2013 annual report techsoup romania

TECHSOUP ROMANIAANNUAL REPORT

2013:

2013: TECHSOUP ROMANIA ANNUAL REPORT 2

TechSoup Romania offers to all Romanian NGOs support and inspiration to use technology to make Romania a better place.

We work towards increasing the adoption rate of the newest software and online technologies: from cloud software solutions to online marketing, social media or online fundraising.

We have made it our purpose to also develop programs that link the very active and enthusiastic local IT industry to the NGO sector, suchas ReStart Romania, Restart in Education, Innovation Labs or Opening Opportunities.

Since 2009, together with our donor partners (Adobe, Microsoft and CISCO), we have helped almost 800 Romanian nonprofit organizations save more than 1,7 million US dollars by accessing technology donations.

We empower NGOs to operate at their full

potential.

2013: OUR EVENTS 3

2013:OUR RESULTS


781

236

288

1345

1921

156

9

$597,753

$1,706,588

NGOs in the community

Donations processed

NGO employees trained

Licenses donated

Facebook community

Software products available

Online and Offline technology trainings

Total savings to the NGO sector in 2013

Market value of software and hardware donations between 2009-2013

We believe that technology empowers NGOs to do even

more good.

$2500 - the average value of a software donation to

an NGO in 2013


441,000Online impressions

20,6371,584

204

12,228503

Unique visitors on all our websites

NGOs receiving our news

Facebook mentions

Unique visitors www.techsoup.ro

twitter followers @techsoupromania477Online media mentions

33 NGO representatives daily average number of

visitors


$30,000Microsoft grant for Innovation Labs

$25,000

$138,500$4,200

$19,300

$10,000

$50,000

In-kind support in 2013

Total revenues in 2013

Microsoft grant for Connections

Operational Revenues

Private Donations

Microsoft grant for Opening Opportunities

In 2013, we have diversified our funding sources.

2013: OUR EVENTS 7

2013:ACTIVITIES AND TIMELINE

2013: OUR EVENTS 8

14th JanuaryGoogle Romania training for ReStart Romania

21st JanuaryMicrosoft Romania webapp training for ReStart Romania

21st JanuaryMicrosoft Romania webapp training for ReStart Romania

9th MayTechsoup Romania @ TechHub launch

14th-15th MarchTechSoup Romania @ Connection by Impact Hub

January February March April May June July August

21st FebruaryIT Spark webinar on the new Office

27th Marchwww.lipsatratament.ro launch in Restart Romania

2nd-3rd MarchInnovation Labs Hackathon

23rd Aprilwww.sexulvsbarza.ro launch in Restart Romania

17th AprilBoost Day Innovation Labs

16th AprilDigital Storytelling Global Tweet Chat

26th Junelaunch of Opening Opportunities at Gandul live

18th JuneNGOs Connection Days at Microsoft Romania

22nd MayDemo DayInnovation Labs

15th JulyExcel tips and tricks for NGOs / webinar

1st Auguston TechSoup Romania / webinar

2013: OUR EVENTS 9

30th OctoberTechSoup Romania @ Future Communities by IREX

September October November December

8th DecemberTechSoup Romania @ Impact Festival by Impact Hub

26th SeptemberCrowdfunding for NGOs with PotSiEu / webinar

10th Octobertrain the mentors in Opening Opportunities



1st Novembertrain the mentors in Opening Opportunities

12th NovemberOpening Opportunities launch in Iasi

14th NovemberOpening Opportunities launch in Târgu-Jiu

15th NovemberOpening Opportunities launch in Onesti

21st NovemberSocial Media for NGOs / webinar

20th NovemberOpening Opportunities launch in Cluj-Napoca

22nd NovemberOpening Opportunities launch in Segarcea

26th NovemberOpening Opportunities launch in Craiova

27th NovemberOpening Opportunities launch in Târgoviste

28th NovemberOpening Opportunities launch in Focsani

27th NovemberCoding workshop for NGOs with ROSEdu

29th NovemberOpening Opportunities launch in Medias

4th DecemberOpening Opportunities launch in Sibiu

9th DecemberThe challenge of new technologies at NGO Forum

16th DecemberLaunch of the 2013: the year in TechSoup Romania stories

12th DecemberOnline forms for NGOs with 123ContactForm / webinar


OPENING OPPORTUNITIES

In 2013, together with IREX Romania/Biblionet and Microsoft Romania, we have opened the complicated road of career mentorship in Romanian highschools.

Opening Opportunities is a national mentoring program for high school pupils and students, implemented in 10 strategic locations in Romania: Cluj-Napoca, Craiova, Focsani, Iasi, Medias, Onesti, Targu-Jiu, Targoviste, Segarcea, Sibiu

The project is directly facilitated by the local public libraries network in those cities, together with our partner Biblionet.

In October and November 2013 joined by our amazing Microsoft mentors, we visited all these cities and discussed with more than 1400 high-schools students about career opportunities.

In 2014, we will continue the activities on the platform developed to support the mentorship activities and the best students will have shadow mentorship opportunities at the Bucharest offices of Microsoft.

Visual identity created by Simon Dietrich, www.simon-dietrich.comOpening Opportunities at Onesti, photo credit: Bogdan Grigore

www.openingopportunities.ro

Find out more about the project

Timeline

www.openingopportunities.rowww.facebook.com/OpeningOpportunities

May 2013 - June 2014

Outcome

61 mentors17 librarians

347 high-school students10 local events, over 1400 high-school

students47 mentoring groups

Partners

IREX România / BiblionetMicrosoft Romania

Zitec


INNOVATION LABS 1.0In 2013, we supported the mapping of the first tech accelerator for students in Romania, together with TechLounge and Microsoft Romania.

Innovation Labs is a learning-by-doing quest for students to nurture a hatching idea into an amazing tech product - the first tech accelerator for students in Romania, implemented for the first time in 2013 by TechSoup Romania and TechLounge.

12 student teams participated in the project and 11 teams graduated in front of 100 representatives of the local IT industry and angel investors.

The students participated in 8 extensive mentoring sessions, covering everything from leadership and product management to branding and storytelling.

8 public talks organized in the Politehnica University introduced students to leadership and management concepts presented by IT leaders.

3 public events helped the teams polish their public presentation and pitching skills.

In 2014, the amazing journey will be continued by our partners: TechLounge, Microsoft, ANIS and University Politehnica of Bucharest.

