News and updates from BCSDN and the region
The Irish Presidency of the Council has proposed significant reductions to the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034, including funding for enlargement and…
Read more →CONCORD’s AidWatch 2026 report examines changing trends in Official Development Assistance (ODA) across Europe, highlighting declining aid budgets, shifting political priorities and growing pressure on…
Read more →Philea has outlined recommendations for strengthening philanthropy’s role in shaping the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), highlighting both opportunities and risks arising from proposed…
Read more →An Alliance Magazine commentary argues that capacity-building programmes can place additional pressure on grassroots organisations when they are designed primarily around donor requirements. Drawing on…
Read more →Civil society organisations remained Sida’s largest funded partner group in 2025, receiving nearly SEK 10.3 billion through 611 agreements across more than 100 countries. The…
Read more →Philea has published a practical guide to help funders introduce or expand unrestricted funding through more flexible, strategic and trust-based grantmaking practices. Although funders and…
Read more →A new Humentum analysis argues that the current funding crisis should push donors beyond the assumption that stronger individual organisations automatically produce stronger civil society.…
Read more →An Oxfam evaluation of its Emergency Response Fund Agility pilot examines a locally led funding model tested in Bangladesh, Puerto Rico and Uganda between 2021…
Read more →An analysis by the European Democracy Hub examines lessons from Hungary’s recent political change for international democracy aid, highlighting the role sustained support to independent civil society played during years of democratic regression. Hungarian NGOs faced legal restrictions, harassment, intimidation and hostile public narratives, while continuing to provide independent information, investigate government misconduct, defend rights,
Read more →The Citizens’ Alliance for Reform and Growth (CARGrow) published its second ex-post monitoring report on North Macedonia’s Reform Agenda 2024–2027, assessing 39 reform steps across governance and public administration, green and digital transition, human capital, the business environment, and fundamental rights and rule of law. The findings point to progress in establishing legislative, strategic and
Read more →The Arts and Culture Funders Forum will bring foundations and practitioners together in Paris on 21–23 October 2026 to explore how impact in arts and culture can be understood beyond quantitative indicators. As foundations face growing pressure to demonstrate results, conventional measurement approaches can narrow artistic practice into predefined outputs and fail to capture learning,
Read more →Philea’s legal mapping provides an overview of the regulatory and fiscal conditions in which foundations and philanthropy operate across Europe. Developed with national and international legal experts, the work looks at key aspects of the operating environment, including registration and reporting requirements, governance, economic activities and tax treatment, while also tracking wider legal and policy
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