Foreword by Enrique Mendizabal
2025 was not an easy year to be in the business of ideas.
Around the world, politics continued to polarise, the civic space shrank in many countries, and the basic assumptions that once underpinned cooperation, both locally and internationally, were questioned again and again. The belief that “good evidence plus good will” would naturally lead to better policy now feels naïve. Today, established credibility is contested, facts are negotiable, and trust in institutions – including think tanks – can no longer be taken for granted.
This annual review offers a snapshot of how OTT has tried to respond to that reality: by listening more closely to the sector, by investing in networks and relationships, and by helping organisations adapt – not just survive – in this new environment.
A recurring theme across our work in 2025 has been trust. The State of the Sector 2025 report captured this clearly: political polarisation is rising, funding is shifting, and many think tanks find it harder to operate in contexts where the value of evidence itself is disputed. In that setting, trust becomes a defining currency. It shapes who is heard, whose analysis is taken seriously, and who is invited – or excluded – from the conversation.
We saw this up close through all our programmes. At the OTT Conference in Johannesburg, the focus on Think Tanks and Impact quickly led to deeper questions: impact for whom, on whose terms, and over what time horizon? Our Funders’ Circle discussions showed that funders are also grappling with trust – with their grantees, with their own boards, and with the publics whose interests they claim to serve. Even at the start of the year, the School for Thinktankers reminded us that future leaders will need not only technical skills but also the ability to build and maintain trust in highly contested spaces.
We are not ready to move on from the issue. The 2026 OTT Conference in May will also focus on Think Tanks and Trust!
2025 was also a milestone year for OTT: 15 years since we began as a simple blog trying to make sense of the think tank world. Over that time, we have had the privilege of working with hundreds of organisations – from large, established institutes to small, emerging teams taking their first steps- and thousands of inspiring thinktankers. We have seen what makes think tanks resilient (or fragile), how funding models help or hinder them, and how they navigate the messy space between research, politics and public debate.
That long view shapes how we read the current moment. The shifting funding landscape is not just about numbers on a spreadsheet; it is about power, dependency and resilience. When external funding contracts or changes direction, some organisations disappear, but others use the shock to rethink their purpose and strengthen their domestic roots. Our work with funders – including the African Education Research Funding Consortium – and with individual think tanks through the Advisory Programme for Think Tank Leaders is driven by a simple conviction: sustainable, locally grounded institutions will be better placed to weather whatever comes next.
At the same time, we are reminded that think tanks do not work in isolation. The expansion of the Open Think Tank Directory, the launch of the 100 Think Tanks to Watch list, and the growing audience for OTT Talks all point to a community that is larger, more diverse and more interconnected than ever before. From student-led think tanks in our Building for the Future initiative to long-established institutes in Central Africa, Europe and Latin America, we see a shared set of concerns: how to stay relevant, how to communicate amid democratic decline, how to protect staff and partners in risky environments, and how to show impact without oversimplifying what we do.
Behind all of this is the OTT team itself. We are now truly global – spread across multiple time zones, cultures and disciplines – yet united by a common purpose: strengthening the ecosystems that allow public policy to be informed by serious thinking. The stories in this review – from individual testimonies to project highlights – reflect their energy, creativity and commitment.
Looking ahead, our work will continue to revolve around the themes that run through this report: trust in think tanks and civil society, a more fragile and demanding funding environment, questions about impact, and the pressures of political polarisation. The 10th OTT Conference in Rabat in 2026, dedicated to Think Tanks and Trust, will be an opportunity to tackle these issues face to face and head-on: to ask what it takes to earn and keep trust, whose trust matters, and how think tanks can rebuild it where it has been lost.
Fifteen years on, I remain convinced that think tanks – in all their variety – still have a vital role to play. But that role will not be secured by rhetoric alone. It will depend on the quality of our work, the openness of our practices, the diversity of our communities, and our willingness to question our own assumptions as much as anyone else’s.
Thank you to everyone who has worked with, supported, challenged and inspired OTT this year. This review is, in many ways, a record of your efforts as much as ours.
Key themes in 2025
In 2025, the think tank sector faced rising political polarisation, public trust concerns, and a changing funding landscape. Through our programmes, including the Annual Conference, the School for Thinktankers, and the Funders’ Circle, OTT has helped organisations explore strategies for resilience, demonstrating impact, and strengthening legitimacy in these contested spaces.
