The European Community Organizing Network (ECON) is European network of over 25 member organizations in 14 countries organizing for a just, sustainable and democratic future. Learn more about our members here.
The Center for Community Organization supports the active participation of citizens in the process of public decision-making. It helps citizens formulate and defend their natural interests and creates space for effective cooperation between citizens, self-government and the business sector with the aim of community development.
Common Thing Foundation supports grassroots initiatives and groups of residents who want to act on behalf of their environment. They believe that effective action starts from the bottom up, and that’s where they operate. They support people so that they can then fight for their own goals in their neighborhood, in their city and in their country. Their main areas of activities are empowering women, climate protection and building civil society.
The Center for Community Organization supports the active participation of citizens in the process of public decision-making. It helps citizens formulate and defend their natural interests and creates space for effective cooperation between citizens, self-government and the business sector with the aim of community development.
Civil College Foundation (CCF, 1994) is a nationwide adult education organization for community development, community work, and citizen studies. In the last 20 years, CCF became a leading organization in civil society development in Hungary. CCF is involved in the activities of several working structures in order to represent the case of citizen and community participation in the decision-making processes both on the national and international level. In 2010 CCF started to engage in Community Organizing and it has developed a CO training and consultation system tailored to the Hungarian context. They managed to mobilize a wide range of citizens whose interests have been infringed upon (Roma interest enforcement groups, LGBTQI groups, groups organizing homeless people and people with disabilities, disadvantaged youth, and tenants’ groups).
Re-set supports a socio-ecological transformation towards a new economic that is ecological, social and democratic. They help people organize and promote their interests together. They support people’s initiatives and work with social movements that strive for a good life for all in different areas. They work on climate and environmental justice, just transition, and housing.
The Forum Community Organizing e.V. (FOCO) has been spreading the idea and practice of community organizing in Germany and Europe since 1993. FOCO acts as a nationwide forum and network for the exchange of ideas, practical experience and best practice examples on community organizing. The work is based on the values of justice, solidarity, democratic participation of people, recognition of diversity and nonviolence. FOCO works with actors directly on site as well as professionals from social professions as well as other interested persons who want to support the development and mediation of procedures for the realization of more grassroots democracy.
Organisez-vous! is an organization dedicated to develop community organizing practices in France. They build a community of organizers to shift the activist paradigm through research, training, coaching and networking. They train unions, charities and community groups who wish to fight for social justice and the common good.
Community Organisers is a national charity, and the membership body and training organisation for community organising in England. Led by our members, we are inspiring thousands of people to get involved in community organising practice; joining the growing movement of people up and down the country coming together, taking action, and transforming their neighbourhoods for good.
“Institute Republica” is the all-Ukrainian public association which aims to engage citizens of Ukraine to democratic changes in our country. Its mission is to achieve democracy through changes of the functioning of the state system. Their activities focus on building active communities and on analysing and sharing information on human rights and democracy in Ukraine.
Kreni-Promeni is an independent organisation that aims to involve people in building people power in order to make the concrete change. They want to contribute to create a Serbia that is better place to live in, institutions are doing their jobs, listen their people and meet their needs. They organize people at different levels, local, national, for specific actions, campaigns and functioning of the organisation. They launch campaigns in the fields of environmental justice, human rights, economic equity and democracy.
CIVICA was founded in 2014 (in Iasi, Romania), to promote better governance and active citizenship at the local level. We develop projects for increasing transparency in public administration, open government, citizen participation in city life, and civic education.
TCC is a diverse alliance of groups, based in North Wales, UK. We work together to run strategic campaigns on the issues which affect our members, meeting directly with decision makers to create change. Being founded in 1995, TCC is the UK’s oldest community organising charity.
The Freie Ungarische Botschaft e. V. (FUB) is a Berlin-based organization of European Citizens of Hungarian origins, whose mission it is to restore democracy and rule of law in Hungary and to create a society of solidarity in Hungary from abroad. The organization will capitalize on Berlin’s central location in Germany and the EU in order to achieve the following goals: to raise awareness around the current Hungarian political situation; assert political pressure on German and European decision makers; mobilize like-minded individuals while building alliances with similar organizations; and support civil engagement in Hungary. To this end the organization will disseminate information through social media networks, organize informational and fundraising events, create educational programs and engage in political lobbying.
Chance Lab Association has a more than 15-year long history of supporting low income people. In 2018, the organization was renewed, the new members brought new issues on board like energy poverty, influencing press representation of poverty via a price given by people experiencing poverty as a jury, and working for a proper system of social benefits by grass-root campaigning based on the tools of community organizing. We aim to build local and international partnerships with other formal or non-formal organizations with similar profiles and similar goals: eradicating poverty in our home country and in Europe, and empowering excluded people via democratic participation.
