Global Dialogue is a London-based ¹ philanthropic support program that was originally founded to support human rights-focused organizations. ² The organization hosts donor networks, funder collaboratives, and pooled funds for both United Kingdom-based and international causes. ³ Global Dialogue also supports the critical race theory-influenced concepts of equity and climate justice. ⁴

Global Dialogue holds a 501(c)(3) Equivalency Determination through NGO Source that enables it to partner with donors based in the United States. ⁵ Since 2014, Global Dialogue has received $4,905,000 in grants from the left-of-center Ford Foundation. ⁶ In 2022, Global Dialogue received support from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Oak Foundation, liberal financier George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, Wallace Global Fund, and others. ⁷

History and Leadership

Global Dialogue was founded in 2007. ⁸ Esther Hughes is the executive director of Global Dialogue. ⁹

Activities and Funding

Global Dialogue is a London-based ¹⁰ philanthropic support program that was originally founded to support human rights-focused organizations. Global Dialogue’s first program, the Strategic Fund for Turkey, was created in partnership with the Sigrid Rausing Trust. ¹¹

Global Dialogue supports the critical race theory-influenced concepts of equity and climate justice. ¹² The organization hosts donor networks, funder collaboratives, and pooled funds for both United Kingdom-based and international causes. The organization was the first to develop a U.K. “fiscal sponsorship” equivalent and provides back-office support functions, finance, administration, and legal support for its programs. ¹³

As of August 2023, Global Dialogue hosts Ariande, Migration Exchange, Early Action Funders Alliance, Funders Initiative for Civil Society (FICS), Thomas Paine Initiative, and the UK LGBTI Donor Initiative. ¹⁴ Global Dialogue’s first pooled fund was the Thomas Paine Initiative. ¹⁵ Ariadne has focused some of its work on the critical race theory-influenced concepts of climate justice and environmental justice through projects such as the Green Screen Climate Justice and Digital Rights Coalition. ¹⁶

Global Dialogue also hosts the left-of-center Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace hub ¹⁷ and the International Education Funders Group, which contains more than 100 member organizations. The group aims to influence education policy and supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Education 2030 program. ¹⁸

Several organizations have spun out of Global Dialogue’s ecosystem to become their own independent charities. Pro-migration and pro-refugee organization IMIX spun out of Global Dialogue in October 2019. ¹⁹ Human rights organization RightsInfo spun out of Global Dialogue to become its own charity organization less than two years after Global Dialogue helped found the organization in 2014. ²⁰

Grantmaking Activities

Global Dialogue manages a general portfolio of grants and various subgrants from its hosted programs and special initiatives. Global Dialogue holds a 501(c)(3) Equivalency Determination through NGO Source that enables it to partner with donors based in the United States. ²¹

Its grantmaking activities include incubation for organizations in the United Kingdom, ²² assisting funders with project management, ²³ asset management, and collaborative philanthropy. ²⁴

Funding

Global Dialogue receives funding from foundation grants. In 2022, Global Dialogue reported revenue of £3,786,060 ($4,840,080) and expenses of £2,063,862 ($2,638,430). ^{25 26}

In 2022, Global Dialogue received support from the American Jewish World Service, Arcus Foundation, Asfari Foundation, Baring Foundation, Barrow Cadbury Trust, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Comic Relief, Democracy and Media Foundation, Euro-Mediterranean Foundation Of Support To Human Rights Defenders, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, Fund for Global Human Rights, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Oak Foundation, liberal financier George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Sigrid Rausing Trust, Stanford University, Trust for London, Unbound Philanthropy, and Wallace Global Fund. ²⁷

Since 2014, Global Dialogue has received $4,905,000 in grants from the left-of-center Ford Foundation. Of these grants, $4,245,000 was allotted for Global Dialogue programs including the Funders Initiative for Civil Society. ²⁸

1. “Contact Us.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/contact-us/.
2. “Our Story.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/our-story/.
3. “Hosting.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/programmes/programmes/.
4. “Centering equity and justice in climate philanthropy.” Global Dialogue. June 2022. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/centering-equity-and-justice-in-climate-philanthropy/.
5. “Grantmaking.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/grantmaking/
6. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?grantee%5B%5D=global-dialogue&search=%22global+dialogue%22.
7. “Financials.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/financials/.
8. “Our Story.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/our-story/.
9. “Our People.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/our-people/.
10. “Contact Us.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/contact-us/.
11. “Our Story.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/our-story/.
12. “Centering equity and justice in climate philanthropy.” Global Dialogue. June 2022. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/centering-equity-and-justice-in-climate-philanthropy/.
13. “Hosting.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/programmes/programmes/.
14. “Hosting.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/programmes/programmes/.
15. “Our Story.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/our-story/.
16. “Green Screen Coalition Awards.” Ariadne European Funders for Social Change and Human Rights. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://www.ariadne-network.eu/green-screen-coalition-awards/.
17. “Philanthropy for Social Justice and Peace.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/programmes/philanthropy-for-social-justice-and-peace-psjp/.
18. “International Education Funders Group.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/programmes/international-education-funders-group/.
19. “IMIX.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/incubation/imix/.
20. “RightsInfo.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 8, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/incubation/rightsinfo/.
21. “Grantmaking.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/grantmaking/.
22. “Incubation.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/incubation/.
23. “Special Initiatives.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/special-initiatives/.
24. “Grantmaking.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/grantmaking/.
25. ^[1] “Annual Report and Financial Statements.” Global Dialogue. April 30, 2022. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Global-Dialogue-Annual-Report-and-Financial-Statements-2021-2022.pdf.
26. Note: these rates are based on the August 7, 2023, exchange rate between the British Pound Sterling and the U.S. Dollar.
27. “Financials.” Global Dialogue. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://global-dialogue.org/financials/.
28. “Grants Database.” Ford Foundation. Accessed August 7, 2023. https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/awarded-grants/grants-database/?grantee%5B%5D=global-dialogue&search=%22global+dialogue%22.