Metamedij

10/07 2025

From Innovative Funding to Youth Empowerment – Metamedij at Workshops for a Stronger Civil Society

News

On Tuesday, July 1st, 2025, members of the Metamedij Association participated in the online workshop “Innovative Fundraising Models for Civil Society Organizations”, organized by the SMART Association from Rijeka. Although held via Zoom, the workshop was dynamic and rich in content, with clearly defined goals — introducing participants to techniques and strategies for fundraising, including the increasingly present method of crowdfunding.

Through a structured agenda, the workshop covered key topics such as sources of funding, donor motivation, and the cycle and methods of fundraising. Particularly valuable was the analysis of concrete best practice examples and successful crowdfunding campaigns, which provided inspiration and practical insights for future work.

The workshop emphasized the importance of developing sustainable financial strategies in the civil sector and opened up space for new perspectives within our team.

On Wednesday, July 2nd, 2025, we took part in the workshop “What Kind of Space Do Young People Need?”, held at KC Rojc and organized by the associations Delta and SMART. The workshop brought together numerous representatives from schools, institutions, and civil society organizations to engage in an important discussion on youth participation in decision-making, particularly in the context of managing spaces intended for them.

Igor Bajok from the SMART Association guided us through a process of mapping local capacities for the development of participatory budgeting, with a special focus on involving young people. Of particular interest was the in-depth analysis of Rijeka’s Akcija za 5! model, which is soon to be implemented in Pula as well. The discussion was lively and constructive, offering a range of valuable insights from representatives of the City of Pula, schools, associations, and educational professionals.

The workshop is part of the project “Creating Space”, which we are implementing in partnership with the Volunteer Center Istria and other organizations, with the support of the EU (Erasmus+) and the City of Pula. We are proud to be part of a process that gives young people a real voice in shaping shared community spaces.