Visual identity created by Simon Dietrich, www.simon-dietrich.com

2013.innovationlabs.ro

Find out more about the projectwww.innovationlabs.ro

www.facebook.com/ILabsRowww.twitter.com/ILabsRo

Outcome

50 mentors17 companies

3 events 11 teams graduated with functional

prototypesteams finalists in How to Web 2013 and

RICAP1 winner of IXIA Innovation Award at the

How to Web 2013

Partners

TechLoungeMicrosoft

Universitatea Politehnica din București

Adobe Systems Romania, Intel Romania, Ixia,

Electronic Arts Romania, Misys, RevoGames Solutions, Ubisoft,

Good Afternoon,ANIS, TechAngels,

TechHub Bucuresti, How to WebSimon Dietrich, DasCloud

Adevărul Tech, Softbinator

TimelineMay 2012 - June 2013


RESTART ROMANIA

In 2013, we ended our challenging journey empowering online civic participation in Romania.

ReStart Romania was one of six challenges in the CEE region – all supported by TechSoup Global and the local United States Embassy – that create a platform for civil society activism in each country and aim to return civil society’s power base to the people.

ReStart Romania was a challenge, inviting the pitching and discussion of ideas that tackle difficult issues in Romania with the help of web-based tools.

With the support of a strong community, the ideas are shared online, then narrowed down to seven finalists, who receive help to build prototype versions of their technical solutions. At the culminating awards event, three winners are selected. The winners received ongoing support to launch their applications and engage Romania’s citizens in improving their lives.

We facilited the creation of 10 websites in 2012 and 2013 that showcase the power of technology in empowering civic participation:

2012www.banipierduti.rowww.cineceapromis.roharta.plantamfaptebune.rowww.medalert.rowww.orasulmeu2020.rowww.piatadespaga.ro

2013www.lipsatratament.rowww.orasultuturor.rowww.sexulvsbarza.ro

The initiative will be continued by the amazing community of Restarters that created these projects of online civic participation.

www.restartromania.ro

Find out more about the projectwww.restartromania.ro

Outcome

102 ideas received3 functional project

1950 users on the platform2500 Facebook community

15.650 unique visitors599 online media mentions

1.023.000 online impressions

Partners

Supported by Trust for Civil Society in Central and Eastern Europe.

Microsoft România, Senior Interactive, Romanian American Foundation,Erste Foundation, GTS Telecom, Oracle România, Zitec, Webikon,

Drupal România, Good Afternoon.

Supported by the US Embassy in Bucharest.

With the support of UK Embassy, Canada Embassy, Austrian Embassy

Media campaign supported by Gândul.info, Mediafax, Business Magazin,

Decât o Revistă, Gazeta de Sud, Craiova.ro, ZeList Monitor

TimelineMay 2012 - April 2013

ReStart Romania Gala in 2012, photo credit: Andrei Cojan


RESTART IN EDUCATION

Started in 2011, as a online challenge to bring new ideas in education in Romania, RestartEdu is now an independent community of education innovators, thanks to our partner CROS.

In 2013, this community grew in strenth and after the RestartEDU Camp in September 2013 becomed more powerful and connected.

More than 50 members are regurarly participating in the meeting organized by CROS and they will continue to develop the community in the next years.

Don’t forget to visit www.timebank.ro, one of the projects developed within the project.

www.restartedu.ro

Find out more about the projectwww.restartedu.ro

www.facebook.com/RestartinEducatie

Outcome

650 ideas received7 community events

(Imaginarium, Gala, Unconference, Camp)33.500 unique visitors

11.000 votes5022 Facebook community

Our partners

CROSRomanian-American Foundation

Microsoft Romania

TimelineNovember 2011 - December 2013

RestartEdu Camp, photo credit: CROS

2013: OUR EVENTS 14

2013:TECHSOUP TEAM


TECHSOUPROMANIATEAM

TECHSOUP ROMANIA BOARD

executive director

programs manager

communication coordinator

NGO community manager

[email protected]

RAF House, 6 Gina Patrichi Street, Bucharest

President and founder

Board member

Radu MOTOC

Elena COMAN

Madalina OPRISAN

Christopher WORMAN

Ildiko PETER

Steliana MORARU

www.techsoup.ro

Board memberHunor HEGYI

intern April - September 2013Adina ANGHELACHE


We are grateful to our donations partners that have made TechSoup possible for Romanian NGOs:

AdobeCiscoMicrosoft

Our activity in 2013 was supported by our local and global partners:

Microsoft RomaniaRomanian-American FoundationBitdefender

Fundcja TechSoupTechSoup Global

Thank you to all our partners in 2013:

IREX Romania / Biblionet 123ContactFormUberVUTechLoungeANISTechHub BucharestHowToWebGoogle Romania

Zitec ROSEduGood AfternoonEuroCloudIT SparkSoftbinatorTechAngels

Ateliere fara FrontiereImpact HubDreamCatchersGala Societatii CivileSocietal

Simon DietrichZelist MonitorSeniorHyperMediaIQ

Adevarul TechDasCloudStiriONGRomania PozitivaAl Treilea Sector

RedBullStaropramenStarbucks

OUR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS

Thank you all for your consistent and generous support to our activity.

2013: OUR EVENTS 17

2013:THE YEAR IN TECHSOUP STORIES


We strongly believe that having access to the right technology at the right moment can empower NGOs to do more good: from better outreach to their constituents and delivery of services to the people they help, to more effective advocacy and fundraising for the causes they promote.

Here are some true stories about Romanian NGOs and how technology has made them stronger in 2013.

We believe that technology empowers NGOs to do even more

good.

IN BRIEF


CISCO DONATION HELPS GROUP FIGHT AIDS IN ROMANIAARAS (Romanian Anti-AIDS Organization) has helped more than 5,000 people who are drug addicts to find a new path, working on harm reduction in drug use since 2004. Sixty percent of the people it serves are between the ages of 24 and 35.

An important part of the group’s work is to patrol the streets each night with an ambulance and offer sterile syringes in exchange for used ones — an effort to stop the spread of AIDS. But that’s just the first step in the organization’s harm-reduction strategy. ARAS also provides drug users with psychological assistance, access to medical care, and help in finding a job. For people who are often considered social pariahs, being treated and accepted as normal human beings is almost a miracle.

“The biggest success is when you see that the person you serve is well today, here and now.” said Ludmila Verdes, who works on monitoring and evaluating the ARAS programs. “Your success means that for a certain period you offer him a normal, healthy life and try to protect him from getting ill.”

