Building an Inclusive and Resilient Democratic Society in Bulgaria

ended

The goal of the project is to contribute to the CERV priorities and build an inclusive and resilient civil society in Bulgaria through needs-based financial support and capacity building to a large number of independent local and national grassroot CSOs, whose core mission and activities are to protect, promote and raise awareness on fundamental rights, EU values, rule of law and democracy. The project brings together 3 partners - Bulgarian Fund for Women, Bulgarian Center for Not-for-profit Law and Impact Drive Foundation, who have more than 20 years of experience in grantmaking and capacity building of CSOs and who step on a years-long cooperation. The target group of the project is the backbone of the democratic society in Bulgaria – small, underfunded, grassroot CSOs, who face backlash and attacks because they promote and practice the EU values, fight for the rights of vulnerable groups, work to achieve gender equality, and preserve the rule of law. In order to increase their sustainability and strengthen the CSO sector, the project will: 1) provide needs-based financial support to CSOs in the form of 2-year core support grants, ongoing rapid response grants of up to 6 months for security issues or unexpected opportunities, and 1-year grants for projects promoting EU values and the rule of law, gender equality and fundamental rights, etc; 2) provide ongoing accompaniment and capacity building in 3 forms: multi-dimensional organizational development trainings, thematic capacity building and mutual learning activities connected to EU values, fundamental rights and the rule of law, and tailor-made needs-based and participatory labs. The expected results of the project are an average of 142 grants distributed and increased capacity of at least 900 CSOs representatives. The project’s sustainability after the end of the EU funding will be ensured through the core activities of the 3 partners – grantmaking and capacity building to CSOs.