DICO’s goal is the dissemination and further development of the community organizing approach and the community organizing culture in Germany. They support and build strong community organizations expanding means of participation through community organizing, training of community leaders, building international networks with other community organizations and their networks.
CSO Serbia on the Move was founded in 2009 with the mission of empowering, motivating and encouraging individuals to be proactive and solidary in creating a better quality of life in Serbia. every campaign that Serbia on the move does is based on three major principles – citizens’ support, community organizing, and transparency.
ADA organizes young people with the vision is that young people are the present and their development and participation in decision-making should be a priority on the public agenda. Their projects aim to empower and organize young people and equip them with the skills and tools they need to become social change agents and active citizens in their local communities and at both national and international levels. They strive to support young people who face difficulties in participating due to vulnerability, lack of opportunities, or discrimination and exclusion
Communities Against Racism is an organisation aiming to transform the inequalities of power and resources in communities in Ireland. They have several regional groups committed to engage people and build movements to counter racism and hate in communities and workplaces and promote social solidarity
Strategic Consulting Centre is a consulting and research company established in 2000, offering services in strategic planning and management and providing guidance to public institutions and non-governmental organizations. Throughout our entire activity we search for social innovations and support local governments in implementing modern, open-minded social policy. We also design, consult and implement participative actions in the areas of revitalization, public investments and spatial or strategic planning.
Ökotárs aims at contributing to the development of a democratic, sustainable and equitable society and an institutional system based on citizen participation by supporting community initiatives, and promoting the development of the environmental movement through providing grants, training, fellowships and technical assistance where necessary.
“CONTACT-Cahul” Center is a non-profit, non-governmental organization with 20 years of experience in contributing to the democratization of the Republic of Moldova. They strengthen civil society, economic empowerment, streamline public policies and advocacy, facilitate social dialogue and support citizens' initiatives. Their key areas are strategic planning capacity development of local authorities, public institutions and NGOs; citizen engagement and mobilization; economic empowerment of different marginalized groups; capacity building for an accountable governance of newly elected officials, and assisting local NGOs in Advocacy campaign planning and implementation.
Community Action Tenants Union – is a union for people outside of their workplaces. CATU take the basic ideas of membership, collective direct action, and grassroots democracy from where people work to where they live. CATU meet the economic issues plaguing people across Ireland: sky-rocketing rents, stagnant wages, slashed public services, and an erosion of our public spaces. CATU strongly believe that real power lies in the hands of ordinary people – tenants, communities, and workers – and change can only come when we act together. Their vision is of an organisation in cities and towns across this island, uniting tenants in a coordinated struggle on issues we all share. And they want to win!
Diaspora Alliance works to strengthen the values of multiracial, pluralistic democracy by confronting antisemitism and its instrumentalization. We work internationally with Jews and other diasporic and minority communities towards a world rooted in solidarity instead of division, possibility instead of fear. DA is working internationally, and at national and local levels, to design and organize policy platforms that fight antisemitism alongside other forms of racism, discrimination, and bigotry. Alongside these platforms, we continue to develop organizing curriculum, lead training programs and produce accessible educational materials for a wide audience
Lowlander is the training center for anyone who wants to learn about the art of movement building, organizing and mobilizing 'People Power'. We offer training, knowledge and network for those who stimulate social and societal movements in the Netherlands. For those who want to develop personally, from within an organization or from a movement. Our goal: stronger social movements and more change for a fair, sustainable and supportive world. At Lowlander you learn from each other and with each other. We provide the inspiration, vision and meeting place. Participants bring the rest.
Organizing Germany is a network of various institutions with the common goal of disseminating and further developing the community organizing approach and the community organizing culture. Together they form the competence center for Broad Based Community Organizing (BBCO) and the development of citizen platforms on a broad social basis in Germany. They work with urban, migrant, women groups to support and develop strong community organizations, expand participation through community organizing, train community leaders, and build international networks with other community organizations and their networks. Their vision is to preserve and expand a vital, open, inclusive, plural and democratic civil society in Germany
Saplinq is a non-governmental organization that focuses on organizing communities of non-hetero orientation and sexual identity (“queer”). They educate future queer leaders through organizing trainings, support and develop initiatives of queer people, provide consulting assistance to queer initiatives, build and extend the networks of queer activists in Slovakia and beyond. They envision a world where a full-valued life is possible to live for everybody, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and its expression.
Digidem Lab is an independent democracy lab that supports neighbourhoods, municipalities and public institutions in conducting effective and inclusive citizen dialogues. They study, test and offer internationally proven digital tools and methods for improving, developing and innovating political and civic participation and create citizen-centered processes to reach underrepresented groups. These include providing training and coaching on community organizing and digital organizing. They believe in shifting power and mandate to formulate society's problems and solutions.
ECON is a hub for the community organizing movement in Europe. We support organizers, groups and organizations to build collective power to respond to systemic injustices and emerging crises and create a just and democratic future for all