In 2010, ARAS received a donation of Cisco networking equipment through TechSoup Romania. The equipment helped the organization connect almost 60 PCs on an intranet network. As a result, the group’s work has become more efficient.

photo credit: ARAS volunteers, www.arasnet.ro

- The donated Cisco equipment - helps us a lot

in our daily work because it is professional. We have no errors with it. None at all.”

Ilie Preda, ARAS IT Coordinator

Who are they?ARAS (Romanian Anti-AIDS Organization)

www.arasnet.ro

Where are they?Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?

They inform and educate people about the dangers of AIDS and ways to prevent HIV

infections.

How big are they?75 employees; 30 volunteers

What did they receive?Cisco 2960 Series 48-Port LAN Lite Ethernet

SwitchCisco Rollover RJ-45 Serial Console Cable for

Wireless LAN ProductsCisco 890 Series Gigabit Ethernet Security Router

Cisco 2960 Series 48-Port LAN Lite Ethernet Switch

Cisco Rollover RJ-45 Serial Console Cable for Wireless LAN Products

Cisco 890 Series Gigabit Ethernet Security Router

What was the outcome?ARAS became more efficient and

increased its workflow.

“

“[The donated Cisco equipment] helps us a lot in our daily work because it is professional. We do not have any errors with it. Not at all.” said Ilie Preda, IT coordinator for ARAS, adding that without the new technology the organization could not exist.

IN BRIEF


ADOBE DONATION SPARKS GROUP THAT USES THEATER TO HELP KIDSA.R.T. Fusion is a small nonprofit in Romania that uses theater to foster personal development and social engagement among young people. The organization’s main goal is to increase youth social participation and community involvement, which are key elements in a sustainable society.

Since it was founded eight years ago, A.R.T. Fusion has used the Forum Theatre’s method to work with a variety of disadvantaged groups, including Roma people, convicts, youngsters with few financial resources, and children with autism. In one recent program, teenagers from four Bucharest high schools participated in an informal School of Forum Theatre designed by A.R.T. Fusion.

“With each workshop, the teenagers grow a little bit.” said Roxana Turcu, program coordinator at A.R.T. Fusion. “They learn how to work in a team, to communicate, to overcome shyness, and to become those youngsters willing to get involved and change something in their society.”

Although part of A.R.T. Fusion’s work involves working offline with teenagers, technology plays

an important role in keeping up the flow of the team’s communication. In 2012, with the help of TechSoup Romania, the organization received donations of Adobe software. This helped A.R.T. Fusion create and edit a video presentation introducing the Forum Theatre’s method.

“I don’t think we could have afforded this kind of software.” Turcu said of the Adobe donation.

photo credit: A.R.T. Fusion Association

I don’t think we could have afforded this kind of software. TechSoup’s offer

was right for our needs.”Roxana Turcu, Program Coordinator,

A.R.T. Fusion

Who are they?A.R.T. Fusion Association

www.artfusion.ro

Where are they?

Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?

A.R.T Fusion’s mission is to contribute to the process of personal development and

competence improvement of young people by using the methods of Forum Theatre.

How big are they?

2 employees; 30 volunteers.

What did they receive?Adobe Creative Suite 6 Production

Premium Mac ESD WW

What was the outcome?The software helped the organization edit

photos and create a video presentation.

“

“TechSoup’s offer was right for our needs.” As a result, A.R.T. Fusion was able to redirect funds to organize more meetings with teenagers and work on different theater plays.

IN BRIEF


DONATIONS HELP ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP SAVE VIRGIN FORESTS IN ROMANIAThe World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which has over 50 years of experience in saving and preserving wildlife around the world, works in Romania to save brown bears and the virgin forests, among other priorities.

In 2011, because over 80 percent of Romania’s virgin forests were not benefiting from any form of protection and were in danger of being destroyed, WWF-Romania started a national awareness and lobby campaign. The group sought legislation to ensure that all the virgin forests were given protected status. In only 33 days, 100,000 people signed an online petition. Many prominent Romanians joined the campaign, and the minister of environment and forests signed a protocol with WWF, committing to protect the virgin forests. The document states that Romania’s virgin forests will receive the status of protected forests and that the ministry will work with WWF to identify, map, and protect the forests.

WWF-Romania helped complete the necessary papers and contributed over 100,000 euros from its own funds to evaluate and map the virgin

forests. It also compiled additional information for a future National Catalogue of Romania’s Virgin Forests.

Through TechSoup Romania, WWF-Romania received donations of several Microsoft products, including Windows 7 Professional and Office Standard 2010.

Florentina Gheorghiu, financial and administrative assistant at WWF Romania, said “the donations lowered the organization’s expenses for IT&C equipment”. Moreover, she added “those savings were invested in other projects WWF-Romania is working on”.

WWF-Romania is among the first 100 nonprofits that applied for the donation program run by TechSoup Romania. The money it saved by requesting software donations through TechSoup has helped the organization protect brown bears, rivers, endangered species, and virgin forests — and to turn off the lights in over 53 Romanian cities during Earth Hour.

photo credit: WWF Romania

the donations lowered the organization’s expenses for

IT&C equipment.”Florentina Gheorghiu, Financial and

Administrative Assistant, WWF Romania

Who are they?WWF Romania

romania.panda.org

Where are they?

Bucharest, Brasov, Baia Mare, Romania

What to they do?

WWF-Romania works to preserve biodiversity in the Carpathians and along

the Danube river.

How big are they?

50 employees; 200 volunteers

What did they receive?

Office Professional Plus 2007Windows 7 Professional Upgrade 32

Office Standard 2010Windows 7 Professional

Office Standard 2010

What was the outcome?Helping the organization save money for other projects, such as protecting virgin

forests in Romania.

“

IN BRIEF


ADOBE SOFTWARE ADDS PUNCH TO BUCHAREST PHOTO MAGAZINEMy Dear Bucharest Association is about Bucharest, photography, photographers, history, good places, and great memories. It is a treasury of Bucharest’s most memorable places and moments in time, helping both locals and tourists to discover the inner beauty of a city full of surprises.

Association President Andrei Birsan has lived his entire life in Bucharest and has been a photographer for more than 30 years. He inherited his passion for Bucharest from his father. “I like Bucharest, and I like to capture it in photos,” Birsan said. “For me, Bucharest is similar to a family member. Maybe he is not always in the best mood, but he is still ours. We have to respect and to understand him, with his good and bad parts.”