Marking our 15th anniversary, OTT leveraged its deep understanding of the sector to launch milestone initiatives, such as the 100 Think Tanks to Watch list. The central message of the year was that trust has become the defining currency for think tanks. To navigate challenges like political polarisation and new funding models, greater transparency, agility, and purpose are required. OTT remains dedicated to collaborating globally to help organisations meet these demands, ultimately supporting a more resilient evidence-informed policy ecosystem.
Our team
In 2025, our team continued evolve, welcoming new colleagues while building on the strengths of long-standing members. As a fully remote and globally diverse group, we now span even more time zones and cultural contexts—from the Americas to Europe, Africa to South Asia. With new additions in Guadalajara and Strasbourg, our global footprint has expanded further, bringing fresh perspectives into our work.
Despite the distances, we remain a close-knit team connected by a shared mission: advancing evidence-informed policy and strengthening the global think tank ecosystem. Our diversity continues to enrich how we learn, collaborate, and support partners around the world.
Our workstreams
Over 15 years, OTT has built a comprehensive portfolio of services that strengthen evidence ecosystems and support organisations working at the intersection of research and policy. Through tailored advisory, capacity development, research, and community-building, we help funders, think tanks, and policymakers navigate complex challenges, enhance their influence, and design strategies that deliver real-world impact. Our workstreams reflect this breadth — offering practical support rooted in deep sector knowledge and a global network of partners.
Supporting think tanks
Our work with think tanks in 2025 focused on strengthening organisational models, improving strategic clarity, and helping teams translate knowledge into meaningful policy engagement. Through tailored support — ranging from developing MEL systems to strategic planning, communications, and governance — we helped organisations build resilience and enhance their contribution to public debates.
Now building momentum, the Advisory Programme for think tank leaders continued to provide senior leaders with confidential, long-term strategic guidance as they navigate governance challenges, funding pressures, and organisational change. The programme has emerged as a trusted space for reflection, problem-solving, and leadership support for directors across the world.
Supporting funders
In 2025, we deepened our work with funders seeking to navigate fast-evolving policy ecosystems and strengthen evidence-informed decision-making. Across multiple portfolios, we helped partners refine strategies, assess opportunities, and build stronger connections with local and regional actors. Our collaborations continue to support funders in making more confident, high-impact investments grounded in robust evidence and contextual insight.
Supporting users of evidence
Our Supporting Users of Evidence workstream strengthened the ability of policymakers, parliamentary staff, journalists, and community practitioners to engage with and apply evidence more effectively. This included developing practical guidance to improve how briefings are prepared and used in legislative settings, facilitating discussions on how evidence can drive locally led change, and enhancing the capacity of media actors to navigate and communicate complex information. Together, these efforts helped broaden the reach, quality, and impact of evidence across different parts of the policy ecosystem.
Our commitment to promoting evidence informed policy includes our continued support for the Semana de la Evidencia.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to helping organisations thrive in an evolving policy landscape. Whether you are seeking strategic guidance, sector insights, or capacity-building support, OTT brings 15+ years of experience and a proven track record of strengthening evidence-informed change worldwide.
Get in touch to explore how we can work together
On Think Tanks Programme initiatives
In 2025, OTT’s flagship initiatives continued to strengthen the global think tank ecosystem—deepening trust, navigating political polarisation, supporting resilient funding models, and helping organisations sharpen their impact.
- School for Thinktankers 2025
Delivered in partnership with Fundació Bofill in Barcelona, the 2025 School equipped 30+ emerging and established leaders with practical skills in governance, fundraising, policy engagement, and communications. This year, the School became CPD (Continuing Professional Development)-certified, recognising it as a world-class professional development programme.
Preparations are underway for the 10th edition in 2026, again in partnership with Fundació Bofill.
- Open Think Tank Directory
Now featuring 2,880+ organisations, the Directory remains the most comprehensive global resource on think tanks. It is used daily by researchers, funders, policymakers, and practitioners seeking credible institutions worldwide. This year, it also played a central role in shaping the first-ever 100 Think Tanks to Watch list: organisations in the Directory were invited to participate in the State of the Sector 2025 survey, where respondents could nominate peers they believe are making a meaningful contribution to policy and public debate. These nominations—submitted by thinktankers, funders, and policy actors across regions—formed the basis of the final list, grounding it in the perspectives of the community itself.
