We are Europe’s leading journalism fund. We keep Europe in the light by strengthening its information infrastructure. We invest in organisations that hold power to account and keep people informed. Because courage alone can’t secure our right to know.
Independent journalism keeps democracies healthy. It helps us understand the forces shaping our lives and brings facts into public view. But the conditions that make this work possible are under pressure. Newsrooms depend on platforms where lies spread faster than truth. They face politically motivated attacks, legal harassment, and shrinking budgets. They cannot rely on courage alone. They need stability, protection, and space to investigate without interference.
That is where Limelight comes in. We strengthen Europe’s information infrastructure by backing the reporting itself, the protections around it, and the organisations that hold tech platforms to account. When this infrastructure weakens, false news spreads faster, accountability falters, and trust collapses. But when it holds, societies remain resilient.
That is why we invest in organisations that confront power with facts, and push for technology to work for us rather than stop us from getting the information we need.
The pressures on independent journalism are growing. To respond, we need a whole ecosystem of organisations who keep facts in public sight and push back when power tries to close the door.
Real change takes time. We offer multi-year, flexible funding that gives partners room to plan, grow, and respond to new threats without chasing the next short-term grant.
Every grant matters. We look for organisations with clear purpose, strong judgement, and a track record of collaboration. We do our homework before inviting anyone to apply, aiming to keep the burden on applicants light.
We keep reporting simple and communication open. We accept that some risks are worth taking, and that not everything will work. What matters is learning, accountability, and showing up for partners when the pressure is highest.
Hans Laroes is the former editor-in-chief of NOS, the Netherlands’ leading public-service news organisation and one of Europe’s major broadcasters. At NOS, he led a far-reaching digital transformation that brought television, radio, and online journalism into a unified newsroom. At the European level, he chaired the News Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union, where he also led a task force that produced — for the first time in the EBU’s history— a shared declaration on the core values of public broadcasting, including mechanisms to strengthen accountability among member organisations. He later served as chair of the Dutch Press Council. His work has centred on transparency, editorial independence, and strengthening the relationship between journalism and its audiences. Hans continues to support public interest journalism, including his advisory role with Investico and other investigative initiatives.
Merel Borger co-founded and directed Limelight Foundation in its early years. She began her career as a journalist at the Dutch public broadcaster before completing a PhD in Journalism Studies at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, where she focused on innovation in the digital age. Merel later served as Program Manager at the Adessium Foundation, supporting public interest journalism and civil society. She now works as Chief Impact Officer at a single-family office, guiding philanthropic and impact-driven work across democracy, media, biodiversity, and mental health.
Henriëtte Boerma brings extensive experience in governance, evaluation, and organisational development across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors. She is currently one of the managers of Stek, a social organisation in The Hague focused on community support and civic engagement. Previously, Henriëtte spent nearly six years at the Adessium Foundation as a monitoring and evaluation specialist, strengthening the foundation’s learning and accountability practices. Before entering philanthropy, she was a chartered accountant and worked in auditing and sustainability advisory roles at EY and Zaker. Henriëtte’s background brings a rigorous and people-centred approach to oversight and impact.
We combine sector knowledge and pragmatic support for the organisations we back.
Alinda Vermeer is the Director of Limelight Foundation. She began her career at the UN’s Rwanda Tribunal, and later as a lawyer at Stibbe before moving to London, where she joined Media Defence and worked on cases involving threats to press freedom around the world. She went on to lead the organisation as CEO, sharpening her focus on the vulnerabilities in global information systems and the pressures facing independent journalism. Since 2023, Alinda has headed Limelight, supporting newsrooms and NGOs across the continent and responding to gaps left by declining funding.
Andrea Simonca is a Programme Officer at Limelight Foundation, where she helps shape the grant-making that supports investigative journalism and strengthens Europe’s information infrastructure. She previously worked in community engagement and programme coordination in the security and technology sector, and earlier held roles in operations within Limelight. Andrea holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Leiden University, where she specialised in European governance and rule of law.
Eva Entenmann is Operations Manager at Limelight Foundation, bringing fifteen years’ experience in international security, human rights, and media development. She previously worked at Free Press Unlimited, where she coordinated Radio Dabanga, a major news lifeline for Sudan. Before that, she held policy and programme roles with the Australian Embassy, the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, Clingendael Institute, and several academic institutions. Eva’s work has taken her across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe, shaping a practical understanding of how information, rights, and governance intersect.
Willem Lenders is Programme Manager at Limelight Foundation, where he oversees the fund’s grant-making strategy and builds its portfolio of organisations across Europe. Before joining Limelight, he spent more than six years at Stichting Democratie en Media, where he developed his expertise in supporting independent media, journalistic infrastructure, and human rights in the digital sphere. Having now worked for over a decade in philanthropy, Willem translates his experience supporting small and emerging initiatives into a clear view of how philanthropy can respond when pressure on democracy rises.
Inge Snip is Communications & Partnerships Manager at Limelight Foundation, where she works on funding partnerships, impact, and the stories that connect funders to the journalists they support. She previously held editorial and strategic roles at outlets such as openDemocracy and Coda Story, building impact-tracking systems, rethinking newsletters, and developing multimedia investigations into technology, disinformation, and anti-rights movements. Inge has consulted for organisations including UNDP, UNICEF, IJSC, and Kvinna till Kvinna, helping them translate complex work into clear narratives and donor strategies.
Stories from our grantees, analyses from our team,
and perspectives from funders and partners across Europe.
