In the CSO Resource Center, which aims to give the strength which CSOs need to solve possible problems they may experience, and to provide them with knowledge and skills for solutions, training and organizational coaching were worked on both to increase the efficiency and competence of the organizations and to support their sustainability. While CSO Resource Center was meeting with Turkey's civil society organizations in the trainings in different cities,
worked side by side with organizations when needed with different support mechanisms; provided support to organizations in terms of cooperation, visibility, networking.
We Supported Nearly Two Thousand Organizations With Capacity Strengthening Activities
One of the important work titles of the CSO Resource Center was the trainings organized to improve the capacities of organizations. Nearly three thousand CSO representatives benefited from the organizational capacity strengthening and digital strengthening trainings organized more than a hundred times under 15 different headings.
The STGM Help Desk provided direct technical and operational support to more than a thousand civil society organizations in matters needed by the organizations. Again, 15 CSOs benefited from the Organizational Coaching Program implemented by the STGM Help Desk. These organizations received one-to-one expertise support within the scope of the organizational needs they determined through the program.
EUD Support Unit has offered technical support in close to fifty projects funded by the EU Delegation to Turkey. Also, various information documents for EU grant beneficiaries and support videos for European Union projects were prepared.
We Brought The Civilian Space Together With The Academy
One of the important works of the CSO Resource Center Project was to bring civil society actors together with their stakeholders in the scientific and academic field. In STOK, which was designed to improve the advocacy capacities of CSOs and ensure their active participation in policy-making processes, the participants came together with experts in three-day periods under seven different titles. We met with 22 different organizations in the first year and 48 civil society representatives working in different fields in the second year at the Civil Society School (STOK), which started in October 2018.
CSOs and academics worked together in the CSO-Academy Cooperation Support Program, which we implemented to strengthen the bond between academia and civil society. In the CSO-Academy Cooperation Support Program, where 27 different civil society organizations from 10 cities work with 27 academics, fieldwork was carried out on topics such as disability, old age, women, youth, LGBTI +, rural development, freedom of expression; training and conference were organized, books and educational materials were published.
We Were Broadcasted Every Month With Support Point Webinars
CSO Resource Center Project brought experts and civil society organizations together through various publications. In the internet seminars on the topics of civil society and where experts are the guests, it was discussed how to place different topics from children's rights to gender equality, from human rights to LGBTI + rights in the works of CSOs. You can watch the webinars organized by the STGM Help Desk on our YouTube channel.
We Worked to Support Financial Sustainability
One of the topics that the CSO Resource Center Project focused on was the financial sustainability of organizations. In this context, we scan the sources of funds from the world and Turkey every week. Within three years, from Turkey and the world, we have published close to four hundred grant announcements.
We closely followed different studies to give an idea of the fundraising activities of civil society organizations. Within the scope of fundraising activities, we both talked about different platforms at the Fundraising Seminars for CSOs and listened to organizations that inspired them with their fundraising activities.
We also prepared a video series about commercial enterprises, which we see that civil society organizations are frequently preferred in fundraising activities. Again, we have dealt with fundraising regulations in Turkey in the framework of the freedom of association and we have released a video about the legislation.
We Met With Turkey's Civil Voices in The Civil Voices Festival
In the second year of the CSO Resource Center, we also held the Civil Voices Festival, which we had to take a break for various reasons. After a long time, we met with civil society organizations from all around Turkey.
In the Civil Voices Festival we arranged with the support of the European Union Delegation to Turkey, two hundred sixty-eight organizations joined and more than six hundred actors of civil society came together. During the festival, in which nearly three hundred civil society organizations from 65 cities attended, organizations also organized various workshops. CSOs both introduced their work and took the first steps of new partnerships with the workshops they organized through the festival.
We Listened to CSOs in The Pandemic
In the COVID-19 crisis, which entered the world agenda in December 2019, we talked with civil society organizations to think together and to cooperate in difficult days when our level of anxiety and fear is quite high. The experiences and views of civil society, which responded quickly to the problems posed by the COVID-19 crisis, enabled us to see that we were not alone and what we could do together, especially in the early days of the pandemic.
In the interviews, we talked about age discrimination, the poverty that has deepened with the pandemic, women, migrants, workers, people living with HIV, people with disabilities, and people who are more affected by the pandemic and we thought together for solutions. You can watch our broadcasts during the pandemic on our YouTube channel.
STGM Capacity Strengthening Works Will Continue in The Upcoming Days
While the CSO Resource Center is saying goodbye, as STGM, we will restart capacity building efforts as of March. You can follow us on our social media channels, especially on our website, to be informed about new works.