CSOs are one of the key target groups of CIRa’s overall work. Therefore, providing them support to diversify resources of funding and stimulate local philanthropy through innovative and participative approach and methods has always been one of our primary concerns. CIRa experts have been actively involved in building capacities for mobilization of local resources through facilitation of the process of developing sustainability and fundraising strategies and provision of comprehensive training modules to numerous organizations and institutions in Macedonia and the region. 

Having in mind that the civil society sector in Macedonia faces difficulties in ensuring financial sustainability and is still dependent on international or foreign funds, CIRa developed the project entitled “Strengthening capacities of CSOs and creating supporting infrastructure to mobilize local resources and undertake economic activities”. The implementation of this project began in March 2011 with financial support of EU through IPA 2008 Operational Programme.

The project aims to contribute towards sustainability and efficiency of the civil society in addressing key needs of citizens and local communities. Specifically, the civil society organizations have insufficient financial resources to address the citizens’ needs and provide services as well as lack diversification of funds, especially from local sources due to the insufficient capacities for performing local fundraising and economic activities. On the other side, there is a positive legal framework for philanthropy development in the last 4 years with the implementation of the Law on Donations and Sponsorships in areas of public interest.

Therefore, the project is focused on strengthening capacities of CSOs and creation of support infrastructure for mobilization of local resources and undertaking economic activities in provision of social services. The activities are structured in a way to contribute towards development and capacity building of CSOs to diversify their funding by organizing local fundraising activities and performing economic activities in order to ensure funds for a certain cause and be capable to provide social services. Namely, the project will develop skills to the CSO management, by organizing Academy for Organizational Sustainability, to strategically organize and implement fundraising actions by development of fundraising plans and to manage their organizations by involving volunteers within their activities and making partnerships with the local stakeholders, both the local government and the business sector.

Furthermore, considering that the fundraising actions are known as quite challenging and intensive, the project will promote and support establishment of a Network of local CSOs as a method for acquiring improved capacities to organize joint community based fundraising activities for provision of social services. The networking will be used to develop coordination tools and mechanisms for exchange of experiences as well as development of case studies, including good practices for organization of fundraising activities. In the light of that, the Law for Donations and Sponsorships will be promoted and initiatives for its improvement will be conducted in order to ensure creation of support infrastructure for mobilization of local resources. The support infrastructure will be also strengthened with involving the media and making them aware about the crucial need to become key promoters and supporters to philanthropy development, considering that the media are necessary to organize successful awareness and fundraising campaigns.