Giving Tuesday: Help Us Keep Culture Working for Europe

For over seventy years, the European Cultural Foundation has invested in the people and places that keep Europe open, creative and connected. From the early vision that helped spark what became Erasmus to today’s work with Ukrainian artists, libraries, community organisers and digital innovators, our purpose has stayed the same. Culture brings people together. It offers comfort in moments of uncertainty and gives shape to a shared future.

That future is under pressure. Across Europe, cultural spaces are closing, public trust is fragile, and communities are facing new forms of division. Yet culture continues to be one of Europe’s strongest democratic forces. In libraries, in local neighbourhoods, and in digital spaces, people are finding ways to learn, organise and act together. Our work supports them.

Through The Europe Challenge, public libraries and their communities turn local difficulties into practical solutions. This year, 60 libraries in 26 countries are taking part. Through the Culture of Solidarity, almost three hundred initiatives have been supported since 2020, including projects that protect Ukrainian culture, offer safe spaces for artists and connect people across borders. Through European Digital Citizenship, we support efforts to build a trustworthy and rights based online environment where all voices can take part in shaping Europe’s public conversation.

All of this is made possible by a small team of people in Amsterdam, working with more than sixty partners across the continent. We operate independently, which means every contribution helps us reach more communities and support more cultural resilience.

Photo by Leila Chakroun