Funders Initiative for Civil Society

What Funders Initiative for Civil Society does

FICS is a London-based non-profit think tank, convener and incubator founded in 2016 that equips philanthropic funders with research, strategic frameworks, convening power, and incubation services to defend and expand civic space globally. Operating as a programme of Global Dialogue (a registered charity in England and Wales) with 11 employees, it serves philanthropic funders, civil society organizations, and movement actors working across human rights, equalities, climate change, land rights, corporate power, and technological threats. Its primary audiences are philanthropic funders seeking tools to understand and anticipate civic space trends, and civil society organizations confronting repressive laws, surveillance, and counter-terrorism overreach.

Its core products include landmark research publications ('Rethinking Civic Space' 2020, 'The Security Playbook 101' 2023, 'What is Closing Space Grantmaking?' 2018, 'Is the Global Counter-Terrorism Agenda Shrinking Civic Space?' 2022), proprietary strategic tools (the 'Playbook for Expanding Civic Space' visual mapping tool with protect/defend, disrupt, reform, transform quadrants and the 'Disrupt, Reform, Transform' model), flagship initiatives (Civic Futures, co-founded in 2021 with the Fund for Global Human Rights as a grant-making and analysis hub), and incubated networks (Global Narrative Hive, launched 2023 and spun off as independent in May 2026). Underlying intellectual property is qualitative and framework-based rather than technology-based: structured research with 150+ civil society representatives, mapping of 250+ international agencies influencing counter-terrorism policy, and an international Advisory Group informing strategy.

FICS generates revenue through three streams: grant funding from foundations and institutional donors (e.g., Civic Futures grant-making to Statewatch, Saferworld, Human Security Collective, Sheila McKechnie Foundation); specialist consultancy on civic space, climate, narratives, national security, and economic power (clients include the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Canada's IDRC, and ClimateWorks Foundation); and incubation services for new civil society infrastructure and funding mechanisms. FICS does not sell products commercially and pricing is not publicly disclosed; work is tailored and quote-based. The go-to-market motion is community-led — content marketing through the website and newsletter, convening at sector events (EDGE Funders Alliance, Human Rights Funders Network, BOND), co-hosted webinars, and open-access research publications — rather than a direct sales motion.

Name

Funders Initiative for Civil Society

Legal name

Global Dialogue

Website

https://fundersinitiativeforcivilsociety.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FICS is a London-based philanthropic think tank founded in 2016 that equips funders and civil society organizations with research, strategic frameworks, convening, and incubation services to defend and expand civic space globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropy Advisory and Civic Space Research

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO)

Keywords

• Civic space research
• Philanthropy advisory
• Civil society analysis
• Funder convening
• Grant-making strategy

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: FICS receives grant funding from foundations and institutional donors to support its research, analysis, and convening activities. The organization also makes grants to civil society organizations through initiatives like Civic Futures.
2. Consultancy Services: FICS offers specialist consultancy on civic space issues including climate, narratives, national security, and economic power. Previous clients include David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Canada's International Development Research Centre, and ClimateWorks Foundation.
3. Incubation Services: FICS incubates new civil society infrastructure and funding mechanisms (e.g., Global Narrative Hive) to support nascent approaches and help initiatives scale, drawing on expertise to design strategic frameworks for funders.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Funders Initiative for Civil Society (FICS) is a think tank and incubator that provides philanthropic funders and civil society organisations with research, strategic analysis, convening, and incubation services focused on the global phenomenon of shrinking civic space. Its core deliverables include independent analysis, forecasting and field-building for funders, specialist consultancy to foundations, and incubation support for collaborative initiatives that have emerged from its research and convening.

