Think tank funding in developing countries: status and outlook
This report focuses on key questions on think tank funders, their rationales for funding think tanks, the trajectory of funding, and issues suggested for further...
All publications
Think tank leadership: Functions and challenges of executive directors
Abstract This paper analyses the experiences of think tank executive directors (EDs). The analysis is based on 45 in-depth interviews with current and former directors...
School for Thinktankers 2021: a summary
The School for Thinktankers is designed to prepare and inspire the next generation of think tank leaders, build a community of thinktankers, and encourage participants to reflect on their...
OTT Annual Review 2020-2021: Think tanks and change
How do think tanks react to or foster change? For the OTT Annual Review 2020-2021, 20 authors from around the world reflect on the role of think tanks in times of crises and how they have...
Think tanks and impact investing: is there an opportunity?
This document provides an overview of the impact investing industry with a focus on impact measurement and management and makes the case for think tanks to consider...
2019 Think Tank State of the Sector
The first think tank state of the sector report, based on analysis of 2019 data of 2,802 active think tanks from the Open Think Tank Directory, provides an overview of the sector and uncovers...
Narrative power & collective action: conversations with people working to change narratives for social good (Part 2)
Deeply held 'truths' are coming undone at the seams. As movements across the globe are challenging 'normal', more and more people are looking for new narratives. Narratives are a form a...
Narrative power & collective action: conversations with people working to change narratives for social good (Part 1)
For better or worse, narratives are a powerful force. But recently perhaps it’s felt more like for the worse than better. Here, we want to talk about power of narrative and collective...
COVID-19: First survey results
The first On Think Tanks (OTT) survey on the impact of COVID-19 on think tanks was carried out between 7 April and 25 May 2020. It was a short pilot survey intended to provide us with a rapid...
Activists and policy experts: Exploring think tank engagement with social movements
Abstract Collaborations between think tanks and social movements appear to be a positive partnership, as think tanks get to understand and engage with the lived...
On Think Tanks Conference 2020 online: a report
The OTT Conference 2020 online was a response to the need to postpone our 2020 conference in Berlin. The COVID-19 crisis unraveled our plans for a 4th annual conference with only weeks to go...
OTT Annual Review 2019-2020: Technology
As ever, we are excited about the possibilities, but with a healthy degree of scepticism. We are quite certain that new technologies are playing, and will continue to play a transformative role in the evolution of...