The availability and amount of funding available depends on the specific mission and goals of the individual Foundation. For example, the King Baudouin Foundation in Belgium provides grants to organizations in the USA who are working to improve the health of vulnerable populations. The Open Society Foundations in Hungary provides grants to organizations in the USA who are working to promote human rights and democracy. Additionally, the European Cultural Foundation in the Netherlands provides grants to organizations in the USA who are working to promote cultural knowledge and understanding.

 

 

Current Trends in European Foundation Grant-Making

January 26 2026

Prospect research for international and European grant-making foundations requires navigating a complex landscape of varied legal structures and reporting standards. Unlike the UK’s centralized Charity Commission, European research often involves multi-lingual searches of national registries, such as the German Stiftung databases or the French Répertoire National des Associations. Researchers prioritize foundations with a proven “cross-border” giving mandate, as many European trusts are legally restricted to domestic funding unless specified otherwise.

For international fundraising, due diligence expands to include equivalence determination and vulnerability assessments, ensuring that a charity meets the “public charity” criteria of the funder’s home country (critical for US-based foundations like Gates or Ford). Researchers utilize global platforms like Candid (Foundation Directory) or the European Foundation Centre (Philea) to track transnational giving trends. Success depends on identifying “global nodes”—funders whose strategic pillars, such as climate resilience or global health, transcend geography—allowing charities to secure high-value, transformative investment across continental borders.

January 19 2026

The European trust and grant landscape focused heavily on strategic autonomy and long-term resilience. A major headline was the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s €736m ($860m) investment in the BioInnovation Institute to scale European biotech and deep tech through 2035. This move signals a broader shift toward “powerhouse” funding aimed at bolstering European competitiveness against global rivals.

Simultaneously, the European Commission officially adopted the €14 billion Horizon Europe Work Programme (2026–2027). For prospect researchers, the priority is clear: “Widening participation” calls launched this week (January 14) are targeting countries with lower R&I performance to ensure equitable distribution of funds. Meanwhile, Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association) held a summit on “Embedding Equality,” emphasizing that 2026 will see a pivot from purely project-based grants to “Equity and Justice” frameworks in climate and social funding.

January 2 2026

Last week marked a pivotal transition in international fundraising as foundations balanced record year-end totals with urgent 2026 appeals.

Key highlights include:

• UN Humanitarian Appeal: The United Nations launched its $33 billion Global Humanitarian Overview for 2026, specifically seeking $23 billion to assist 87 million people facing conflict and climate disasters.

• NGO Crisis: In the Middle East, 53 international NGOs issued an urgent warning that new registration hurdles expiring on December 31 could halt nearly $1 billion in annual aid to Gaza and the West Bank.

• Scientific Philanthropy: CERN received a massive $1 billion pledge for its Future Circular Collider from a coalition of private donors, including the Breakthrough Prize Foundation and the Schmidt Fund.

• Tech-Driven Grants: The OpenAI Foundation finalized its first wave of $40.5 million in unrestricted grants to 208 nonprofits, signaling a shift toward tech-integrated philanthropy.

• Public Success: The Big Give Christmas Challenge concluded with a record-breaking £57.4 million raised, a 28% increase over the previous year.

December 22 2025

Across the globe, trust and foundation giving this week focused on climate resilience and health equity. MacKenzie Scott dominated headlines, revealing $7.1 billion in 2025 donations, including a record $90 million for tropical forest protection. Similarly, the Bezos Earth Fund committed $24.5 million to marine conservation in the Eastern Tropical Pacific.

In global health, Bloomberg Philanthropies and partners announced a collective $1.9 billion for polio eradication. Meanwhile, the Gates Foundation warned of a 26.9% drop in global health aid, urging foundations to bridge the gap as child mortality risks rise.

December 15 2005

Last week saw a strong focus on regulatory and structural changes within European philanthropy, rather than major grant announcements. Key news included:

• Positive Donation Trends in the Netherlands: The latest reports indicated continued growth, with public giving to Dutch charities rising by 6%, partly driven by sustained legacy donations.

• Fundraising Governance Update: The UK’s Fundraising Regulator published updated rules mandating that charities must take reasonable steps to protect fundraisers from harm and harassment, reflecting an emphasis on ethical fundraising practice.

• Political Environment Challenges: Concerns were raised in Denmark over new inheritance tax rules, with the head of a major association stating the legal changes are creating an increasingly difficult financial environment for charities.

• EU Research Funding: The European Commission announced a significant €14 billion investment through the Horizon Europe program for research and innovation, including grants that foundations and non-profits can access.

December 8 2025

Several major European donor governments, including France, Italy, and Germany, announced cuts to their contributions to global health bodies like the Global Fund, falling far short of global targets. This signals a possible tightening of international grant-making budgets.

Conversely, the European Commission is pushing ahead with colossal direct funding under the Innovation Fund, committing €2.9 billion to 61 cutting-edge, net-zero technology and cleantech projects. This reinforces the EU’s commitment to the Green Transition and Digital Transformation as its core long-term funding priorities. The focus remains on strategic, large-scale, collaborative projects rather than general operational support.

December 1st 2025

Council on Foundations offers “Global Grantmaking Essentials” training on legal and practical aspects of international giving: https://cof.org/event/global-grantmaking-essentials-april-2025

A Devex report profiles the top foundations funding global development in 2025: https://www.devex.com/downloadables/the-top-10-foundations-funding-development-in-2025-43

Council on Foundations also runs a November 2025 “Global Grantmaking Essentials” virtual course: https://cof.org/event/global-grantmaking-essentials-november-2025

The International Foundation’s 2025 grant cycle supports global social impact priorities: https://www.intlfoundation.org

Global Fund for Community Foundations provides small grants to support community philanthropy worldwide: https://globalfundcommunityfoundations.org

UKGrantmaking reports trust and foundation giving rising to £8.2bn, highlighting growth in grantmaking: https://www.ukgrantmaking.org

Oak Foundation describes global grant-making aimed at a safer, fairer, and more sustainable world: https://oakfnd.org/grant-making/

November 10th 2025

Foundations are actively navigating several major global trends that are influencing funding strategies in November 2025:

AI in Philanthropy: The use of Artificial Intelligence is a prominent trend. Foundations are increasingly open to (and in some cases, encouraging) the use of AI tools by grantees for writing applications. Internally, foundations are also exploring AI for analyzing data and streamlining operations.

Response to US Policy & Aid Cuts: A major concern in the international community is the significant cut to international aid by the new US administration. This is forcing private foundations to re-evaluate their strategies and consider how to fill critical funding gaps, particularly in global health and development.

Rise of Funder Collaboration: In response to massive-scale problems like climate change and the aforementioned aid cuts, “funder collaboration” is a key strategy. Foundations are increasingly pooling resources and coordinating efforts to achieve systemic impact that no single organization could manage alone.

Growth of Impact Investing: Beyond traditional grants, foundations are increasingly using their endowments for “impact investing”—making investments in companies and funds that generate both a financial return and a measurable social or environmental benefit.