One of the association’s most daring projects is its monthly magazine — My Dear Bucharest. Among the themes the magazine covers are street photography, Romanian photography, seasons in Bucharest, traditional holidays, discovering Bucharest by bike, and historical places in Bucharest. The magazine is available to the public for free, both in printed and online format (www.

orasul.ro). The purpose of My Dear Bucharest is not only to keep its readers up to date with stories and pieces of history, but also to build a visual memory of the town, from recent history to contemporary events. The magazine’s motto is “Live the moment, keep the moment.”

My Dear Bucharest is edited using Adobe Creative Suite, requested through TechSoup Romania. The association was among the first nongovernmental organizations to request a donation when TechSoup Romania opened the Adobe program to its community in October 2012.

photo credit: Mihai Petre, My Dear Bucharest Association

My Dear Bucharest magazine is edited using

Adobe Creative Suite. The publication is available to the public for free, both in

print and online.

Who are they?My Dear Bucharest Association

www.orasul.ro

Where are they?

Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?

Photos of memorable places in Bucharest.

How big are they?

50 volunteers; no employees

What did they receive?Adobe Creative Suite 6

What was the outcome?Publishing a professional monthly photo

magazine about Bucharest.

Anyone who discovers the pages of My Dear Bucharest will find himself taking an interesting journey among buildings, places, family portraits, local personalities, exhibitions, public transportation, and old crafts.

Together they paint a colorful portrait of one of the youngest capitals in the European Union — a city always ready to be discovered by its visitors.

IN BRIEF


THE UNTOLD STORY OF INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS IN ROMANIAYou wouldn’t call Romania an apocalypse for independent media, but it’s not a media environment with solid journalistic conscience either, not no mention financial conscience. It’s more than the usual token paid by media organizations these days: the shrinking newsrooms, the poor payment of journalists, the lack of editing – which in most happy cases is a glorified proof-reading –, the plagiarism and “lolcats” videos broadcasted as public interest news. It’s something that Romanian media never quite understood about journalism, something that has to do with political independence and, in most cases, with basic fact-checking.

Decât o Revista (DoR) is a magazine born from the need to create a space for good journalists – of which Romania has plenty – to create what they couldn’t write or fact-check anywhere else. Invented at first as a one-time magazine, Decât o Revista is now 3 years and 10 editions later on the road to creating the biggest community for narrative journalism in Romania – responsible also for now two editions of an international conference on narrative journalism in Bucharest, featuring guests like Chris Jones (Esquire), Mike

photo credit: cover Decât o Revista

Journalists with right tehnology tools can be pioners

in their profession.

Who are they?Decât o Revistă – an independent magazine

www.decatorevista.ro


What to they do?

Long-form quality journalism

How big are they?


What did they receive?Creative Suite 6 Production Premium Mac

What was the outcome?Help the independent publishers in

Romania explore the tablet/e-reader publishing model.

Sager (Esquire) of Evan Ratliff (Wired). But DoR and their association does so much more than this – documenting untold stories in Romania, helping journalists receive editorial grants, creating a space for the best narrative journalists in Romania to tell truths and be heard.Combining graphics inspired by the style of Wired and The New Yorker, DoR is one of the best designed Romanian magazines and one of the first to illustrates articles with large infographics. Obviously, Adobe is one important part of their life.

TechSoup was there to provide operating systems, document processing and design software to help them continue the narrative journalism revolution they’ve started 3 years ago.On their way to explore a tablet/e-reader publishing model, DoR used Adobe to create a photo trailer for one of the magazine features - „The clouds are your friends”, a story about dealing with autism, as a kid and as a parent. Decat o Revista’s team proves that journalists with right tehnology tools can be the pioners in their profession.

IN BRIEF


HABITAT FOR HUMANITY IN ROMANIA

Worldwide, every 5 minutes and half, Habitat for Humanity serves a family in need of decent housing.

In Romania, there are 16 years since Habitat for Humanity has started working for better living conditions for poor families. In all this time, they have managed to help more than 3.000 Romanian families.

Nowadays, the organization has 7 local offices and more than 1.300 national and international volunteers. New technology is part of their daily basis work, helping them being in touch with one another and work together for the same goal.Last year, one of their biggest projects was Big Build - two days build marathon with the help of 500 volunteers.

photo credit: Habitat for Humanity Romania

The Creative Suite 6 proved to be extremely useful especially when

fundraising .”Carmen Ghia, Communication

Coordinator, Habitat for Humanity

Who are they?Habitat for Humanity Romania

www.habitat.ro

Where are they?

Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?

Build houses for low-income families.

How big are they?

18 employees; 1.300 volunteers

What did they receive?Adobe Creative Suite 6

What was the outcome?Help the organization design promotional

visual materials “in house”.

“They’ve built 11 new houses and consolidated other 3 houses in Oradea city and in Preajba, Dolj county, in Romania.Affordable technology from TechSoup was a fulfilled promise for them. Through our donation system, they were able to receive Adobe Creative Suite 6 and then went on to create, design and manufacture in-house all their posters, flyers, promotional visual materials and annual reports. This made quite a big difference in their organization and help them save money for other projects.

“The Creative Suite 6 proved to be extremely useful especially when fundraising - we had to create a large number of promotional visual materials for our media partners” says Carmen Ghia, communication coordinator within Habitat for Humanity.

They’ve invested the saving in launching an online shop – Shop for Humanity, www.shopforhumanity.ro - in a creative effort to raise more awareness and fundraise for the organization.

IN BRIEF


SOFTWARE HELPS SPICE UP GREENPEACE CAMPAIGN MATERIALSOne of the biggest environmental organizations in the world, Greenpeace is present in more than 40 countries around the globe. In Romania, Greenpeace has worked since 2007 for forests preservation a Common Fisheries Policy, renewable energy, and sustainable agriculture, and against climate change and nuclear energy.

Recently, Greenpeace Romania launched a boat that is traveling from the Black Sea port of Constanta across Europe to promote sustainable fishing by coastal communities, where local fishermen have an important role in maintaining fish stocks. The Common Fisheries Policy was created in 1983 out of concern that industrial fishing was threatening the future of fish stocks, seas, and coastal communities in Europe. The boat will travel around Europe, carrying messages encouraging fishermen to practice sustainable fishing. These messages can be also sent online at www.myboat.gp

In June 2013 when Greenpeace Romania’s boat tour ends, all supporting messages and initiatives related to sustainable fishing will be handed to European Union officials in Brussels.

“Donations received through TechSoup helped the organization design better materials for different campaigns, both online and offline,” said Irina Bandrabur, communication officer of Greenpeace Romania.

