Uključi se! (Get involved!): supporting green initiatives
Uključi se! (Get involved!) is a project led by Young Researchers of Serbia, in response to ACCTING’s call for pilots “Series V” Kickstarting Volunteerism: Crowd-funding approach to stimulate volunteers for climate change initiatives.
This project aimed to help connect individuals and organisations who have projects and ideas for efforts to advance socio-ecological transformation with volunteers who are ready to contribute to those efforts.
Young Researchers of Serbia (YRS) – one of the biggest NGOs in Serbia supporting green initiatives coming from citizens, informal groups and NGOs – will create a digital community of volunteers and contributors that will kickstart good green practices and support Serbia’ sustainable development process.
Objectives
The project aimed to create a unique platform that serves those who want to promote their initiatives and get support for their local actions, as well as to those willing to donate time and resources to support them. The digital platform “Uključi se!” was envisioned as a place to connect projects and local actions with NGOs, CSOs, private companies as well as individuals. The aim was to support small ideas that would motivate others to get involved and continue working on sustainable development and climate change. The project was implemented on the territory of the Republic of Serbia.
Activities
Young Researchers of Serbia has developed a process to support informal groups to drive bottom-up action for their communities. Through the pilot action, YRS created an online platform to streamline support to grassroot initiatives at the local level. These initiatives can pitch their activities through the platform and receive support both through additional volunteers, funding or other means.
The set-up of the platform proceeded through the following steps:
- Within the inception phase, the project team published a call for developers and selected a suitable service provider. Based on the defined functionalities and components, the structure of the platform was co-designed with the developers. Also, the project team created the visual identity with much care.
- The development of the digital platform progressed through a recurring process of development, testing, feedback and upgrading. The platform includes an interactive map featuring local initiatives. It also features recurrent calls for application and mentoring resources to support informal groups, a news section publishing volunteering opportunities, as well as information for companies on how to get involved as funders. The platform also features a universal registration form where groups can submit their project ideas regardless of a specific call.
- Outreach and promotion: Through its ongoing work, YRS has an established network of informal groups/civil society organisations and volunteers. The outreach and promotion activities thus focused on the onboarding of private companies as potential funders through Corporate Social Responsibility. As a proof of concept, a local action day was organised on a business initiative, in which employees of three companies and volunteers joined in biodiversity protection.
- Launching call for projects submission: In July 2024, the first call for project submissions was published through the platform, followed by three more in October and December. The projects are supported through third party funding (e.g. USAID, FAO), not (yet) through matches made on the platform. Additionally, two calls for volunteers were published, next to the ongoing possibility for volunteers to connect with the published projects.
- Implementation of the supported projects: Through these programs, 52 projects were selected, supported, implemented and evaluated by the time of reporting. These projects are showcased on the platform.
Key output & impact
The Uključi se! Digital Platform has successfully opened up space for informal groups, often excluded from traditional funding mechanisms, to pitch ideas, access support, and build their capacities.
The platform’s design, coupled with YRS’s role as an experienced intermediary, provides a blueprint for other regions or countries aiming to build bottom-up, volunteer-driven ecosystems for climate and environmental action.