Help us expand the Directory in 2025 by submitting new entries or updates.
- State of the Sector Report 2025
This year’s report captured insights from 330+ organisations and has been downloaded by more than 750 people so far. It continues to be a key reference on trends shaping the sector—from trust and legitimacy to funding shifts, impact, and political polarisation.
Regional insights and ways to contribute to the 2026 edition will follow soon.
- 100 Think Tanks to Watch
In 2025, we introduced a new global list spotlighting 100 think tanks shaping the future of policy research. This initiative highlights organisations—both new and old—driving innovation, expanding perspectives, and strengthening policy ecosystems worldwide.
- OTT Conference 2025
This year’s Conference—Think Tanks and Impact—was held in Johannesburg, in partnership with the New South Institute (NSI) and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA). It brought together 170+ leaders, funders, and practitioners representing over 120 organisations from 50+ countries to explore how think tanks measure, communicate, and deepen their impact.
Looking ahead, the 10th OTT Conference will take place in 2026 in Rabat, hosted by the Policy Center for New South, with the central theme Think Tanks and Trust.
- Building for the Future Initiative
Now in its third year, the Building for the Future Initiative continued to nurture the next generation of policy thinkers. In 2025, we supported four student-led think tanks: Generation for Rights over the World (GROW), Warwick Think Tank, Epis Think Tank, and Student Think Tank for Europe-Asia Relations (STEAR)—providing grants and tailored mentorship to strengthen their organisational models, amplify youth voices, and support meaningful contributions to policy debates. Looking ahead, the 2026 cohort: The European Student Think Tank, Student Network for Open Science and Leeds Policy Institute—will build on this momentum as they organise multi-regional events on key European policy issues, engage with peers through the School for Thinktankers, and participate in the OTT Conference. This year, we also published Build a Student-Led Think Tank Guide, a practical resource designed to help emerging leaders establish and grow their own policy organisations.
- Funders Circle
Through virtual convenings and an in-person meeting at the 2025 OTT Conference—where we had a chance to engage with think tank funders on a range of issues and concerns—the Funders Circle continued to foster open dialogue on trust, funding models, and impact.
OTT Talks
In 2025, OTT Talks released three seasons of Think Tanks in a Changing Europe, a podcast series exploring how European think tank leaders are navigating political upheaval, shrinking funding, and rising pressures on democratic institutions. As international donors pull back and domestic support remains uneven across the region, think tanks are confronting profound questions about their role, resilience, and future.
Hosted by Goran Buldioski and Enrique Mendizabal, the series features candid conversations with former and current directors who have led their organisations through a decade or more of transformation. Together, they reflect on how to stay relevant amid polarisation, secure sustainable funding, build trust, and continue shaping public debate in contexts where the demand for evidence is often inconsistent.
OTT Community: Voices, Events & Impact Across the Ecosystem
Communicating amid democratic decline
In a #WonkComms webinar hosted by Soapbox, OTT founder Enrique Mendizabal joined leading communicators from Serbia, Argentina and South Africa to unpack how think tanks can communicate effectively in contexts marked by disinformation, polarisation and captured institutions. The session explored practical strategies for maintaining credibility, navigating attacks, and knowing when not to engage, drawing on real experiences from across regions.
Supporting think tanks in authoritarian contexts
Our funders-only roundtable brought together global funders for an honest conversation on the realities of supporting think tanks under authoritarianism. Moderated by Estefanía Terán Valdez with insights from Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski, the discussion surfaced concrete DOs for funders navigating shrinking civic space and heightened political risk.
Spotlighting Evidence Week 2025
Semana de la evidencia (Evidence Week in Latin America and the Caribbean) continues to grow as a regional platform for organisations advancing evidence-informed policymaking. With events across Latin America and beyond, this year’s theme—Evidence-informed policy in motion—invites partners to listen, innovate and transform. OTT supports the initiative by amplifying organisers, sharing resources and strengthening the ecosystem’s collective visibility.
Strengthening resilience in Central Africa
At the 2025 Central Africa Think Tank Forum organised by Nkafu Policy Institute, OTT led a session on funding and resilience in politically complex contexts. Through participatory exchanges, Enrique Mendizabal helped unpack the deeper meaning of financial resilience, the pros and cons of diverse income streams, and the core competencies think tanks need to remain influential amid volatility.