“It’s easier now to edit materials and to test new ideas. Definitely, Greenpeace managed to make savings, and this is very important for us, taking into consideration that our entire activity is made possible by individual donations.”

photo credit: Greenpeace Romania

Donations received via TechSoup helped the

organization design better materials for different

campaigns.” Irina Bandrabur, Communication Officer,

Greenpeace Romania

Who are they?Greenpeace Romania

www.greenpeace.org/romania

Where are they?

Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?

They work toward saving the forests, abating climate change, sustaining local agriculture, and fighting nuclear energy.

How big are they?

9 employees; 30 volunteers.

What did they receive?Office Standard 2010

(includes Software Assurance)Windows 8 Pro 64 – Get Genuine (English)

InDesign CS6 Win ESD WW

What was the outcome?The organization is now able to design

better promotional materials in-house.

“

IN BRIEF


ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ON A SPACESHIP IN DOWNTOWN BUCHARESTIn one of Bucharest’s parks, about 10,000 Romanian kids learn how to save Planet Earth while travelling to space.

„Youth Park” is one of the biggest parks in southern Bucharest, a creation of the communist regime that was supposed to create an ideologically correct environment for Romanian kids to engage in the right ideological activities. Communist-style entertainment buildings dating back to the 70s are still around to remind everyone of the times Romanian kids learned that the Soviets where the first to land on the Moon.

Today a new kind of spaceship is waiting for Bucharest kids, from 6 to 14 years old. The intergalactical journey guided by 2 actors starts on their touch screen monitors, where they visit other planets and see what’s going to happen in the future if they don’t care for their planet. They also learn how they can act now so they can save the planet and its resources in the future.

10 computers using Microsoft Windows and Office licenses, attached to touch-screen monitors and a huge LCD monitor create a Star Trek-like

environment where kids are learning to protect Earth’s vital resources: water, oxygen, forests, life. But kids don’t only learn how important resources are, but also that technology plays a vital role in saving them and helping us understand the universe.

The intergalactic mission to save the planet takes around 45 minutes, and roughly 10,000 kids have already embarked on it, while more than 5,000 people have joined the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GreenBeeProject

“It makes no sense, no sense at all for an NGO, especially under Romania’s current economic situation, to spend lots of money on software. Especially when TechSoup can make this Microsoft technology affordable for an NGO”, says Horia Roman, IT Specialist with Green Revolution. Green Revolution is a Bucharest-based NGO that works on urban environmental education. They run 5 bike sharing centers in Romania and actively try to convince companies in Romania to go green.

photo credit: Green Revolution

It makes no sense ... to spend lots of money on

software. Especially when TechSoup can make this Microsoft

technology affordable for an NGO.”

Horia Roman, IT Specialist, Green Revolution

Who are they?Green Revolution Association

www.greenrevolution.ro

Where are they?

Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?

Bike sharing, urban bike fests, advocacy for a better urban environment.

How big are they?25 employees

What did they receive?Windows Server

Windows Remote Desktop ServicesOffice Professional Plus 2010

Office for Mac 2011Windows 7 Professional

What was the outcome?Equipping a replica spaceship for kids.

“

IN BRIEF


DONATIONS HELP BRING HOPES AND HOMES TO ROMANIAN ORPHANSImagine if you never had a chance to choose the clothes you wear or the food you eat. Imagine if you never had a mother to care about you or to show up at a Mama’s Day show. Imagine if you grew up in a facility that resembled a prison more than a real home. This was the plight of many Romanian orphans.

Today, more than 8.000 children are still abandoned in Romania, in old-type and re-modulated placement centers. Sixty percent of these kids suffer from disabilities, and most of those who are 3 or older will never be adopted.By 2020, Hopes and Homes for Children (HHC) expects to close down all the old communist orphanages in Romania and help these kids find a warm home with a real family. And HHC knows how to do it. In the last 12 years, the nonprofit has helped more than 5,000 Romanian children leave old orphanages and saved 1,074 other kids from being abandoned in institutions that cripple their lives.

The new and upgraded Microsoft software HHC has received through TechSoup Romania—

including Project Professional, Office Professional Plus, and Windows 7 Professional — has helped the staff of the organization work more efficiently. The donations have also enabled HHC to offer some of the kids they work with the opportunity to learn computer and Internet skills.

“Our complex programs need powerful software, adapted to our needs,” says Adrian Oros, database administrator for HHC. “Using your [TechSoup’s] programs, we efficiently implemented our projects.”

photo credit: HHC România Facebook page

Using TechSoup’s programs, we efficiently

implemented our projects.”

Adrian Oros, Database Administrator, HHC

Who are they?Hopes and Homes for Children in Romania

www.hhc.ro

Where are they?

Baia Mare, Romania

What to they do?

Work towards closing the old communist orphanages and offer the children a family

environment.

How big are they?

31 employees

What did they receive?Project Professional 2010

Office Professional Plus 2010 Office for Mac 2011

Outlook for Mac 2011Windows 7 Professional

What was the outcome?Help the organization be more efficient

and improve workflow.

“

IN BRIEF


DONATIONS BOOST INTERNET CLUB FOR ROMANIAN ORPHANS

In 1991, the images of Romanian orphanages shocked the world, prompting lots of international helping and adopting hands to reach out to Romania for a couple of years. But in 1996, kids just exiting the Romanian institutionalized system decided to contribute a helping hand, too. So they founded the only social service association build by orphan kids for orphan kids — a lesson in self-help and empowerment.

In 2011, the Association of Orphans from Orphanages requested several recycled computers

and Microsoft Windows software from TechSoup Romania. The technology is nothing out of the ordinary, but what the association is doing with it is anything but ordinary. It helps institutionalized orphans to learn computer skills and be better prepared for a very different life.

First, the association distributed the computers to orphans who were enrolled in colleges and needed to finish their final theses and take their final exams. Then, it taught those students to design their CVs and apply for better jobs. As a result, 20 young orphans already found jobs in Romania and some are even working abroad.

Now the organization has an Internet club for all the children in their organization. Kids learn how to use the computers to work on their school projects or to find things that interest them. The children also use the computers to research other financial resources for their organization. Last year, they won a 10,000-euro educational project award for the association.

“We wouldn’t have thought about buying this software, considering the price and our lack

photo credit: AOCC Vâlcea

TechSoup’s donation program made it possible

for the group to save money and reinvest it.”

