On 30 November 2021, through the Strategic Mentoring Programme of EU TACSO 3, Lumbardhi Foundation delivered an online workshop on “Fundraising in Organizations of Independent Culture”.

Lumbardhi Foundation, based in Kosovo is one of the organizations included in the EU TACSO 3 Strategic Mentoring Programme through which the organization was supported in enhancing its development processes towards building strategic partnerships with donors and private institutions.
Together with other representatives of organizations of independent culture in Kosovo, the discussion during “Fundraising in Organizations of Independent Culture” was around approaching to fundraising in culture and sharing of common experience in facing the barriers emerging out of the local context. The meeting was facilitated by Rudina Hasimja, development associate at Lumbardhi Foundation. With financial sustainability being a major threat to a large number of non-governmental organizations, this predicament is especially emphasized in the independent culture scene. The COVID-19 crisis has further worsened this situation, causing various donors to abruptly shift their funding strategies and priorities. On the other hand, the challenge of pursuing financial
sustainability requires balancing this pursuit with upholding the organizations’ public role, identity, programmatic independence and inclusiveness. This organizational development experience is not unique to this organization, but reflects a broader struggle faced by the top management and development teams of other organizations of independent culture.
The main objective of this workshop was to discuss fundraising approaches of organizations of independent culture under the pressures of financial sustainability in the post-COVID-19 times. Through exchange of experiences and discussion of challenges and opportunities of fundraising, this
event aimed to build capacities of the participants as well as serve as a means of networking into communities of practice.

Specifically, the current practices of fundraising in organizations of independent culture in Kosovo were discussed and there was a presentation from the lessons from TACSO Strategic Mentoring Programme. The participants also discussed on the common challenges and sustainability in the future through proper fundraising. The project is a part of larger EU TACSO 3 efforts to strengthen the organisational and operational capacities as well as individual competencies of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), independent media and regional networks in order to enable them to take part in the democratic processes,
integration movement, and policy dialogue in the Western Balkans and Turkey.

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.