Stories of Change

EPIM sees Impact as the ecosystem’s collective progress towards catalysing the social changes we want to see and our progress towards our Vision, through our 4-Pillar approach. This is what we aim to measure through our Learning Framework.

We do so through questions around our levers of change, using those to listen and sensemake individually and collectively, identify significant patterns, and take actions to adapt and improve based on what we have learned.

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The Inaugural EPIM Forum

EPIM hosted its inaugural Forum on 13–14 November 2024 in Brussels, bringing together 38 actors from across Europe’s migration ecosystem. Participants included civil society leaders, government representatives, social entrepreneurs, migrant activists, journalists, and philanthropists, all contributing diverse expertise and lived experiences.
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Reflecting on EPIM’s First Learning Journey

Over the spring and early summer 2024, EPIM invited 15 civil society and one foundation partner to participate in an innovative and heartfelt learning journey. The goal was to cultivate trust between these key actors of the migration ecosystem in Europe, sensemake about their respective roles in driving systemic change, and empower both – the collective and the individuals to amplify their impact.
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Co-Leadership at EPIM: A philanthropic model for growth, collaborative innovation and organisational success

Co-Directors Sophie and Hrishabh interviewed each other for Philea, reflecting on the highs and lows of co-leadership and what it takes to make the model work. They describe it as a mutually reinforcing growth loop that strengthens both personal and organisational capacities, enhancing EPIM’s credibility and innovation. Their experience highlights the importance of open communication, shared vision, and trust in navigating differences and fostering a collaborative, supportive leadership culture.
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EPIM’s Building Inclusive Societies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) Cluster: New Partnerships in the Region

Since 2022, EPIM has supported over 24 projects aiding war-displaced Ukrainians across Central and Eastern Europe. In 2024, our strategy shifted toward holistic, long-term community building, fostering inclusive networks, addressing migrant needs in broader societal contexts, cultivating belonging, and supporting migrant leadership. Our partners work across the region on healthcare, education, public spaces, civic engagement, and job creation to strengthen inclusive and democratic communities.
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Reimagining Libraries for Democracy & Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe

We spoke with Claudia Șerbănuță, co-founder of Communities of the Future in Romania (ACV), about transforming public libraries in Central and Eastern Europe into hubs for civic engagement, democracy, and belonging.
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The Outcomes of EPIM’s Deskilling Pilot: Introducing Our New Partners

In Fall 2023, EPIM launched a prototype sensemaking and grantmaking pilot to tackle the deskilling and under-skilling of migrants in Europe. The pilot explored how people are often guided into work below their qualifications, affecting their ability to fully belong. It also tested a more inclusive and democratic approach to grantmaking, showing how collective ideation can lead to more pragmatic and impactful actions.
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EPIM Partner Stories: Loredana Urzica-Mirea from eLiberare

In this EPIM Partner Stories interview, we spoke with Loredana Urzica-Mirea, Executive Director of eLiberare in Romania, about the organisation’s work to prevent human trafficking and sexual exploitation. eLiberare operates four Centres for Detection and Notification of Cases of Trafficking, develops tailored prevention resources, and builds local communities of allies against trafficking.
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EPIM Partner Stories: Anikó Bakonyi from the Hungarian Helsinki Committee

In this Civil Society Spotlight, we spoke with Anikó Bakonyi, Director of the Refugee Programme at the Hungarian Helsinki Committee, about the organisation’s work protecting the rights of refugees and other disadvantaged groups in Hungary. Since 2010, the programme has focused on human rights monitoring, counselling, advocacy, and reporting, and Anikó has served on the board of the Berlin-based Civil Society Forum since 2018. EPIM has supported the Hungarian Helsinki Committee since 2021.
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Civil Society in the Spotlight: Francesca Humi from the Crossborder Forum

We spoke with Francesca Humi, who joined the Crossborder Forum (CBF) in October 2022. Hosted at JCWI, the Forum brings together civil society organisations and activists working on the UK–France–Belgium border to share expertise on migration and asylum issues and build collective action.
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