Mihai Ghebrea, President and Founder, Association of Orphans from

Orphanages

Who are they?The Association of Orphans from Orphanages

www.aocc.vl.ro

Where are they?

Ramnicu Valcea, Romania

What to they do?

Help over 500 orphans in Romania find jobs and have a normal social life.

How big are they?

8 employees

What did they receive?8 recycled computers

Windows 7 Professional UpgradeOffice Professional Plus 2010

What was the outcome?Opened an Internet club to give kids

access to computers and the Internet.

“of funds,” says Mihai Ghebrea, president and founder of the association, and an orphan himself. TechSoup’s donation program made it possible for the group to save money and reinvest it in other activities for the 500 orphan kids it works with and the 300 orphan members of the association. This year, it will organize a social inclusion camp for Romanian orphans — the “I can” camp, as the group proudly calls it.

ITs goal for the future is to open other Internet clubs for kids closer to where they live — some of the children still have to walk five kilometers just to use a computer.

IN BRIEF


CISCO DONATION LIFTS ROMANIAN GROUP HELPING THE DISABLEDThere are more than 600 000 persons with disabilities — including more than 100 000 with intellectual disabilities* — in Romania.

Only 1 percent of these people have access to government-funded services and less than 1 percent is employed. Most of the people with intellectual disabilities do not have access to public assistance services when finding a job. The mission of Pentru Voi Foundation is to increase the quality of life for people with intellectual disabilities and their families. The foundation has 60 employees and 10 volunteers who serve more than 200 people in three centers in Timisoara. They proved that with the right support and opportunities, people with developmental disabilities are able to make a valuable contribution in the community and in the workplace.

Part of the foundation’s work would not be possible without the proper technology. Cisco routers donated though TechSoup Romania enabled the organization to connect 30 PCs and create an intranet network.“If we did not receive this equipment we would probably have had to buy it, and that would

have been difficult”, said Alina Sima, programs coordinator for Pentru Voi.

“[As a result of the Cisco donation], all our saved funds are redirected to help our beneficiaries.” she added. The Cisco donation had another benefit - it enabled some of the foundation beneficiaries to learn how to use a computer and do some basic digital graphic design. One of the foundation’s business units runs a copy center workshop where 20 people with intellectual disabilities work. Some

photo credit: Pentru Voi Foundation

The foundation’s activity would be

extremely slow without technology.”

Alina Sima, Programs Coordinator, Pentru Voi Foundation

Who are they?Pentru Voi Foundation

www.pentruvoi.ro

Where are they?

Timisoara, Romania

What to they do?

They provide community-based services and advocate for the rights, inclusion,

and welfare of persons with intellectual disabilities.

How big are they?


What did they receive?Cisco 890 Series Wireless Gigabit

Ethernet Security RouterCisco 24-Port Gigabit Ethernet Switch

What was the outcome?The organization was able to build

an intranet network and work more efficiently.

“

of these people joined IT essentials lessons and now they are able to use a computer — writing text, editing the photos or preparing the paper for being printed in their copy center unit.

* The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities defines Intellectual disability as “a disability characterized by significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical skills.

IN BRIEF


DONATIONS REV UP COMMUNICATIONS FOR HEALTH-CARE ADVOCATESSome of the greatest challenges in the Romanian health care system are drug shortages. From ordinary painkillers to lifesaving drugs for HIV/AIDS, cancer, hepatitis, and tuberculosis, and even morphine to ease the pain of the dying, drug stock-outs occur frequently across Romania.

Romanian Angel Appeal has been fighting with the medical system for more than 20 years to help people in need: unemployed women, children with autism and their parents, TB patients, drug addicts, and people with HIV. Today, the organization helps more than 40,000 individuals — the population of a medium-sized Romanian town.

The organization’s latest project, www.lipsatratament.ro (Romanian for “lack of treatment”), is an online tool that allows medical professionals, NGOs, and patients to report when their prescribed treatments are unavailable. This is the first centralized, transparent, and freely available system for monitoring treatment availability in Romania. This project was one of the winners in the ReStart Romania Challenge in 2012.

But Romanian Angel Appeal develops many other national projects of social inclusion for women, people with autism and children with HIV/AIDS.Cristina Enache, regional coordinator at Romanian Angel Appeal, said technology plays a vital role in the organization.

The Microsoft donated software received with the help of TechSoup Romania enabled the organization to build its server network.

“The technology is essential because in almost all the projects — which are really complex in terms of budget and their national coverage — you need a lot of information for these projects and for the reporting activity that follows,” said Enache. Completing an internal network and server setup has helped the staff communicate and have access to information throughout the team.

photo credit: Romanian Angel Appeal facebook page

The technology is essential (…) in almost all the

projects.”Cristina Enache, Regional Coordinator,

Romanian Angel Appeal

Who are they?Romanian Angel Appeal

www.raa.roWhere are they?

Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?

They work to help children and young people in need, including those with HIV/

AIDS and other chronic diseases, by offering medical, psychological, social,

and material support.

How big are they?

40 employees; 150 project-based experts

What did they receive?Exchange Server 2010 Standard EditionWindows Server 2008 Standard Edition

(32-bit)

What was the outcome?The organization built an internal network

to increase security and enable faster communication.

“

IN BRIEF


UNITED WAY TEACHES ROMANIAN SENIORS TO SKYPEUnited Way Romania selects, assists, finances, and evaluates more than 35 social projects each year that help some 6,500 individuals.

The organization accomplishes this with a staff of just seven people. The employees coordinate the work of 750 volunteers and raise funds from 3,000 individual donors and 55 companies.

Technology plays a vital role in enabling United Way Romania to accomplish so much with so little. Software donated via TechSoup Romania has made the organization’s work easier and given the staff extra time for their social projects.One of United Way’s special projects was to invite a team of IT volunteers to visit a social center for the elderly.

The volunteers taught eight grandmothers and grandfathers how to call their relatives via Skype. The organizers say it was an overwhelming experience. “The words ‘mouse’ and ‘icon’ have a total different meaning for them,” said Georgiana Ilie, project coordinator with United Way.

United Way offers social service organizations much more than time and money — it also provides these groups with management assistance.

“All this won’t be possible without a computer running software programs like Excel,” Ilie added. “If you don’t have what you need, there is no way you can keep in touch with 750 people via telephone.”

photo credit: United Way

If you don’t have what you need, there is no way

you can keep in touch with 750 people via

telephone.” Georgiana Ilie, Project Coordinator,

United Way

Who are they?United Way Romania

www.unitedway.ro

Where are they?

Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?

They involve an increasing number of companies and individuals in

corporate social responsibility activities, philanthropy, and volunteerism to help

social services NGOs.

How big are they?


What did they receive?Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit – Get

Genuine (English) Office Professional Plus 2010

(includes Software Assurance)

What was the outcome?The organization became more efficient

and increased the workflow.

“

IN BRIEF


SOFTWARE EASES THE TRAIL FOR ROMANIAN CONSERVATION GROUPThe Adept Foundation’s mission in Romania is to protect Transylvania’s unique landscapes and the farming communities who live within them.

Ten full-time employees work to benefit more than 27,000 residents of the Sighisoara–Tarnava Mare area. Besides advocating for preserving the biodiversity of this region, the foundation promotes rural tourism and supports farmers in producing and selling local products. It even has developed a mobile application* designed to guide tourists who want to visit these marvelous Transylvanian landscapes.

One of the foundation’s most ambitious projects is to build a network of about 60 miles of mountain bike trails to help attract visitors to the area and stimulate the local economy. This year, with the help of local residents, it will build about 10 miles of these trails. They will link three villages with 70 green tourism providers, five schools, and hundreds of small-scale farming families.

Through TechSoup Romania, Adept Foundation was able to request an array of Microsoft and Adobe software that not only helped the organization save money but also increased its workflow.

“We had before types of Windows and Office different, and we had problems when opening different files,” said Cristi Gherghiceanu, project manager with the foundation.

“The technology is indispensable for us,” Gherghiceanu added. “We work on 14 projects and 10 of them are with international partners. For financial reasons, many of our meetings take place

photo credit: Adept Foundation facebook page

The technology is indispensable for us (…)

We depend on online communication.”

Cristi Gherghiceanu, Project Manager, Fundația Adept

Who are they?Adept Foundation

www.fundatia-adept.org

Where are they?Tarnava Mare, Romania

What to they do?Biodiversity conservation and community

development in Transylvania, Romania.

How big are they?

10 full-time employees, 30 – 100 volunteers

What did they receive?Creative Suite 6 Design and Web Premium

Mac ESDWindows 7 Professional 32 — Get Genuine

Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit — Get Genuine

Office Standard 2010Office for Mac 2011 Standard Edition

What was the outcome?The new software improved the

organization’s online communication and workflow.

“

online. We share information, documents and forms and organize conferences. We depend on online communication.”

Discover the Tarnava Mare mobile app on Google Play

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ro.kamasystem.tarnavamare.guide&hl=en

IN BRIEF


EMPOWERING VOLUNTEERING THROUGH ONLINE DONATIONSThe mission of Pro Vobis is to promote volunteering in Romania as a viable and irreplaceable resource in solving society’s problems.

They started working in Romania in 1992 as an NGO that offered social services. Then, due to the huge demand for volunteer services, they became the first National Resource Center for Volunteering.

Nowadays, with only five employees who work in two different cities, they manage to implement transnational projects and change the way people see volunteering in Romania.

“With the help of technology we’ve managed to have a national coverage for our work and to collaborate with hundreds of NGOs across the country,” says Dana Temelie, programs coordinator for Pro Vobis. “Our online campaigns raised volunteerism awareness among youngsters, organizations, and institutions.”

The new technology helps the staff work as a team, communicate and develop national and international partnerships, edit publications, and

organize webinars. Some of their projects, such as the National Week of Volunteerism, bring together hundreds of local NGOs and volunteers from all over the country each year.

Access to affordable technology with the help of TechSoup Romania enables the organization to reduce its IT costs. “Because we work on many projects with different contributors, we need a stable IT infrastructure to support our work,” says Temelie. Most of the organization’s projects do not have special IT budgets, and TechSoup donations were meaningful and needed.

photo credit: ProVobis Facebook page

With the help of technology we’ve managed

to have a national coverage for our work

and to collaborate with hundreds of NGOs across

the country.”Dana Temelie, Programs Coordinator,

Pro Vobis

Who are they?Pro Vobis — national resource center for

volunteeringwww.provobis.ro

Where are they?Cluj Napoca, Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?They empower volunteering through

training, consultancy, research, and networking for all interested

stakeholders.

How big are they?5 full-time employees; 1 long-term

volunteer

What did they receive?Windows 7 Professional Get Genuine

(English)Office Standard 2010

What was the outcome?The organization built a safe IT

environment and increased workflow within the team.

“

IN BRIEF


SOFTWARE DONATIONS EMPOWER ROMANIA NGO TO FIGHT MEDICAL SYSTEMGive Life Association works toward changing the Romanian medical system in order to raise the life expectancy of those who suffer from cancer. In five years of constant actions, campaigns, and programs, they have raised 3 million euros for medical equipment in hospitals. Moreover, they have changed a government policy so that patients can have access to medical treatment in other countries if it is not available in Romania.

Give Life Association has been working with children and adults with cancer since 2009. But their work is not easy. In Romania, because national statistics on cancer patients do not exist, no one knows how many people are suffering from the illness. Also, children and adults with cancer do not have free access to oncological treatment in Romania, even though such care is guaranteed by law.

Bianca Voinescu, a founding member of Give Life Association, says, “Even though the children with cancer have a real survival chance — in Europe, children are successfully treated in proportion of 80 to 90 percent — in Romania the survival chances are down to 50 percent.”

This is because in Romania, children with cancer can’t be correctly diagnosed. Moreover, there is a cytostatics crisis, and modern radiotherapy equipment and medical specialists are lacking.

A large part of organization’s work takes place through email: discussions with patients, documentation, communication with volunteers, promotions of projects, and fundraising campaigns. “Without technology and online communication, the projects’ implementation

would not be possible,” says Voinescu.Being able to access affordable technology enables the organization to save money and maintain its administrative costs under 10 percent.

“We use the donated software in our daily basis work. Windows and Microsoft Office licences are essential for emails, databases, informative presentations for volunteers, donors, and partners, etc.,” concludes Voinescu.

photo credit: Visual for fundraising campaign. (Give Life Association)

Without technology and online communication,

the projects’ implementation would

not be possible.”Bianca Voinescu, Founding Member, Give

Life Association

Who are they?Give Life Association

www.daruiesteviata.ro


What to they do?Help children and adults with cancer

access medical treatment.

How big are they?

1 president; 3 founding members; 20 volunteers

What did they receive?Office for Mac 2011

Outlook for Mac 2011Windows Professional Get Genuine

What was the outcome?The donations helped the organization access the latest technology and save

money for other projects.

