Funder Briefing: A New Day for Democracy in Serbia and Hungary – What it Asks of Philanthropy

A New Day for Democracy in Serbia and Hungary: What it Asks of Philanthropy

Funder briefing hosted by Dalan Fund and FundAction 

On October 25, 2026, news channels showed the joy in the streets of Serbia as people gathered to celebrate the hard-won victory that just a year ago was impossible to imagine, believe in, and even more difficult to make real.

Historic parliamentary elections in Hungary and Serbia, and people’s irresistible radiance of freedom and celebration, brought a much-needed surge of hope and energy globally, reminding us of the power of grassroots mobilization in fighting consolidated authoritarian power. The student movement in Serbia and organizing across Hungary are striking affirmations of people-powered resistance as a critical pressure point in defeating authoritarian governments. From Brazil to France and the USA, millions have renewed their imagination of what is possible in our collective fight for human rights and democracy.

To learn key lessons and pathways forward, please sign up for the individual but interconnected conversations:

• Lessons from Serbia: From the Ground Up: Grassroots Mobilization for Democratic Change
  Monday, 30 November 2026, 7:00am PT| 10:00am ET | 4:00pm CET
  Register here

• Lessons from Hungary: Hungary After the Election: Implications for Philanthropy and Civil Society
  Wednesday, 16 December 2026 | 7:00am PT| 10:00am ET | 4:00pm CET | Register here

As we savor the joy, victory, and determination to see the changes people fought for, we invite you to consider how we got here: what strategies and tactics mobilized people´s power and made the electoral wins possible, and what comes next. As shifts happen at a rapid pace, how can these pivotal historical moments become lasting democratic participation and rebuild eroded systems? Perhaps most importantly for us in philanthropy, how do we make sure movements have the resources, power, and space to shape what comes next?

At Dalan Fund and FundAction, we invite you to join us in reflecting on the resonant lessons that fueled these wins, and looking beyond Election Day to explore what it takes to support the transformative democratic futures we want to see.

We will bring together grassroots organizers from social justice movements and philanthropy in Serbia and Hungary for two conversations to exchange lessons and explore what meaningful solidarity and funding can look like at this critical turning point in history.