Community Foundations Development Program in Romania

This program pursues the creation and development of non-governmental and non-profit structures, known as community foundations, situated in urban centers, nationally. The aim is that these structures become sustainable and long-lasting in order to be able to support their communities to efficiently use their resources for development. Community foundations are organizations that attract funds from individuals and companies donations in a certain geographical area, and further distribute the funds attracted towards charitable causes within the same geographical area, pursuing its development. They stimulate motivation, cooperation and local participation and represent a flexible mechanism that concretely channels community resources towards the identified community needs, while satisfying the interests of private donors as well. Over time, the community foundation can become a local sponsor based on the financial resources it collects also from local individuals and companies. Community foundations will aim to operate as independent legal entities (legal persons) led by a board of directors which is representative for the city. Globally, there are over 1 400 community foundations, out of which about half are located in the U.S. (where the concept emerged in 1914) and the rest in Great Britain, Canada and Central and Eastern Europe (Baltic States, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Ukraine and recently in Romania and Moldova). In Romania, two community foundations currently operate, in Cluj Napoca and Odorheiu Secuiesc. They mobilized more than 450 000 RON and offered more than 80 grants over the last two years.

This program launches a bold challenge to the Romanian cities. The program will take place in at least 5 cities in Romania, which will be selected providing they have both the will and the capacity to set up such foundations.

August 2009 – June 2012

The program aims to support the development of community foundations nationwide, contributing to the local and regional development by channeling donations toward local needs identified by community members. 

- Local initiative groups, which are to form community foundations;
- Community groups or local NGOs who will put projects ideas into practice to solve local needs, using funds received through community foundations’ financing programs;
- Private donors (individuals and companies) who will benefit from the facilitation offered by community foundations to allocate funds to community areas with real needs;
- Local communities that will host community foundations, benefiting from an effective development mechanism;
- On the long term, associated territories of local communities are to be served by community foundations (neighboring communities).

- Program promotion nationally and locally;
- Selection of local initiative groups that will participate in program activities;
- Organization of local events to promote the new structures, assess local needs and raise funds to address community needs;
- Experience exchange with other community foundations in the country and abroad;
- Organization of workshops on setting up a community foundation, the organizational development strategy, community fundraising and philanthropy development, grant making, management and operating best practices;
- Elaboration of a guide regarding the establishment and operation of community foundations;
- Financial support for the initiative groups through matching grants (funds raised by members of initiative groups will be supplemented by funds raised by the program team).

at least 5 community foundations established and functional, out of which at least 2 in the South of Romania.

 On November 20th, the initiative group for the establishment of the Pontus Euxin Community Foundation in Constanta, held an extraordinary conference, with the participation of actor Dan Puric, entitled "About Love and Martyrs."  By selling tickets, the initiative group has mobilized the material resources necessary for the establishing of the Community Foundation, which is the sum of approximately 32 000 Ron. A 30 000 Ron grant will be added by Environmental Partnership Foundation, as lead partner responsible for this component of the national program. During 2011, this funds will be used for local community projects in Constanta.

In October 2010, PACT Foundation started up the process of establishing community foundations in two of the selected groups: Bucharest and Constanta.

The Bucharest Group participated in three training sessions on topics related to fundraising, institutional building and attracting board members, participatory analysis of needs and grant making, supported by ARC, PACT and the Foundation for Partnership, each in its area of expertise. The Bucharest Group finalized the roadmap for setting up: legal documents, the plan to raise funds for one year, one-year activity plan. In early October, the start-up application submitted by PACT. The three partners have reviewed the application, in a meeting held in Bucharest on October 5th with the initiative group. Foundation for Partnership gave the Bucharest Group the permission to receive the 30,000 RON grant, considering the foundation’s activity planning in line with the requirements of the National Programme. At this point, the Bucharest Group is in the process of raising 30 thousand RON through individual donations. The group prepared a questionnaire to identify needs and to attract donations and volunteers, which can be completed online. Currently, the group managed to gather around two thirds of the amount. It is estimated that the entire amount will be collected during November.

The group participated, on October 7th in Bucharest, in a meeting with members of the National Board and with members of the board of the two donors: RAF and CEE TRUST. The group has prepared a video presentation for this event, which synthesizes the foundation’s vision and mission.

The Constanta group has undergone through a process of reconstruction. The two initial members were joined by a new member who has taken steps to oversee the accomplishment of the roadmap. Consequently, they attracted other new members, people with relevant experience in various fields: law, business, psychology, child protection, medicine, human resources, mediation, media, etc.

Although they started much later than other initiative groups (in September), the group decided to establish the Constanta Foundation by the end of this year. PACT made a series of visits to Constanta and set next steps and a timing, that, with few exceptions, is respected.

In terms of legal documents, they are in the process of finalizing and already have an interim feedback from partners. There is also a fundraising plan and activities by the end of the year and with relevance for 2011.

On October 30, a training session took place in Constanta, supported by ARC, attended by all members of the initiative group of Constanta.

The fundraising activity for the foundation (30 000 Ron) is developed around a charity show, performed by actor Dan Puric at the House of Culture in Constanta. The value of the tickets will go towards the future Community Foundation. The group managed to find partners to support the project: printing, advertising agency, bookstore Carturesti, City Council, Branconeveasca House complex, Radio Mamaia. PACT will support the group by providing legal support - the group not being legally established, all sponsorship and partnership agreements will be held through PACT.

