CRDC Concludes Its Participation in Comm.Labs by Presenting a Campaign Focused on Civic Engagement and Support for Local Civil Society.

The Regional Centre for Community Development (CRDC) has concluded its participation in Communication Labs (Comm.Labs), a programme dedicated to strengthening the communication capacities of civil society organisations. The final event, held on 6 November 2026 in Chișinău, brought together participating organisations, mentors and experts involved in the programme.

CRDC's participation in Comm.Labs provided an opportunity for learning, reflection and organisational development, enabling the team to transform an initial communication idea into a more structured campaign concept focused on community needs and mobilising local support.

From Organisational Visibility to Supporting Civil Society

During the programme, the CRDC team developed the campaign “CRDC Community: People Who Get Involved”, addressing a challenge the organisation frequently encounters in its work: people's participation in community events and initiatives does not always develop into lasting relationships with the organisations that implement them.

At the same time, the role of civil society organisations is not always sufficiently known or understood by the public, while opportunities for citizens to support them remain underutilised.

The proposed campaign aims to help address this situation by increasing public awareness of local civil society organisations (CSOs) and developing practical mechanisms for community engagement and resource mobilisation.

The concept includes research into citizens' perceptions of civil society, communication and civic literacy activities, the organisation of Civil Society Day, the development of a CSO map and civic information points, the involvement of local ambassadors, and the testing of community support mechanisms, including volunteering and donations.

In the long term, the initiative aims to help build a community of people who are familiar with CRDC's work, wish to stay connected with the organisation and support local initiatives.

A Process of Learning and Mentorship

The Comm.Labs journey began with a communication laboratory held on 8–9 September 2026 and continued with mentoring sessions, the development of campaign proposals and preparations for the final presentations.

For CRDC, this process was an opportunity to take a closer look at its institutional communication, identify existing challenges and explore ways to communicate not only about implemented projects, but also about the organisation's mission, its impact on the community and the need for long-term support.

An important role in this journey was played by Natalia Șeremet, mentor to the CRDC team, whom we thank for her guidance, constructive recommendations and support in structuring and developing our campaign.

The Final Event: Practical Experiences, Dialogue and Campaign Presentations

The final Comm.Labs event took place on 6 November 2026 and featured sessions dedicated to community building, resource mobilisation and identifying opportunities to continue the initiatives developed during the programme.

One of the highlights of the day was the session “From Community to Support: Lessons from the Klumea Experience”, delivered by Nata Albot, journalist, festival producer and director of Klumea.

The discussion explored how public interest can be transformed into tangible support, how to attract supporters, collaborate with businesses and sponsors, communicate the value of an initiative and mobilise financial and non-financial contributions.

Participants also had the opportunity to explore alternative funding and cooperation opportunities during the session “Beyond the Prize: Turning Good Ideas into Real Impact”, facilitated by Daniel Vodă, an expert in foreign affairs and strategic communication associated with the Institute for European Policies and Reforms.

The session focused on identifying strategic partnerships, mobilising local resources and outlining practical steps that can help bring campaigns to life, including when funding is not secured through a competition.

In the second part of the day, participating organisations presented the communication campaigns developed during Comm.Labs. Each team had four minutes to present its campaign, followed by questions and comments.

CRDC presented the concept “CRDC Community: People Who Get Involved”, highlighting the identified challenge, objectives, proposed methodology, main activities and expected results.

An Experience That Will Continue to Deliver Results

Although CRDC's proposal was not among the campaigns selected for funding, participation in Comm.Labs made an important contribution to the organisation's development.

The programme gave us an opportunity to work on a real challenge, develop a more strategic approach to communication and gain a better understanding of how supportive relationships can be built between an organisation and the community in which it operates.

We believe this experience does not end with the final event. The concept developed will continue to be refined, adapted and implemented in the future in the southern region of the Republic of Moldova by identifying new partnerships and funding opportunities.

For CRDC, Comm.Labs was more than a training programme: it was an important step towards strengthening the organisation's capacity to communicate effectively, build relationships with people and mobilise support for the development of local communities.

We thank the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility team, the organisers, mentors and all participants for this valuable experience and the opportunity to learn and develop ideas together.

The Comm.Labs programme was carried out within the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility project, funded by the European Union and implemented by a GDSI-led consortium.