About Horizontes
Horizontes is a timely, collaborative initiative that mobilizes and aligns philanthropic, public, labor, and other resources in service of workers and a future-ready global labor movement- encompassing independent trade unions and the full range of democratic worker organizations advancing worker power across both the formal and informal economy
Grounded in the leadership and realities of workers on the frontlines of the global economy—particularly those in the Global South and those most impacted by economic, racial, and gender inequality—Horizontes works alongside existing labor movement efforts to strengthen shared strategy, deepen collaboration, and mobilize the resources needed to meet this moment.
This means ensuring that priorities, strategies, and solutions are shaped by those closest to workers’ realities and organizing struggles, while building stronger connections across regions and movements.
We believe a strong, democratic labor movement is essential to building more equitable, inclusive, and resilient societies. Workers and their organizations are uniquely positioned to advance economic justice, strengthen democracy, defend human rights, and expand inclusion and opportunity for women, migrants, and historically marginalized workers. They are critical in helping shape the future of work in the age of artificial intelligence and ensuring that the transitions driven by climate change and technological transformation are fair and worker-centered.
The global labor movement is at a historic inflection point.
THE CHALlENGE
The global labor movement is at a historic inflection point.
Around the world, workers are confronting profound political, economic, technological, and environmental change. Artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies are transforming work at an unprecedented pace. Climate change is reshaping economies and livelihoods. Supply chains continue to evolve across borders. Democratic institutions and civic space are under increasing pressure, while persistent inequality, informality, precarious work, discrimination, and forced migration continue to define the lives of millions of workers—particularly women, migrants, racialized communities, and workers in the informal economy.
Meeting these challenges requires a strong, democratic, and future-ready labor movement capable of shaping the policies and institutions that will define the decades ahead.
Yet just as the need has never been greater, the movement is facing an unprecedented contraction in the public and philanthropic resources that have long supported international labor organizing and solidarity.
This funding crisis did not emerge overnight. For decades, independent revenue streams for labor movement organizations have been weakened, public investment has steadily declined, and philanthropy has never fully met the scale of the need.
Yet this moment also presents a unique opportunity.
Strengthening worker power is not simply about protecting labor organizations—it is about ensuring that workers have the collective voice and power needed to shape the economic, political, and environmental decisions that will impact their lives and livelihoods.
By building on the leadership, knowledge, and initiatives that already exist across the labor movement, we can strengthen collective strategy, mobilize new and more aligned resources, and invest in the infrastructure, partnerships, and long-term capacity needed to shape the future of worker power.
What We Do
Together, our work complements existing labor movement efforts by connecting movement priorities with the relationships and resources needed to strengthen worker power around the world.
- Generate actionable analysis that builds on existing movement knowledge and leadership to understand how political, economic, technological, environmental, and funding shifts are impacting workers and their organizations, and identify the strategies, alliances, and investments needed to strengthen inclusive worker power and ensure workers—particularly those historically excluded from decision-making—can drive a better future of work.
- Convene collaborative spaces for deliberation and development of action-oriented strategies that complement and add value to existing labor movement initiatives, strengthening collective analysis and fostering partnerships across regions and sectors to build worker power in the years ahead.
- Engage and organize diverse resource partners to expand and better align philanthropic, public, labor, and other forms of support behind labor movement-defined visions, priorities, and long-term strategies.
Horizontes was created by leaders who have spent decades building bridges between labor movements and the institutions that finance social change.
Why Horizontes
Horizontes was created by leaders who have spent decades building bridges between labor movements and the institutions that finance social change.
Horizontes does not seek to replace or duplicate existing labor movement efforts, but rather to connect, complement, and strengthen the strategies, relationships, and infrastructure already being built by workers and their organizations.
Our team brings deep experience organizing donors across philanthropy and government while maintaining long-standing, trusted relationships with labor organizations and worker leaders around the world. Together, we have helped mobilize hundreds of millions of dollars for labor movement initiatives—from grassroots organizing to global policy and movement-building efforts—and have launched collaborative partnerships that continue to strengthen the field.
Just as importantly, we know how to connect different parts of the ecosystem. We work across philanthropy, government, labor organizations representing diverse workers across the informal and formal economy, civil society, multilateral institutions, and allied movements, helping translate priorities, build trust, and align resources around shared goals.
We believe that building worker power requires sustained investment at every level—from local organizing to regional collaboration to global infrastructure—and that those investments must reach the workers and organizations leading change on the frontlines. We are committed to mobilizing the resources, partnerships, and collective action needed to seize this historic opportunity. Because investing in worker power is ultimately an investment in stronger democracies, more equitable economies, a just climate transition, technological innovation that benefits workers, and a more inclusive and sustainable future.
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