2020 Ariadne Forecast for European Social Change and Human Rights Funders.

Ariadne is pleased to announce the release of the 2020 Ariadne Forecast for European Social Change and Human Rights Funders.

This year’s Forecast feels particularly momentous as we enter not only a new year, but a new decade. What are the challenges that philanthropy will face in the 2020s? What are the opportunities that this new decade will bring? And most importantly, is philanthropy prepared to seize those opportunities in order to meet the coming challenges (many of which are already on our doorstep) head on?

From the interviews, surveys, and roundtables conducted emerges a picture of philanthropy in flux. A recognition that ‘business as usual’ is no longer fit for purpose alongside fears that real change is too difficult. There is a call for foundations to be bolder, to show more leadership and engage more with popular movements for change. But as one of the respondents said, ‘The real risk is that foundations do nothing.’ The next year could be a significant turning point as foundations grapple with what their response to this call will be.

We live in a rapidly changing world, and since the Forecast was written it has come to light that we are facing the biggest health challenge of a generation. Far from meaning that existing threats to social change and human rights fade into the background, we have already seen how the current context is compounding them.

Our work today is more important than ever, and Ariadne calls upon the sector to think about the role it can play in maintaining a focus on social justice and civil liberties as we face both the challenges we did predict and those we did not.

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #2020AriadneForecast.

To find out more, please visit www.ariadne-network.eu