Southern perspectives at the global table
At the Southern Voice Conference in São Paulo, OTT contributed to a conversation on how Southern think tanks can shape global development debates at a time of declining trust and shrinking civic space. The session highlighted the importance of collaboration, knowledge exchange and voice—momentum we are carrying into the OTT Conference 2026 on think tanks and trust.
State of the Sector Nairobi edition: A growing call for collaboration
In Nairobi, OTT and Busara hosted a conversation on the State of the Sector 2025 report, bringing together think tank leaders, researchers, and funders from across Kenya. The discussion highlighted shared challenges—from limited uptake of AI and unclear governance norms to the strain of project-based funding and underinvested communications capacity. A strong appetite for collaboration emerged, with organisations exploring joint resource mobilisation and ways to work together more effectively.
Stories of Impact: Why OTT Matters
Finding direction: Imad’s journey from idea to influence
“OTT matters because it connects, educates, and amplifies. For iNNOV8, it was the doorway to global relevance, the mentor that guided us through uncertainty, and the community that made us feel we belonged.”
For Imad Farhadi, discovering OTT turned an emerging idea—the iNNOV8 Research Center in Iraq—into a globally recognised actor. From joining the OTT Directory, to attending the OTT Conference, to being named in the 100 Think Tanks to Watch, Imad’s story captures OTT’s role as a connector, accelerator and catalyst for new voices entering the field.
Learning the field: Serene’s path into think tank communications
“When I first entered this field, I leaned heavily on ‘On Think Tanks’, devouring their content like I was preparing for an exam before my ARI interview. I learned a lot and to this day, I apply much of it at ARI!”
Transitioning from humanitarian communications to public policy, Serene Dardari leaned on OTT’s resources to understand the think tank ecosystem. Today, as Director of Communications at the Arab Reform Initiative, she continues to draw from OTT’s guidance—celebrating ARI’s inclusion in the 2025 100 Think Tanks to Watch list as recognition of its principled, thoughtful work.
Learning from OTT: A redesigned digital presence
The CAPS Unlock team credits the School of Think Tanks and a workshop with Soapbox for transforming the way they approached their website redesign. Inspired by OTT’s learning spaces, they built a platform that better reflects their identity and ambitions—an example of how OTT’s training influences organisations long after the sessions end.
Alumni reflections from the School for Thinktankers
“If you’re looking for a space of trust and openness to rethink part of your professional journey—whether within a think tank or building one—it (the School for Thinktankers) is a great place to learn from others and to explore practical cases and elements that shape how think tanks function.”
This year’s alumni stories capture the transformative effect of OTT’s work: researchers finding their leadership path, programme staff strengthening operations, and policy entrepreneurs building new institutions. Across countries and career stages, their journeys show how OTT equips people to lead, innovate, and drive meaningful policy change.
Voices from the 2025 OTT Conference
The 2025 OTT Conference brought together a diverse community of policy actors, funders, and thinkers who return year after year for the same reason: the people. In the testimonial video, participants reflect on how the conference creates a rare space for honest conversations, peer learning, and meaningful connections across regions and sectors. Their stories highlight what makes OTT’s work valuable — a trusted community that strengthens organisations, sparks collaboration, and supports better policy ecosystems worldwide.
“OTT is an imperative for creating new Think Tank models in Latin America”
CAPPES es un Think Tank particular, porque fue fundado por ex policymakers en educación superior. Conocíamos el trabajo de OTT como referente en el sector y por eso que buscamos a Enrique cuando tuvimos que definir nuestro modelo institucional en el 2022. Luego de ello, el contenido, las discusiones que genera OTT y el haber participado en sus eventos, nos han permitido hacernos las preguntas correctas y seguir desarrollando la institución. Para crear nuevos modelos de Think Tank en Latinoamérica, seguir a OTT es un imperativo.
— Jorge Mori Valenzuela, Director ejecutivo en CAPPES
OTT in numbers
Acknowledgements
Fifteen years of OTT would not have been possible without the steadfast support of our long-term funders. Thank you for your trust, partnership, and belief in the value of strong, independent, and forward-thinking policy communities.
