The second edition of the "Initiative for Building the Future Generation of Civic Leaders" of the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF) is looking for motivated young people who want to develop their skills to work in the civic sector
If you are up to 35 years old, like to work for a cause, have experience as a volunteer, activist or part of an NGO team and want to get even better at what you do, meet other young people from the sector, work on issues important to you and be mentored by experts, the Initiative is your opportunity for development.
The first edition of the Initiative was successfully completed in the summer of 2021 with a final meeting held in Sofia and with the participation of the already trained civic leaders. Over the course of almost three years, the 30 participants conducted more than 10 different trainings, met with mentors - experts from different fields of civic work, formed an Alumni Club. With the autumn coming, it is time for the second edition of the project "The Initiative" to officially start. About the second edition, we tell in the article below. Join the contest here.
Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation is once again looking for motivated young people from all over the country to join the second edition of the project "Initiative for Building the Future Generation of Civic Leaders".
From 20 September to 20 November 2021, representatives of civil society organisations aged up to 35 and with between 1 and 3 years of experience in a civil society organisation can send their applications. See the Application Guidelines.
What is the objective of the Initiative?
The Initiative aims to support the professional development of 30 young representatives of various non-governmental organizations in the sphere of civic activism, representation and organizational development.
What do we offer?
We offer interactive, personalized training based on the latest trends in adult learning.
Selected participants will gain access to a series of training sessions and follow-up support from mentors who are established leaders of national organisations (NGOs), journalists, marketing and public communications specialists, fundraisers and lawyers, as well as networking opportunities to share experiences and common activities.
A training programme is designed and provided in four modules: global issues and local solutions; fundraising linked to the organisation's mission and achieving financial sustainability; strategic communication for changing attitudes and overcoming conflict; impact evaluation and scaling up for desired impact.
In addition to training and discussion, participants will develop assignments for each of the modules provided. In developing these, participants will receive online support and additional training in the form of webinars, as well as assistance from mentors.
As a result, CSO leaders are expected to develop and improve their skills in strategic thinking, fundraising for causes and engaging citizens/communities in the work of their organizations.
The „Initiative“ project and its importance for civic organizations
The initiative enhances the capacity of young people involved in the field of civil society organizations, helping them and offering them solutions to cope more easily with the challenges in the sector, among which are above all: the crisis in the welfare state, the shrinking space for civil society, the growing radicalization of ever wider segments of the population.
In the previous edition, the organizers, compelled by the circumstances arising from the COVID-19 crisis, focused on another significant theme - overcoming the crises in NGOs, thus preparing young people to respond adequately to unforeseen circumstances and to better know the techniques of crisis communications.
How to apply?
Send your application documents to konkurs@frgi.bg till 20th November 2021. Learn better how to apply on the following link and in the attached below Guidelines.
The project "Initiative for Building the Future Generation of Civic Leaders in Bulgaria" of Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF) is implemented with the financial support of the Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA FM) 2014-2021, funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.