30 years of the Civil Society Development Foundation (CSDF)

Oct 01, 2024

180+ million euro

3.000+ projects of NGOs active in communities in Romania thanks to the work of the Foundation for Civil Society Development (CSDF) in its 30 years of existence

Ionuț Sibian, Executive Director CSDF

“In the next 3 years we want to support NGOs to get a minimum of 30 million euros in grant funding. It is important that funding reaches NGOs in as many parts of the country as possible.”

Over 200 people contributed to the Foundation’s mission to strengthen civil society in Romania.The strategic directions of work of the CSDF until 2028: networking & advocacy, funding, capacity building & research, increasing the visibility of the results of the non-governmental sector.
A new vision, mission and visual identity for CSDF
CSDF administers the largest funding program for NGOs, part of the EEA and Norway Grants – the Active Citizens Fund Romania program, worth 48 million euro.
Started the development of a new funding program, the Civic Engagement Program, part of the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Program, worth CHF 18 million.

Bucharest, October 2, 2024

The Foundation for Civil Society Development (CSDF), an organization that has been supporting the development of the non-governmental sector in Romania for 30 years, aims to support NGOs in obtaining non-reimbursable funds worth at least 30 million euro by 2028. Since the organization was founded, CSDF has facilitated the access of approximately 3,000 NGO projects to funds worth 180 million euro, has contributed to the improvement of legal regulations in areas related to the associative environment and the development of services for vulnerable groups, and has supported many NGOs in their start-up phase.

The Foundation for Civil Society Development was created in 1994, as part of a regional initiative of the European Commission, to provide funding and assistance to NGOs in Romania to build a strong civil society.

Initially, the foundation attracted international funding to support non-governmental organizations in Romania, and later also provided training and development assistance to them.

A European Commission project: 'Child of European integration'

”The CSDF was set up, thirty years ago, to support and promote the concept of civil society, which in those days, as many may now have forgotten, was a truly new concept. It was conceived and run by Romanians, under the guidance of independent personalities from Romania, with a mission to serve the interests of Romanian society.
Much has changed in Romanian society since its inception, but the main agenda is not so different - building resilience and expertise among civil society organizations; promoting diversity, pluralism, and social justice at all levels of society; maintaining vigilance in protecting civic space and the rule of law.

Karen Foggfirst Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in Bucharest (1993–1998), member of the Board of Directors of CSDF

The NGO sector has developed significantly in the last decades. If in 1994 (the year of the founding of the CSDF) Romania had just over 10,000 established organizations, last year the NGO sector consisted of about 127,000 organizations. In 2022, they had around 127,000 employees and total revenues of RON 21 billion (about 1.51% of GDP), according to data from the report “Romania 2024. The non-governmental sector. Profile, Trends, Challenges” by CSDF.

“The biggest challenge we had in 1994 was to lead Romania on a Euro-Atlantic path and to defend the incipient democracy. Looking back, our main achievement is that we became a significant player at local, regional and European level. We have managed, through funding, capacity building and outreach, to hold the NGO sector in solidarity and we will continue to do so through our areas of action – networking, advocacy, funding, capacity building & research – to create a fairer country in line with European values, a country where every person is respected and represented. We know that today we are a hub of civil society, which we have developed NGO by NGO, person by person. It is essential that we continue our mission to connect organizations and resources, because this is how we will have a strong society and keep Romania on a democratic and European path, in a context where we are increasingly confronted with populism, illiberalism or nationalism, both locally and in Europe”, said Ionuț Sibian, Executive Director of the Civil Society Development Foundation (CSDF).

CSDF people and its strategic directions until 2028

The people who have helped build CSDF in these 30 years, over 200 employees and collaborators, currently form the most valuable community on which CSDF relies in pursuing its mission. CSDF has been, and continues to be, a talent platform, having consolidated important careers in national and international organizations, public institutions and companies in Romania and abroad.

