Coalition and advocacy
CSDF is actively involved in influencing and amending legislation related to the context in which the nongovernmental organizations operate.
The initiatives in which CSDF took on a role as a mediator between the civil society organizations and authorities are reflected in the elaboration of new policies and laws in the social field like the 2% initiative, the legislation concerning the structure and function of associations and foundations, an improved fiscal framework for NGOs .
CSDF assumed a leading role in the establishment of the NGO Coalition in the social field and of the Federation of Nongovernmental Development Organizations.
Information
CSDF has constantly offered to all interested persons its data-base on nongovernmental organizations which are now active in Romania. Through the newsletter Voluntar offered free of charge via email, CSDF currently informs around 10.000 beneficiaries (nongovernmental organizations, public institutions, universities, schools, individuals concerned with issues related to the NGO sector and resources – on resources available within and for the NGO sector. CSDF also contributes to informing the NGO sector by constantly organizing specific events: conferences, seminars, debates at local and national level.
Research
CSDF initiated a series of studies focused on the NGO sector, aiming to support decision making within the public sector and by large international donors, regarding the impact of NGO programs in different areas of the society. The studies also address important issues such as the corruption in public administration, the NGO sustainability, the associative and philanthropic behaviour in Romania.
A set of studies aimed at documenting the dimension and evolution of the nonprofit sector, while others analyze the financing mechanisms for the sector in key moments for its evolution.
Our foundation has also been a research partner in the field of nonprofit organizations for CIVICUS - World Alliance for Citizen Participation, John Hopkins University, USAID.
Training and Consultancy
In order to address the needs for development of the Romanian NGOs, CSDF provides a large number of services for training and consultancy in the following fields:
- Project Management
- Writing project proposals for European funding programs
- Management of European projects
- Structural Funds - from the idea to the project;
- Advocacy
- Strategic Planning
- Public Relations
- Training of trainers
Grant Management and Technical Assistance
CSDF is the Romanian organization with the largest experience in grant management for civil society.
Since 1996, over 3000 nongovernmental organizations have been beneficiaries of projects directly managed or of those for which CSDF provided technical assistance, projects aiming at the establishment of resource centers for NGOs, provision of training, information, organizational development, creation and development of social services, support for building coalitions and networks, democratization and protection of human rights, as well as other types of projects.
In the framework of the EU Phare programs alone, dedicated to the development of civil society in Romania, CSDF has managed or provided technical assistance for the implementation of over 1250 NGO projects and has involved actors from the public administration, private sector and generally all representative actors at community level in supporting these initiatives.
At present we are managing the seventh Phare funding program for the nongovernmental sector, each of the previous programs consisting in 2 or 5 specific lines of financing determined by the priorities and needs identified in the sector.
The value of the funds that CSDF managed directly or for the management of which it offered technical assistance to the Romanian public authorities totals over 30 million euros.
The programs managed by CSDF have a maximum contracting rate of 130,6% and an absorption rate of up to 96%.
There are also other grant schemes which benefited of CSDF expertise such as World Learning Childnet grant program (2002 – 2003), World Bank small grants program (since 2004) and the Matra Program financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Netherlands (2007-2008) totaling around 105 projects.