The goal of the organization is to encourage grassroots, civic participation in decision-making processes throughout Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. To this end, the CEE Citizens Network is seeking increased funding to organize additional consulting visits to local community organizing projects, convene coordination meetings of a growing informal network of European experts and practitioners, and organize partnership building and fundraising visits of this network's leaders to the U.S. In 2008-2010, the CEE Citizens Network developed partnerships with several important European networks and held three annual training events. The network also organized events in countries represented by the network as part of its annual Citizen Participation Week. Initiated in 2001 as a project of the Center for Community Organizing-Slovakia, the network registered as an independent organization in 2005. The network has 31 members representing 17 countries. Many of the network's members are Mott Foundation grantees.

The program goal is to strengthen public participation and give voice to civil society at the European Union level. To this end, the CEE Bankwatch Network, a network of nongovernmental organizations in Central and Eastern Europe and Russia, will monitor the activities of international financial institutions and advocate for the adoption of environmentally sustainable and climate friendly development policies by these institutions. During the grant period, the network will monitor the work of the European Investment Bank, increase the network's outreach to the general public, and strengthen the organizational capacity and financial sustainability of the network and its members. The network's key achievements in 2009-2010 included expanding its membership, leading a successful campaign on increasing the transparency of the European Investment Bank, and developing a new organizational structure and programmatic strategies for the network. The network is registered in the Czech Republic, and its executive director is based in Budapest, Hungary.