- Program Civil Society
- Program Area Special Initiatives
- Grant Amount $50,000
- Grant Period March 1, 2004–April 30, 2006
- Location Timisoara, Romania
- Geographic Focus Romania
About this grant
People living in rural areas of Romania, face poverty, limited access to social services, lack of business and employment opportunities, and migration of young people to more developed urban areas. An increasing number of Romanian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) want to change this dynamic by encouraging community members to identify and solve problems with their own resources or with resources they have raised. To this end, the Center for Rural Assistance and several other NGOs decided to develop structured cooperation among NGOs working in the field of rural/community development. Multiyear funding will support the development of the network, RuralNet, to promote and influence development policies and practices in Romania. Objectives include sharing knowledge and practice through meetings and publications; developing individual network members in the fields of evaluation, promotions, development of services, standards and effective policy work; encouraging regular communication among members; promoting community development; and designing a five-year development strategy for network members and the field of community development.The mission of the center, founded in 2000, is to assist the sustainable and participatory development of rural communities in Romania through capacity-building.