Product overview

The Funders Initiative for Civil Society (FICS) is a philanthropy initiative and think tank, not a traditional software product company. It operates as a single unified offering centered on research, analysis, convening, and incubation services to help funders understand and respond to shrinking civic space globally. Its portfolio includes major research publications (Rethinking Civic Space, The Security Playbook 101), flagship initiatives (Civic Futures with Fund for Global Human Rights), an incubated network (Global Narrative Hive), and strategic tools (Playbook for Expanding Civic Space). The organization also provides field-building services, forecasting analysis, and grant-making incubation support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rethinking Civic Space An analytical research publication by FICS that articulates a new taxonomy and framework for understanding the shrinking and closing of civic space, intended for philanthropic funders and civil society actors.
• Civic Futures Flagship long-term initiative co-founded with Fund for Global Human Rights and ARTICLE 19 to expand civic space through strategic grant-making, narrative work, and movement support.
• Global Narrative Hive Incubated network of narrative organisations working to support and grow the civic space narrative field, with a coordinating hub role held by FICS before its transition to independence.
• The Security Playbook 101 Strategic research publication providing a framework for human rights defenders and the funders who support them on navigating security challenges in closing civic space contexts.
• Specialist Consultancy Services Paid strategic consultancy delivered to foundations and institutional funders, including work with the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, IDRC, and ClimateWorks, focused on civic space strategy and grant-making.
• Research and Analysis Services Ongoing research, analysis, and forecasting services tracking the state of civic space globally and the strategies of philanthropic funders, intended for use by foundations and civil society actors.
• Convening and Field Building Multi-funder convening, peer-learning forums, and field-building activities that bring together philanthropic funders and civil society actors to coordinate civic space strategy.
• Incubation and Resourcing Incubation support for emerging collaborative initiatives in the civic space field, including hosting, resourcing, and pathways to independent sustainability, exemplified by the Global Narrative Hive incubation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150+ civil society representatives engaged in strategic review
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Fund for Global Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded the Civic Futures initiative in 2021 as founding partners. Civic Futures is FICS' flagship philanthropic initiative that challenges counter-terrorism overreach on civic space through analysis, grants, and convening. FGRH is described as a 'thought leader and experienced grassroots funder'.
• Global DialoguecoreOthersFICS is a programme of Global Dialogue, a registered charity (1122052) and limited company (05775827) in England and Wales that promotes human rights and social change by enabling innovative and collaborative philanthropy. Global Dialogue handles data processing under GDPR.
• Human Rights Funders NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast collaboration on events and conferences, including hosting panels and co-convening webinars.
• London School of Economics (LSE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research including the report 'Climate Emergency and the Future of Civic Space: Lessons from the War on Terror' published by LSE's Conflict and Civicness Research Group in January 2025.
• MarmalademinorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast collaboration on events and conferences.
• PhileaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPast collaboration for sector events and conferences.
• Global Narrative HivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIncubated by FICS (2021-2023) as a new network connecting activists, campaigners, communications workers, researchers, artists, and journalists using narrative strategies. In May 2026, the Hive became independent from FICS. The Hive engaged 400+ individuals through co-design process.
• StatewatchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded by FICS' Civic Futures initiative to produce 'Networks of [in]security', an in-depth resource examining global counter-terrorism and security networks, launched November 2025.
• SaferworldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported by FICS' Civic Futures initiative to publish discussion paper 'The voice of the fourth pillar: How Security Council discourse drove counter-terrorism expansion at the UN', October 2025.
• Conflict and Civicness Research Group at LSEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration producing 'Climate Emergency and the Future of Civic Space: Lessons from the War on Terror' (January 2025) examining securitization of climate crisis.
• Human Security CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivic Futures supported foresight research by Human Security Collective on the future of FATF Recommendation 8 and its impact on civil society, published March 2024.
• International Civil Society CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey partner where FICS participates in 'scanning the horizon' for trends affecting civic space through futures and innovation work.
• Foreign Policy CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFICS contributed to Foreign Policy Centre's special report examining UK foreign policy's commitment to open societies and civic space, Autumn 2021.
• Global Philanthropy ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2021, developed FICS' playbook framework into a coordinated funder response to 'Anti-Gender' movements. Hosted major convening in 2019 exploring narratives and anti-gender ideologies.
• Sheila McKechnie FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupported the publication of 'Defending our Democratic Space' report (August 2023) documenting threats to UK democracy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: Large global foundation with significant civic space, human rights, and democratic governance funding. A broad incumbent in the same philanthropic space, operating at substantially greater scale across multiple themes.
• Ford Foundation: Major global foundation funding civic engagement, human rights, and governance work. Broad incumbent with overlapping interests in civic space and movement resourcing at far larger scale.

Direct peers

• CIVICUS: Global civil society alliance tracking civic space restrictions. Comparable as a research and advocacy organization producing analysis on civic space trends that funders and civil society consume.
• Fund for Global Human Rights: Co-founding partner of Civic Futures and a peer philanthropic organization focused on resourcing frontline civil society. Highly comparable as a fellow grantmaker with shared mission around civic space and human rights.
• Global Philanthropy Project: Direct peer as a funder coordination platform focused on LGBTI rights globally. GPP has adopted FICS's playbook framework through its RAGI task force of 60+ grant-makers, demonstrating shared constituency.
• Philea: European philanthropic infrastructure organization. FICS has partnered with Philea on sector events, and both organizations serve as conveners within the European philanthropic ecosystem.
• International Civil Society Centre: Direct peer providing infrastructure support to international civil society organizations. FICS is named as a partner in the Centre's 'scanning the horizon' futures work, indicating overlapping scope.
• EDGE Funders Alliance: Direct peer as a funder affinity group focused on social justice. FICS has presented at EDGE Funders conferences, operating in the same funder-convening and movement-support space.
• Human Rights Funders Network: Direct peer as a funder affinity network coordinating human rights philanthropy. FICS has collaborated with HRFN on events and panels, operating in the same funder-convening niche.

Regional players

• European Endowment for Democracy: European-focused funder supporting civil society and democratic movements. Comparable mission but primarily regional (Europe/Eastern Partnership) rather than global, providing an adjacent peer model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/ficivilsociety.bsky.social
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/funders-initiative-for-civil-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Funders Initiative for Civil Society