Both the Constanta group and the one in Bucharest had representatives at the study visit in the UK, in September.

The initiative groups of Magurele and Tara Lovistei have delayed the process for a later date. They will go through a new selection process to re-enroll in the program.

Between May 27th and May 29, we held the national seminar for the future community foundations initiative groups. For the first time, the 9 initiatives selected all around Romania met and greeted, during the seminar help in Poiana Brasov by ARC and its program partners. The main topics were: clarification of the concept of community foundation, vision and mission, internal organization, fund raising methods, specific activities. The contributions of the three existing community foundations – Simona Serban (executive director of Cluj Community Foundation), Ildiko Peter (PR & fundraiser with Odorheiu Secuiesc Community Foundation) and Dorin Sava (executive director of Alba Community Foundation) – were extremely useful for the initiative groups. They had the opportunity to insightfully understand the organizing and functioning of Romanian community foundations from the very people who experienced the first steps and developed their own organizations. As a follow-up to the knowledge acquired at this seminar, the initiative groups kicked off the process of preparation of the necessary documents and strategies to become a legal entity (organizational scheme, budget, fundraising plan, etc.), estimated to be finalized within several months. The process will be carefully monitored by the three partners.

During March – April 2010, ARC, Foundation for Partnership and PACT started the initiative group applications selection process. The total number national initiatives were more then 30 – out of which 14 applications from the south region. The three partners considered 10 application letters to be eligible, according to the selection criteria: two from Bucharest and one from each of the towns of Blaj (Alba), Constanta, Cristuru Secuiesc (Harghita), Iasi, Magurele (Ilfov), Sfantu Gheorghe (Covasna), Suceava and Tara Lovistei (Valcea).
Upon the applications selection, the partners set meetings with each initiative group, to closely evaluate the potential of the initiative.
Consequently, the two initiative groups from Bucharest decided to unite their forces and form one single community foundation. PACT Foundation will keep a close consultancy relation with the groups from its designated are: Bucharest, Constanta, Magurele and Tara Lovistei, whereas ARC will directly provide consultation to the rest of the groups.  The three partners permanently cooperate for common decisions, activities and national events of the program.

In February and March 2010, a media campaign announced the opportunity for the establishment of community foundations in the major cities of the country. Letters of intent from initiative groups are expected until March 19th, 2010, upon which it will be decided which will be the communities to enter the next stage of selection for the establishment of community foundations.

From February 29th to March 5th, 2010, the program team (representatives from ARC, PF and PACT) conducted a study tour in the UK to see how more experienced community foundations operate. In chronological order, the visits took place at the headquarters of Calderdale Community Foundation (in Halifax, England), Leeds Community Foundation (in Leeds, England), Community Foundation Tyne and Wear and Northumberland (in Newcastle, England) and Community Foundation Northern Ireland (in Belfast, Northern Ireland). The foundations to be visited were selected based on both geographical and diversity criteria, to observe what community foundations have in common, as well as how they operate differently depending on context and on the way in which each foundation’s leaders respond to its particular context.

On February 4th, 2010, the program launch event was held at UNITER restaurant "Le Theatre” in Bucharest, with the participation of the national board members and of the (potential) program supporters from the business sector, media, NGOs.

On December 15th, 2009, ARC organized an online meeting with the partners, to complete the brochure content for the program promotion, to discuss items relating to selection of interested communities and to clarify in detail the work program and timetable for 2010. As a result, the deadline of March 19th, 2010 was agreed upon for the submission by the interested groups of intent letters to ARC.

After clarifying the national strategy together with the program partners, in preparing the local campaigns of 2010, ARC elaborated a promotional brochure and a dedicated program website (http://www.fundatiicomunitare.ro).

On November 4th – 5th, 2009, the partners met in Bucharest for the final details of the communication strategy of the program, aimed both at local level and nationwide. Also, the partners identified individuals and organizations that could support the national framework of the program, thus resulting in a list of potential program ambassadors. In this regard, a schedule was drafted for individual meetings with people who could become members of the advisory board of the national program.

Each program partner conducted a research in the regions it is responsible of, looking at a series of economic and social indicators to help define areas of interest for local campaigns.

The first management meeting of the program partners took place on August 11th – 12th, 2009 in Cluj Napoca, providing the necessary framework to largely discuss the vision, objectives, plan of activities, work methodology and communication strategy of the program. The partners agreed upon the idea of creating a program advisory council, made of personalities who are to become ambassadors for the nationwide program.

Association for Community Relations (ARC) is the leading partner of the national program for community foundations development, coordinating the partnership, the information and advisory component of the program, the fundraising and program evaluation processes.

Partnership Foundation(PF)  holds the main role in the process of providing financing for the establishment of community foundations. In addition, PF will contribute with its large experience, providing consultancy for community foundations within the program on how to provide efficient and effective local funding to bring a strong impact over the communities they serve.

PACT Foundation  is responsible with promoting and establishing this type of organizations in the Southern part of the country. Furthermore, it will contribute to the consultancy component of the program with its experience in community development.

 Financers:

Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe

The Romanian-American Foundation (RAF) - financing foundation created through equity transfer from the Romanian-American Investment Fund (Romanian-American Enterprise Fund), an American public equity fund operating in Romania since the ‘90s.