Networking and advocacy – mobilizing NGOs, public authorities, and other actors in society to ensure a democratic framework for the functioning of the NGO sector.
Funding – supporting NGOs to access a minimum of €30 million in grant funding by 2028.
Capacity building & research – strengthening capacity building programmes for NGOs in Romania, and abroad and increasing the level of data about the work and impact of the non-governmental sector.
Communication – raising the visibility of the results of the NGO sector and reinforcing a modern, authentic, and professional image.

A new vision, mission and visual identity

As the organization marks its 30th anniversary, CSDF is adapting its vision and mission to the local and international context.

The organization’s new vision is: “A democratic society, in line with European values, where every person is respected and represented.”

The mission has also changed to “Mobilizing organizations and resources and working for a strong and relevant civil society at national and European level.”

These changes also meant updating the organization’s visual identity. CSDF has a new logo and website. The new logo uses the initials of the name CSDF and progressively increases through the repetition of the letters, thus illustrating the distribution and amplification of the resources managed by the Foundation.

Among CSDF's main achievements in 30 years:

It has facilitated access to development funds and activities worth €180 million for some 5,000 NGOs. Tthe CSDF managed with its partners the largest funding program for NGOs – the €48 million Active Citizens Fund (EEA and Norwegian grants) programme.
It has supported positive changes in legislation in areas relevant to society such as: tuberculosis control measures, social services, migrant and refugee rights, volunteering, the establishment of mechanisms provided for by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the establishment, organization and functioning of the National Agency for the Administration of Seized Assets, as well as in areas necessary for the fulfillment of EU accession criteria: child protection, anti-discrimination, gender equality, anti-corruption, whistleblowers, independent media (CNA) or guaranteeing the rights to political association and participation in elections.
It contributed to the creation of a favorable environment for the development of civil society in Romania through: the law on associations and foundations (2000), the initiative to direct 1% to an NGO, the stopping of some laws restricting the civic space, the law on sponsorship, the law on social services and financing of NGOs providing social services, the law on social economy.
The #CreștemONG-uri program has opened a learning space for NGOs in order to be (more) effective in meeting the real needs in their communities. Over the past 5 years, through the #InStateOfGood funding program, the #CreateNGOs community has surpassed 170 NGOs across the country.
Since 2018, together with Kaufland Romania, CSDF has developed the #InStareDeBine programme, a reference for the support given to NGO projects in the fields of culture, sport and healthy living (42 400 000 lei). It is the longest-standing and most consistent partnership of this type between CSDF and the private sector.
Member of several structures representing civil society at European level (European Economic and Social Council, Expert Council on NGO Law/ Council of Europe, European Civic Forum), CSDF has actively contributed to aligning the national agenda with the European one. In 2019, it organized the Regional Civil Society Forum of Central and Eastern Europe, on the occasion of the EU Presidency held by Romania at that time.
It has initiated the most complex research process on the size and characteristics of the non-governmental sector in Romania: the CSDF studies are a reference for those who want to initiate programmes and public policies for civil society in Romania, and this year it launched its latest edition “Romania 2024. The non-governmental sector. Profile, Trends, Challenges”.
It launched in 1997 the first fair of associations and foundations in Romania (FAR – Fundatii si Asociatii din Romania). It evolved into ONGFest which, in over 10 editions, has continued to bring NGOs in front of citizens and celebrate community involvement directly at home, in the middle of cities, in spaces open to any citizen.
Unique in Romania, the #trillenials – Programme3 identifies and trains the new generation who are taking their first career steps in a non-governmental organization or those who are thinking of getting involved in the life of society with an NGO. Started 5 years ago, the #trillenials community has grown to more than 170 young people.

About the Foundation for Civil Society Development (CSDF)

CSDF is an independent non-governmental organization, founded in 1994 as a regional initiative of the European Commission. CSDF has created an ecosystem for social transformation, contributing to private and public funding programmes, advocacy campaigns. It establishes partnerships between civil society entities, the business sector, the public sector, academia and the media, and develops innovative solutions for communities. Through regular published studies, CSDF aims to provide a multidimensional assessment of the evolution of the non-governmental sector in Romania.

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For more information, please contact: iulia.vizi@fdsc.ro / 0747 416 280