We are excited to announce that Civitates, a philanthropic initiative for democracy and solidarity in Europe, will support independent, public interest journalism in Europe.

As the European Union heads into a pivotal election year, sixteen philanthropic foundations have come together to form Civitates, a consortium committed to protect and expand civil society at a time when the fundamentals of democracy are being challenged like never before.

Last week the Central European University in Budapest announced it would partially relocate to Vienna given the Hungarian government’s unyielding hostility to civil society and academic freedom. Around the world, civil society including academics, journalists and philanthropists, courageously pursue their mission, often at great personal cost.