrika, an African-led grantmaker born from ELMA Foundation’s Community Grants Program, champions long-term, trust-based philanthropy and provides multiyear, flexible funding to community organizations and empowering local leaders to drive lasting change.
As Anna Striethorst details, the European Commission has adopted the first EU Strategy for Civil Society, together with the European Democracy Shield. Partnership, transparency and accessibility are listed as principles for all EU funding. Entities and projects that are incompatible with EU values do not receive support.
Agustín Landa from Alliance magazine talks with Iliana Monterroso at the Central American Donors Forum on how funders and civil society are navigating shrinking aid and strengthening local ecosystems. The dialogue reflects on resource governance, collective rights, gender justice, and socio-environmental conflicts in Latin America.
Essential Reading
Shockwave Foundation shares lessons from its 20-year, $50 million spend-down fund focused on climate adaptation, especially food and water security. CEO Jeny Wegbreit warns that adaptation and resilience remain severely underfunded, receiving under 7% of global climate finance.
Focused Topic of the Week
Climate Finance, Transparency, Justice, and Transformation Before COP30
As COP30 convenes in Belém, the intersection of climate action, financial transparency, and systemic reform has never been more urgent. Publish What You Fund's "Behind the Billions" report exposes a troubling $54 billion transparency gap in climate finance, with six major multilateral development banks publishing no project-level data despite reporting $307 billion between 2021 and 2023. This opacity matters profoundly: when only $253 billion of reported climate finance can actually be traced to specific projects, accountability becomes nigh impossible, and the promise of climate funding rings hollow for the communities most vulnerable to climate impacts. Meanwhile, Transparency International finds that at last year’s COP one in six participants failed to disclose their affiliations, “a transparency gap that threatens the legitimacy of international climate governance.” In Belém, one in every 25 participants is a fossil fuel lobbyist, according to analysis by the Kick Big Polluters Out coalition as reported by The Guardian.
It is unlikely that the outcome from COP30 will meet the needs of developing countries. Recognizing the failure to meet climate finance promises, Ian Gary of the FACT Coalition argues that climate action cannot be divorced from reform of international tax rules that might unlock a better deal for the Global South, highlighting the significance of the concurrent UN discussions in Nairobi on international tax cooperation (as noted earlier in the weekly). ECLAC's research reinforces this connection, demonstrating that carbon taxation alone cannot generate the investment scale needed to address climate-driven economic losses in Latin America and the Caribbean without complementary fiscal reforms.
Yet even as these governance challenges persist, the potential for climate-aligned development becomes increasingly visible. The World Bank's analysis of how digital innovation combats environmental decline—through real-time monitoring, AI-driven agriculture, and satellite surveillance—illustrates that technological tools exist to help address the crisis facing the nine in ten people living amid degradation, pollution, or water scarcity. More significantly, the Bank's Jobs in a Changing Climate report reframes the economic narrative: while climate change threatens 260 million jobs in developing countries by 2050, strategic investments in resilience could generate benefits equivalent to 150 million jobs.
Climate action at a crossroads. New technical capacity exists—digital tools, policy frameworks, investment mechanisms—but progress remains stymied by opacity in climate finance, risk of capture by vested interests, and the persistent separation of climate policy from broader economic and fiscal reform.
JOBS
Multiple openings - Hewlett Foundation
Multiple openings - MacArthur Foundation
Multiple Openings - Ford Foundation
Multiple Openings - Gates Foundation
Multiple Openings - Social Action, Development Cooperation, Culture, Disability, and Health Sectors in Spain
Various Opportunities - Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
Director or Managing Director, Partnerships - Namati. Deadline: Rolling Basis.
Senior Governance Specialist, Global Lead for Anticorruption - World Bank. Application deadline: December 1, 2025.
Consultant to conduct a final evaluation of the Climate Governance Integrity Project - Transparency International. Deadline: December 5, 2025.
Executive Director - Civil Liberties Union for Europe. Deadline: December 30, 2025
International Council Members - Transparency International. Deadline: December 31, 2025
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.
Luminate’s Policy & Partnerships team is looking for a consultant or agency to manage an advisory group of academic experts focused on tech policy and digital rights, helping deliver policy primers and foresight analyses.Deadline: November 26, 2025.
The IAFFE Feminist Economics School will be held at Universidad Icesi, Cali, Colombia, July 6–8, 2026. Open to 20–30 early-career scholars, activists, and policymakers, it offers a chance to deepen knowledge and skills in feminist economics. Applications are now open. Deadline: November 28, 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.
The Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) welcomes feedback on the draft FiTI Standard, version 2.0, through Friday, December 5th.
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.
Keseb’s Democracy Innovation Lab is backing early-stage ideas that reimagine the foundations of democracy. Its first iLab will support 10 community-building initiatives that strengthen inclusion and cross-group belonging. Nominate a Project Lead by January 16, 2026 (11:59 PM ET) or submit a pitch by February 2, 2026 (11:59 PM ET).
CALENDAR
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.
Senterej Series #6: Beyond Finance – New Blueprints for a New Economy.November 20th, 2025. 3PM UK / 4PM CET / 5PM SAST / 10AM ET / 7AM PST.
Partners for a New Economy and Metabolic host an exclusive conversation exploring Europe's vibrant New Economy field, following the launch of their new publication "Fertile Ground.", Thursday, November 20, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (UTC+01:00) Amsterdam.
Fertile Ground: Exploring Europe’s New Economy Landscape, November 20| 10:00 GMT.
Global Investigative Journalism Conference (#GIJC25). Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Thursday, November 20-24, 2025.
Webinar “Enabling Civil Society and Civic Space in a Changing Landscape”, November 21 2025, from 14:00 to 15:15 CET.
ATI Masterclass: turning requests into reporting with Fiquem Sabendo. November 24, 15:00-16:00 (GMT).
Webinar by People Powered / Laboratories of Democracy: Global Innovations in School and Youth Participation.November 25, 9–10:30 am ET / 2–3:30 pm UTC.
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.
Reclaim the Economy Week. 26 January - 1 February 2026.
People Powered 2026 Convening - A global gathering on participatory democracy. Nairobi, Kenya. March 2–5, 2026.
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