---
title: Luminate
type: philanthropy
status: active
country: GB
website: https://www.luminategroup.com
logo: /assets/org-logos/luminate.png
contact:
  checked: 2026-07-30
  email: hello@luminategroup.com
  source: https://www.luminategroup.com/contact-us
summary: A global philanthropic organisation funding civic technology, digital rights,
  independent media, and government transparency — spun out of the Omidyar Network
  in 2018 with a focus on open and accountable governance.
concepts:
- democracy
- radical-transparency
- e-government
location:
  latitude: 51.5074
  longitude: -0.1278
  name: London, UK
  precision: city
news_page: https://luminategroup.com/news-and-insights
events:
- date: '2018-10-01'
  title: Launched as an independent global philanthropic organisation, spun out of
    Omidyar Network's Governance & Citizen Engagement initiative
  url: https://www.govtech.com/civic/New-Global-Civic-Tech-Group-Emerges-from-The-Omidyar-Group.html
  quote: 'Officially launched in recent weeks, Luminate aims to fund projects and
    organizations that can drive changes that fall into one of four categories: civic
    empowerment, data and digital rights, transparency and independent media.'
  proof_level: high
  url_checked: '2026-08-10'
  notable: true
activity:
  manual:
    checked: 2026-06-07
    date: 2025-07-22
    note: website loaded. Has a news page at https://luminategroup.com/news-and-insights
      . Latest seems to be 22 July 2025 'How storytelling can bring us closer to tech
      justice'
    url: https://luminategroup.com/news-and-insights
  dod:
    checked: 2026-08-08
    date: 2026-08-08
    note: 'News page fetched 8 Aug 2026; active publishing — recent topics: AI accountability,
      European AI & Society Fund ($1M grant), strategy shift toward tech accountability,
      new CEO announced, global polling on AI perceptions'
    url: https://luminategroup.com/news-and-insights
  rss:
    checked: 2026-06-07
    note: No feed found
  scrape:
    hint: no_markup
    checked: 2026-08-17
    note: News page found, no machine-readable date
  sitemap:
    note: Sitemap found, no lastmod
    checked: 2026-08-17
last_checked: '2026-05-29'
---

Luminate is a global philanthropic organisation established in 2018, spun out from the Omidyar Network (founded by eBay co-founder Pierre Omidyar) to focus specifically on civic empowerment and open governance. It operates globally with offices in London, Washington DC, Nairobi, São Paulo, and other cities.

Luminate's grantmaking focuses on four interconnected areas:

- **Civic Tech & Participation** — funding platforms and tools that enable citizens to engage with government and each other; includes support for civic tech ecosystems in the Global South
- **Independent Media** — supporting journalism and media that enables citizens to hold power accountable, with a particular focus on investigative reporting
- **Data & Digital Rights** — protecting citizens' rights in the digital environment; addressing surveillance, data exploitation, and algorithmic accountability
- **Government Transparency & Accountability** — supporting open government initiatives, freedom of information, and anti-corruption work

Luminate makes grants to organisations across the world and is one of the primary international funders active in the civic technology and democracy design space. Recent funding and strategy indicates an increasing focus on **tech accountability** — holding Big Tech, social media platforms, and AI companies accountable for their impact on democracy and human rights. Recent grants include $1 million to the European AI & Society Fund and support for the AI Accountability Lab. They also fund partner organisations in Brazil, Colombia, and across Africa and Asia.

For organisations working in civic tech, participatory governance, or democratic media, Luminate is a key funder to be aware of — alongside the Open Society Foundations and the Hewlett Foundation. Their newsletter is run through Axios HQ at [luminate.read.axioshq.com](https://luminate.read.axioshq.com/signup/newsletter).

## Links

- Website: [luminategroup.com](https://www.luminategroup.com)
- News & insights: [luminategroup.com/news-and-insights](https://luminategroup.com/news-and-insights)
- LinkedIn: [luminategroup](https://www.linkedin.com/company/luminategroup/)
- YouTube: [@luminategroup](https://www.youtube.com/@luminategroup)
- Grants: [luminategroup.com/grants](https://www.luminategroup.com/grants)

## See also

- [Democracy](../concepts/democracy.md)
- [Radical Transparency](../concepts/radical-transparency.md)
- [E-Government](../concepts/e-government.md)
- [Open Society Foundations](open-society-foundations.md)
- [Susan McKinnon Foundation](susan-mckinnon-foundation.md)