Strategic Directions

NETWORKING, ADVOCACY, COMMUNICATION

Civil Society Development Foundation plays an active role in mobilizing civil society organizations and public authorities to ensure a democratic framework for the functioning of Romania’s associative sector. This strategic direction seeks to strengthen the role of NGOs in decision-making processes and in shaping public policies at both national and European levels.

NETWORKING

Enhancing cooperation both within the NGO sector and beyond—with other societal actors—is one of the key pillars for fostering participation in public decision-making through partnership structures that unite the public and non-governmental sector. CSDF promotes cross-sector collaboration by establishing strategic partnerships among NGOs, the private sector, and public authorities, at both national and European levels. Through its networks and alliances, CSDF strengthens its own presence—and that of Romanian civil society—at regional and European levels, with active representation in prestigious international forums such as the European Economic and Social Committee, the Expert Council on NGO Law (Council of Europe), and the European Civic Forum.

ADVOCACY

Through advocacy, CSDF seeks to support and advance key causes essential to the functioning of the non-governmental sector, with the goal of shaping a legislative framework and public policies that reflect the legitimate interests of civil society. Regardless of the extent of its involvement—whether as a leader or a contributing partner—CSDF’s advocacy efforts are grounded in cooperation, dialogue informed by factual evidence and sound reasoning, the legitimate needs of stakeholders, and a transparent commitment to the issues at hand.

COMMUNICATION

CSDF promotes a modern, authentic, and professional image of the NGO sector and its achievements—both within the sector and in the broader public sphere. By regularly communicating how it carries out its work (e.g., through annual reports) and by partnering with organizations that likewise promote honest and responsible public communication, CSDF helps to build public trust in civil society.

In its programs, CSDF also emphasizes and encourages NGOs to keep their audiences informed about the outcomes of their activities, as well as the tools and methods used to implement and manage them.

Advocacy initiatives carried out

Public position on abuses uncovered in residential centers in Ilfov (text available in Romanian)
Amendment of Government Ordinance no. 26/2000 (text available in Romanian)
Civil society in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic(text available in Romanian)
Transposition of the 4th EU Anti-Money Laundering Directive to prevent money laundering
NO DAY WITHOUT US campaign
European Values Instrument (text available in Romanian)
CSDF joins SOS Malta in urging the authorities to urgently assist over 160 asylum seekers stranded at sea for more than three weeks (text available in Romanian)
A new public procurement legislative package (text available in Romanian)
Say “NO” to the Social Entrepreneur Law (text available in Romanian)
Financing social services in Romania (text available in Romanian)
Regulating Social Economy in Romania (text available in Romanian)

2019 EU Council Presidency:

Brief “European values in the context of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU” (available in Romanian)
Brief “Social Economy in the program of the Presidencies of the Council of the European Union. Perspectives for Romania at the EU Council Presidency” (text available in Romanian)

FINANCING

CSDF plays an active role in identifying, securing, and effectively managing financial resources to strengthen the capacity of the NGO sector and support key beneficiaries and strategic priorities.

The Civil Society Development Foundation has over 30 years of experience in supporting Romania’s non-governmental sector through the design and management of funding programmes. Over time, it has contributed to the sector’s growth by ensuring effective fund administration and providing technical assistance for projects implementation—generating significant impact on the organizations and communities they serve.

CSDF has administered more than €150 million in funding, facilitating over 2,600 grants for projects that have delivered positive change in communities across the country.

CSDF assumes a multifaceted role in these programmes, providing end-to-end support assistance to donors, from defining funding priorities to monitoring project implementation and communicating results. This commitment ensures an efficient and transparent use of resources, contributing significantly to the strategic objectives of the non-governmental sector.

CSDF has administered more than 25 grant schemes covering a variety of areas, including education, human rights, mental health, energy poverty alleviation and many others.

CSDF has collaborated with prestigious donors such as the European Union, the World Bank, USAID, and the governments of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.These partnerships have had an impressive absorption rate of over 94%.

Since 2012, CSDF has launched its own funding programmes, securing additional resources from major companies present in Romania, such as Kaufland, Enel, OMV Petrom, Ursus Breweries and Raiffeisen Bank. These initiatives demonstrate CSDF’s commitment to supporting NGOs in Romania, regardless of their stage of development, as a way to drive both tangible and systemic change at the local and national levels.

Ongoing funding programmes

Completed funding programmes

CAPACITY BUILDING & RESEARCH

CSDF supports the capacity development of individuals and civil society organizations in Romania and abroad to enhance their impact in the community, while also analyzing and communicating that impact.

A strong and sustainable civil society relies on resilient organizations that pay as much attention to their internal development as they do to serving their target groups. CSDF’s programs on NGO capacity development start with a detailed assessment of each organization, analyzing all relevant dimensions. Based on these findings, we design interventions tailored to the specific needs of each partner, ranging from online modules and thematic workshops to complex coaching, mentoring, incubation and acceleration processes. Through these programmes, we provide NGOs with a framework for organizational development, addressing key topics such as governance, strategy, internal structure development, fundraising, communication, human resources management and internal processes and procedures. We also place a strong focus on key thematic areas such as civic participation, human rights, advocacy and constituency building.

In addition to these processes, CSDF organizes one-off events on a variety of topics for organizations across the country. These events address practical needs such as fundraising, project writing, volunteer management, strategic communication, the use of social media, storytelling, board development and legal compliance, responding to the needs identified by civil society organizations.
CSDF is committed to strengthening the capacity of both individuals and civil society organizations, not only in Romania, but also internationally, and to amplify their impact in communities. At the same time, we assess and communicate this impact to enhance public understanding and recognition of the role and value of the non-governmental sector. Our objectives include strengthening capacity building programmes for civil society organizations and individuals, as well as increasing the visibility and understanding of the impact of the non-governmental sector in Romania and beyond.