Funds Sources: RUF Pledge Your Birthday

Project Name: Donors Circle

Community Partner: RDFN (Profile)

Starting Date: 11/2022

Matching Funds: $2,000

Project Status: CLOSED

Short Description:

On November 17th, the Romanian diaspora from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, the UK, Spain, and the USA gathered for the second edition of the Romanian Diaspora Funding Network (RDFN) Donors' Circle, an online event where to support 3 organizations that are constantly working for change.

RUF provided $2,000 in matching funds and helped raise over $10,000 for the supported projects.

🔵 Caravana Terapeutica (Tent Therapy project) is Romania's only mobile psychotherapy practice. The team's objective is to promote psychotherapy and change the general perception of the need to see a psychologist. Visitors have the chance to talk freely with specialists, have access to support and information materials about anxiety, depression, etc. and benefit from two free psychotherapy sessions with psychologists from the cities where the Caravan operates.

🔵 The "Școli cu scLipici" project of the New Horizons Foundation aims to support 130 preparatory and first-grade pupils to develop the minimum literacy skills (writing-reading) aimed at their class/age level. It targets children from socio-economically and educationally disadvantaged communities and schools with below-average results in national assessments.

🔵 MamaPan - The bakery with Maia has been providing vocational training in the bakery trade and decent jobs to women in difficult life situations for over 7 years: mothers raising their children alone, Roma mothers, mothers who have had no access to formal education or vocational training, etc. In order to be able to continue its work, the bakery proposes to relocate to a new space, which would optimize its operating costs and also allow for a place where MamaPan can sell its products directly.

RDFN is a philanthropic network of 8 diaspora groups and organizations, including the Brussels Donors Circle. We bring together and support Romanians in the diaspora to contribute, through philanthropy, to change for Romania, providing support and resources to civil society at home. Since 2017, we have raised over 116,000 euros, supported 35 projects, and mobilized hundreds of donors in 12 Diaspora Donor Circles. The first edition of the RDFN Donors' Circle took place in June 2021, with over 100 donors supporting 3 projects in Romania with €14,000.