Strategy & Solidarity - Strengthening Civil Society Through Strategy and Alliances

The project addresses the challenges faced by grassroots civil society organisations and alliances in Hungary, particularly those operating in rural areas or with limited resources. Many of these groups lack long-term strategies, clearly defined objectives and sufficient organisational capacities, making their advocacy and community-building activities less effective. Civil organisations often work in isolation, while existing networks and coalitions struggle with coordination, unclear responsibilities and difficulties in maintaining sustainable cooperation. Alliance coordinators frequently lack access to structured knowledge, practical tools and opportunities for professional exchange. These challenges particularly affect disadvantaged communities, including Roma communities, women's groups and people experiencing poverty, whose opportunities to influence public decisions are already limited. The project also responds to the insufficient availability of strategic planning expertise and trained facilitators. By addressing these interconnected problems, the initiative seeks to strengthen grassroots organisations, improve cooperation among civil society actors and promote more effective democratic participation and collective advocacy.

The project aims to strengthen grassroots civil society organisations and alliances by improving their strategic planning, organisational development and cooperation capacities. The Közélet Iskolája Foundation will provide facilitated strategic planning processes for at least eight civil groups, prioritising rural, disadvantaged and resource-limited communities. It will also expand and develop its Strategic Planning Collective by training 12 new facilitators, enabling them to support organisations through participatory planning and organisational development. To strengthen cooperation between civil society actors, the project will organise alliance-building research, experience-sharing sessions for coordinators and six coalition-level strategic planning events. These activities will help organisations establish shared goals, clarify responsibilities and develop sustainable partnerships. Furthermore, the project will produce a practical online alliance-building handbook, organise a dedicated training course and create eight educational videos about strategic planning. Through these activities, the initiative seeks to make strategic thinking and collective action more accessible, especially to organisations representing disadvantaged communities.

By July 2029, the project aims to achieve stronger, more sustainable and strategically operating civil society organisations and alliances in Hungary. At least eight grassroots organisations will receive strategic planning support, while six coalition-level planning sessions will strengthen cooperation between civil networks. The Strategic Planning Collective will expand through the training of 12 new facilitators, increasing the availability of organisational development expertise. The project expects to establish or strengthen 30 partnerships and deliver 17 training or knowledge-sharing activities, with at least 94 participants completing structured learning programmes. A practical online alliance-building handbook and eight educational videos will make the acquired knowledge accessible to a wider audience. Overall, the project directly aims to develop 130 people and reach at least 400 additional people through its educational materials. The primary beneficiaries are grassroots organisations, particularly rural, Roma, women's and disadvantaged communities, alongside civil society coordinators, activists and facilitators. In the longer term, their strengthened advocacy and cooperation will benefit local communities and contribute to a more inclusive and participatory democracy.