About Lights on Democracy

The 2024 Romanian presidential elections showed us that democracy is a right that we cannot take for granted. Maybe you felt scared about the future of the country your family and friends live in or helpless because your vote did not seem to make a difference. Or maybe you were just frustrated that you wanted to do more, but it was hard to understand where to start.

The next presidential elections are around the corner. This time, be ready and make sure you are well-equipped to act. Invest in democracy and in a stable future for all your loved ones who call Romania home. Be part of the Lights on Democracy campaign and donate to three impactful organizations fighting every day for a democratic Romania.

Lights on Democracy is a campaign launched by RDFN (Romanian Diaspora Funding Network) to raise at least €30,000 for the three organizations working on democracy in Romania. The funds are used to monitor the presidential elections in May 2025, to report problems and ambiguities, and to inform citizens correctly.

Why Your Contribution Matters

You support three initiatives that make sure democracy is not only a nice concept. They will train first-time voters, inform you if your rights are respected (or not), and observe how the elections are organized at the grassroots level:

• With 50 euros, you support 5 independent observers. Funky Citizens will train them and offer kits so they can properly spot and make complaints during election day. Support them, and they will be ready to keep an eye on the voting process.
• With 100 euro, you invest in a young person’s critical thinking and you make sure future generations are active citizens. Rădăuțiul Civic will organize a series of workshops for 300 young people and an online campaign to inform them about their rights. Make sure young people are ready to act for their future in a democratic country.
• With 150 euros, you produce one minute of truthful information. Declic will launch a series of Daily News so you have up-to-date insights about the election. With the right information, you’ll be ready to act.

Keep the lights on democracy and donate!

About RDFN

RDFN (Romanian Diaspora Funding Network) is a philanthropic network uniting eight diaspora groups and organizations from Europe and the United States, including Romanian United Foundation. RDFN empowers Romanians abroad to drive systemic change in Romania through philanthropy, providing support and resources to civil society back home.

Since 2020, RDFN members have supported over 42 organizations, mobilized 900 diaspora donors, and raised €250,000 for sustainable and democratic socio-economic development in Romania.

About the Partner Organizations

Election day is by far the busiest and most demanding for the Funky Citizens’ team, volunteers, and observers. For almost 24 hours, they coordinate the activity of independent observers in the polling stations, but they also assist citizens who come with questions or complaints of violations of electoral legislation. They aim to reach 2,000 observers in both rounds. 10,000 euros cover the packages for all 2,000 observers.

Rădăuțiul Civic will organize at least 25 workshops in high schools in Rădăuți Municipality on the topic "Critical Thinking and Disinformation", for high school students who have reached the age of 18 or are close to the age of majority. They will also run a two-month communication campaign, online and offline (including street displays) regarding disinformation circulating in virtual space, especially on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, to raise awareness about AI-generated images. 

As Romania approaches the Presidential Elections of May 2025, the electorate faces a landscape cluttered with misinformation and the troubling rise of extremist ideologies that threaten democratic values. Declic proposes a series of six focused episodes of “Știrea Zilei cu Declic.” The format will be broadcast on their YouTube channel, designed to: provide an in-depth analysis of each presidential candidate's background, political agenda, and strategy, investigate and expose the roots, rhetoric, and ramifications of extremist currents within the political landscape, offer light-hearted commentary and on-the-ground reactions to capture a holistic view of the upcoming elections.