Community philanthropy for change in Romania From raising funds for community projects towards funding a community development theory of change Previous model PACT Providing grants for Founda=on community projects Un=l very recently, PACT Founda=on used ins=tu=onal grants to support its programs and ongoing opera=ons, including CBO development and capacity building, advocacy, youth and entrepreneurial educa=on among others, and channeled the funds raised from community philanthropy (both individual and corporate donors) to provide grants for the community projects of CBOs. Problems of this model: • All of the funds raised through community philanthropy were flow-through • Funding short-term projects with poorer sustainability • No opera=onal support for the organiza=on New model - Community facilita=on PACT - Advocacy Founda=on - Entrepreneurship support - General support In 2016, we began asking our community donors to support our longer-term opera=ons and community work with flexible funding that is not dedicated to a specific community project, while we con=nue to use ins=tu=onal funds for part of our projects. Advantages of this model: • Flexible funding for community projects as well as other types of support for CBOs • Funds are allocated to priority areas/underfunded communi=es • Opera=onal support allows to build organiza=onal capacity and sustainability Example: Fundraising for advocacy in a marginalized Roma community Valea Corbului is an informal Roma seWlement in rural Southern Romania. One village of 1500 residents Living illegally under high-voltage power line No property documenta=on We started an advocacy project to support this community with GFCF funding. We then presented the case to our Donors Circle in Sept. 2016 and asked for further support to develop a long term advocacy ini=a=ve to promote healthy and legal housing for the people of Valea Corbului. So far, we have raised an es=mate 2000 USD allowing us to: • Work with a group of experts (urbanists, architects, lawyers etc.) • Empower and build the capacity of the local CBO • Organize community visits with decision makers and influencers • Organize mee=ngs with relevant local authori=es Other programs funded through this model • Development of new community-based organiza=ons • Priority community projects • Advocacy for community issues • Financial educa=on for the most vulnerable • Support for social/community entrepreneurship • Partnerships with local authori=es • Monitoring and evalua=on of our impact • Social and financial educa=on clubs for vulnerable youth • Ongoing opera=onal support Acknowledgements PACT Founda=on is currently tes=ng new funding models as part of a project generously supported by GFCF. PACT’s fundraising work is coordinated by my colleagues Ioana Traista and Cris=na Botezatu. The Donors Circle is a concept developed by The Funding Network (UK). My par=cipa=on in the CF Summit has also been generously supported by the GFCF through a travel grant. Conclusions • Long-term process over immediate outputs: Instead of proposing to donors short-term, specific community projects with fixed results, we explained what we do for rural communi=es in Romania, how we involve them in the process, and what longer term impact we aim for. • Trust maEers: So far, the model has worked very well with a community of donors who were already familiar with the organiza=on’s track record. • It can work: so far the amounts raised have been steady or higher than in previous years (est. 24.000 USD), but it’s too soon to really tell. Community philanthropy Community philanthropy PACT Foundation 6 Hagiului St. Bucharest, Romania www.fundatiapact.ro Contact me: Irina Pop [email protected]

Community philanthropy for change in Romania · operaons, including CBO development and capacity building, advocacy, youth and entrepreneurial educaon among others, and channeled

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Page 1: Community philanthropy for change in Romania · operaons, including CBO development and capacity building, advocacy, youth and entrepreneurial educaon among others, and channeled

CommunityphilanthropyforchangeinRomaniaFromraisingfundsforcommunityprojectstowardsfundingacommunitydevelopmenttheoryofchange

Previousmodel

PACT Providinggrantsfor Founda=on communityprojects

Un=lveryrecently,PACTFounda=onusedins=tu=onalgrantstosupportitsprogramsandongoingopera=ons,includingCBOdevelopmentandcapacitybuilding,advocacy,youthandentrepreneurialeduca=onamongothers,andchanneledthefundsraisedfromcommunityphilanthropy(bothindividualandcorporatedonors)toprovidegrantsforthecommunityprojectsofCBOs.Problemsofthismodel:•  Allofthefundsraisedthroughcommunityphilanthropywereflow-through•  Fundingshort-termprojectswithpoorersustainability•  Noopera=onalsupportfortheorganiza=on

Newmodel -Communityfacilita=on

PACT -Advocacy Founda=on -Entrepreneurshipsupport

-Generalsupport

In2016,webeganaskingourcommunitydonorstosupportourlonger-termopera=onsandcommunityworkwithflexiblefundingthatisnotdedicatedtoaspecificcommunityproject,whilewecon=nuetouseins=tu=onalfundsforpartofourprojects.Advantagesofthismodel:•  FlexiblefundingforcommunityprojectsaswellasothertypesofsupportforCBOs•  Fundsareallocatedtopriorityareas/underfundedcommuni=es•  Opera=onalsupportallowstobuildorganiza=onalcapacityandsustainability

Example:FundraisingforadvocacyinamarginalizedRomacommunity

ValeaCorbuluiisaninformalRomaseWlementinruralSouthernRomania.Onevillageof1500residents Livingillegallyunderhigh-voltagepowerlineNopropertydocumenta=on

WestartedanadvocacyprojecttosupportthiscommunitywithGFCFfunding.WethenpresentedthecasetoourDonorsCircleinSept.2016andaskedforfurthersupporttodevelopalongtermadvocacyini=a=vetopromotehealthyandlegalhousingforthepeopleofValeaCorbului.Sofar,wehaveraisedanes=mate2000USDallowingusto:•  Workwithagroupofexperts(urbanists,architects,lawyersetc.)•  EmpowerandbuildthecapacityofthelocalCBO•  Organizecommunityvisitswithdecisionmakersandinfluencers•  Organizemee=ngswithrelevantlocalauthori=es

Otherprogramsfundedthroughthismodel•  Developmentofnewcommunity-based

organiza=ons•  Prioritycommunityprojects•  Advocacyforcommunityissues•  Financialeduca=onforthemostvulnerable•  Supportforsocial/community

entrepreneurship•  Partnershipswithlocalauthori=es•  Monitoringandevalua=onofourimpact•  Socialandfinancialeduca=onclubsfor

vulnerableyouth•  Ongoingopera=onalsupport

AcknowledgementsPACTFounda=oniscurrentlytes=ngnewfundingmodelsaspartofaprojectgenerouslysupportedbyGFCF.PACT’sfundraisingworkiscoordinatedbymycolleaguesIoanaTraistaandCris=naBotezatu.TheDonorsCircleisaconceptdevelopedbyTheFundingNetwork(UK).Mypar=cipa=onintheCFSummithasalsobeengenerouslysupportedbytheGFCFthroughatravelgrant.

Conclusions•  Long-termprocessoverimmediateoutputs:Insteadofproposingtodonors

short-term,specificcommunityprojectswithfixedresults,weexplainedwhatwedoforruralcommuni=esinRomania,howweinvolvethemintheprocess,andwhatlongertermimpactweaimfor.

•  TrustmaEers:Sofar,themodelhasworkedverywellwithacommunityofdonorswhowerealreadyfamiliarwiththeorganiza=on’strackrecord.

•  Itcanwork:sofartheamountsraisedhavebeensteadyorhigherthaninpreviousyears(est.24.000USD),butit’stoosoontoreallytell.

CommunityphilanthropyCommunityphilanthropy

PACT Foundation 6 Hagiului St. Bucharest, Romania www.fundatiapact.ro Contact me: Irina Pop [email protected]