Civil participation, empowerment and transparency of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are essential factors in strengthening democracy and societal inclusion in decision-making processes. Aiming to strengthen trust in civil society and improve the quality of its activities, a new project is being launched in Lithuania that seeks to strengthen the NGO sector, implement transparency standards and develop cooperation with government institutions.

At the national level, an NGO transparency and accountability standard will be developed and implemented, which is expected to be adopted by at least 200 organizations. The project will also include regional and national cooperation, consultations, training, and workshops with NGOs, municipal, and national institution representatives.

One of the important aspects of the project is cooperation with the Swiss organization “Foundation Zewo” to transfer best practices to the Lithuanian context. Municipal NGO councils will be strengthened, their involvement in decision-making will be increased, research will be conducted and a pilot application of citizens’ assembly mechanism will be implemented in two municipalities.

The project will be complemented by an information campaign “Voice of NGOs” promoting transparency, best practices and public trust in the NGO sector.

Project implementation period: 2025 March – 2028 December

Total project budget: €2,356,495.51

Learn more about the project here.

Project “Strengthening the Role of NGOs and Enhancing Their Transparency” is funded for 2024-2029. Funded by the Swiss Confederation and Lithuanian Republic Cooperation Programme ‘Civil Society Engagement’ and co-financing funds”