Four civil society organisations from Moldova have been selected to receive European Union support to implement communication campaigns that encourage people to contribute to causes they care about. From supporting vocational education and bringing STEAM learning to rural communities to preserving village heritage and preventing violence, the campaigns will show how mobilising additional resources can help civil society organisations make a difference.
The selected campaigns were announced on 6 November in Chișinău, at the Final Event of the Comm.Labs, a capacity-building programme organised by the EU-funded Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility.
Unlike traditional awareness-raising campaigns, this year’s Comm.Labs in Moldova focused on a challenge familiar to many civil society organisations: how to turn public interest and appreciation into practical support that helps organisations continue and enhabce their work. Participants explored ways to encourage individual donations, promote Moldova’s 2% income tax designation mechanism, build partnerships with businesses and mobilise other financial and non-financial contributions.
Comm.Labs Moldova brought together ten civil society organisations selected through an open call for applications. Following a two-day kick-off event in Chișinău in September, participating teams worked with experienced mentors to develop their initial campaign ideas into detailed communication strategies. Over the following weeks, they took part in webinars, practical sessions and individual mentoring, working on audience research, campaign messages, communication channels, resource mobilisation approaches, implementation plans and budgets.
“Civil society organisations do important work in communities across Moldova, but to continue that work, they need more than project funding. They need the trust and active support of the people they serve. This is what makes Comm.Labs particularly valuable: it helps organisations communicate their impact, connect with people and encourage them to contribute. We hope these campaigns will inspire more citizens and businesses to see supporting civil society as something they can be part of,” said Irina Besliu, Civil Society Programme Officer at the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.
For some participants, Comm.Labs also challenged long-held assumptions about how civil society organisations can finance their work.
“Until now, we were convinced that people would never want to donate – that is why we have always financed all our activities only through grants and volunteering,” shared one participant. “But the most valuable thing by far was the shift in our mindset: starting to believe that we can actually organise activities and communicate messages for our cause in such a way that a concrete audience would want to donate to us.”
The programme helped participating organisations explore how clearer messages, better audience targeting and practical fundraising approaches could turn public interest into tangible support.
Meet the Four Selected Campaigns
The four campaigns selected for EU implementation support address different challenges, from inclusive education and employment, to rural heritage preservation and preventing violence. What they have in common is a focus on encouraging people to take an active role in supporting civil society.
Association MOTIVAȚIE: For young people with disabilities, access to vocational education can open doors to employment and greater independence. MOTIVAȚIE’s campaign will encourage Moldovan taxpayers to direct 2% of their income tax to support vocational training and professional development opportunities for young people with disabilities.
TEKEDU: Children in rural Moldova often have fewer opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) through practical learning. TEKEDU wants to help change this. Its campaign will bring STEAM activities directly to rural communities through a travelling educational initiative, while an interactive installation in Chișinău will invite the public to experience this approach to learning.
InnoVillage: Moldova’s villages are full of stories, traditions and local knowledge that deserve to be preserved and shared. Building on its existing Village Travel Bot, InnoVillage will invite Moldovans living abroad to reconnect with their home villages and help document their cultural heritage.
National Coalition “Life without Violence”: Talking to children about relationships, consent and sexuality can be difficult for parents and teachers, especially when reliable information and practical guidance are hard to find. The National Coalition “Life without Violence” will launch a campaign promoting comprehensive sexuality education as a way to help prevent gender-based violence, child sexual abuse and exploitation.
With EU support, the four selected organisations will begin implementing their campaigns in 2027. While four campaigns have been selected for implementation support, the communication strategies developed by the other participating organisations can also serve as a basis for future fundraising, partnerships and community engagement.
