Asociația Centrul pentru Studiul Democrației is a research non-profit organization established in 2012, affiliated with the Babes-Bolyai University from Cluj. The Center extends the University’s activity towards applied projects and collaborations with civil society organizations, promoting democratic education and citizenship.
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CONTEXT
Centrul de Cercetare pentru Societatea Civilă (Civil Society Research Center) was established in early 2024 as a distinct department of Asociația Centrul pentru Studiul Democrației, meant to provide specific research and capacity-building services to civil society.
Prior to launching this new branch of activity, the Association assessed the needs of the civil society sector and designed a business concept to guide its development in a relevant manner for the sector. In its first year, the new unit set up operations and launched its initial services.
The previous RAF grant for the Association, which ended in December 2024, funded the first-year operational costs and initial services (training and research) of this department. The Civil Society Research Center operates with a core team of two experienced researchers, guided by an Advisory Board of professionals from both academia and NGOs. One of the Civil Society Research Center’s first services was a masterclass on impact measurement, organized in collaboration with trainers from Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Vienna). The first edition took place in November 2024.
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STRATEGY
This new program continues RAF’s investment, further consolidating the capacity of the Civil Society Research Center to act as research and learning hub for civil society, bridging academia and nonprofits in Romania.
The current program aims to strengthen the Center in two key areas:
Institutional Development:
The grant partially covers operating costs, supporting team growth, access to training and development opportunities, attendance at academic events, fundraising efforts, and stakeholder engagement.
Meanwhile, the Center set out to identify new potential collaborators (researchers and experts) to support future service expansion.
Expanding Services:
The Center offers new rounds of training on impact evaluation, complemented by webinars on specific topics (e.g., creating effective survey questionnaires, selecting appropriate indicators, etc.). Each year, ten RAF grantees attend the training at no additional cost. Also, the Center conducts one research study per year on key topics related to civil society and philanthropy (e.g., effects of sponsorship regulations).
EXPECTED RESULTS
- Enhanced capacity of the Center as support organization for civil society.
- One research study per year addressing a topic relevant to the civil society sector’s needs. See 2025 Research here.
- One Impact Measurement Training organized every year, with ten scholarships awarded by RAF per edition.