“

IN BRIEF


TECHNOLOGY BOOSTS GROUP DEVOTED TO HELPING ROMANIAN RETIREESThe Association for Social Services and Benefits for Pensioners “Elena Cuza” (CARP Elena Cuza) has helped more than 30,000 Romanian retirees access proper medical care, social services, and — when needed — financial help.

One of organization’s most daring projects was to protest against plans to explore for shale gas in the city of Barlad. CARP created informative flyers, held press conferences, and recruited 3,000 people from the organization to join a protest in Barlad in February 2013.

In addition to providing social services, CARP offers financial help for those in need. Technology plays an essential role in monitoring and keeping the financial records. Acquiring affordable technology though TechSoup Romania has made a big difference in helping the organization improve its workflow. Moreover, CARP was able to upgrade to the newest and fastest technology.

“Our colleagues who work on PCs (to create graphic projects, a magazine, and material promoting the association) are more relaxed and pleased because their work became easier after

receiving licenses for professional programs,” said Mihai Andrei Nicolae, PR assistant for CARP. In addition, updated programs for editing and graphic design have helped the organization communicate better with beneficiaries.

“This is a real achievement because we work mainly with elderly people, most often people overwhelmed by life’s difficulties,” Mihai noted.

photo credit: CARP press article

Our colleagues who work on PCs … are pleased

because their work became easier after receiving

licenses for professional programs.”

Mihai Andrei Nicolae, PR assistant, CARP Elena Cuza

Who are they?CARP Elena Cuza

www.carpbarlad.ro

Where are they?Barlad, Romania

What to they do?They help retirees access medical care,

food, and financial aid.

How big are they?92 employees; 100 volunteers

What did they receive?Windows 7 Professional 64-Bit — Get Genuine

Office 2013 Professional PlusVisio Professional 2013

Photoshop Extended CS 6Photoshop Elements 11 and Premiere

Elements 11Acrobat Pro XI

What was the outcome?The software improved the organization’s

workflow and efficiency.

“

IN BRIEF


DONATIONS HELP LINK CHILDREN’S VILLAGES IN ROMANIAThe mission of SOS Children’s Villages begins when a child has lost the love and security of his or her biological family. As an independent, nongovernmental international development organization, SOS Villages has been working to meet the needs and protect the interests and rights of children since 1949.In Romania, the organization began building houses for children in 1991; two years later, 24 family houses in Bucharest and Sibiu were ready to welcome children in need. In 20 years of activity, at least 15,000 children have interacted with one of SOS Villages’ programs. Currently, the organization provides more than 1,000 children and youth with family-based care. An SOS family provides individualized care to promote the development, education, and health of each child. In partnership with communities, SOS Children’s Villages develops local infrastructure and runs kindergartens, day care centers, schools, vocational training centers, and medical facilities.Children with no family arrive in an SOS family house when they are two years old. With the help of a “social mother” and five to six other kids, each child joins a long-term education program until they are 26 years old and fully integrated into society. Kids live in the SOS Children’s Villages

until they are 14 or 15 years old and then join the SOS Youth Communities. After that, they learn how to live independently with the help of social workers. All expenses are covered until they are 18 years old, when they either go to study at a university or find a job. In both cases, they are helped and supported. Currently, in every SOS Village, in each house, there is a computer with Internet access. Thanks to the Cisco hardware donations the organization acquired through TechSoup Romania, they were able to build an intranet network to connect all villages. Each child can now play computer games, navigate on the Internet, and access personal documents from anywhere.Moreover, because of the SMARTnet licenses included in the Cisco donations, the organization can relay on a virtual private network with gateway security.

“With SMARTnet licenses for Cisco routers, we are always guaranteed to have the latest software version for Cisco routers and also to replace them if needed,” said Mihai Ion, national IT coordinator for SOS Villages in Romania. Moreover, he added, the budget the organization saved on licensing fees for Cisco upgrades will be used to buy new computers to replace the old ones. photo credit: SOS Satele Copiilor facebook page

With SMARTnet licenses for Cisco routers we are

always guaranteed to have the latest software

version for Cisco routers and to replace them if

needed.” Mihai Ion, National IT Coordinator, SOS

Villages in Romania

Who are they?SOS Children’s Villages in Romania

www.sos-satelecopiilor.ro

Where are they?Bucharest, Sibiu, Bacau, Romania

What to they do?They protect the interests and rights of

children and offer family-based care.

How big are they?175 employees

What did they receive?Cisco 5505 Security Plus appliances

(Smart Net licenses included).

What was the outcome?The organization was able to build an intranet network with Cisco routers.

“

IN BRIEF


SOFTWARE DONATIONS HELP COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONThe Bucharest Community Foundation invests time, money, and energy in developing new communities. Acting locally, they have started changing the world around them in 2011, and now they are part of a national movement that includes 11 other community foundations.

Their vision is different from that of a classical nonprofit organization: they work as a hub for those who need financial support and those who can offer it. In doing so, they help people create and support local communities. In 2013, they have helped close to 50 community projects get financed.

One of their biggest fundraising events, Swimathon, attracted 138 people who swam for 20 charitable causes. About 660 people donated an average of 20 euros.

Because more and more communities are created online, technology plays an important role within the organization.

“For an NGO that intermediates the connection between a donor and a project, it is essential for a

large part of the donor’s money to be used within the project. So, similar to a startup, our costs are important, so it was extremely useful to lower them so much by accessing TechSoup donations,” says Alina Kasprovschi, Executive Director.

photo credit: Swimathon event. (Catalin Gheorghe)

Similar to a startup, our costs are important, so it was extremely useful to lower them so much by accessing TechSoup

donations.”Alina Kasprovschi, Executive Director,

Bucharest Community Foundation

Who are they?Bucharest Community Foundation

www.fundatiacomunitarabucuresti.ro


What to they do?Connect the needs of the inhabitants of

Bucharest with available resources.

How big are they?


What did they receive?Windows 7 Professional – Get Genuine

Office Standard 2010

What was the outcome?Increased and secured the work flow

within the organization.

“

IN BRIEF


PROJECTS FOR YOUTH HELPED BY THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY

The Projects for Youth Association (APT) works toward promoting the professional, social, and cultural interests of young people through local, regional, and national initiatives.

It supports the youngsters in their development of adulthood by promoting the right to education, freedom of expression, and equality.

Currently, one of the association’s most important projects is to empower youth entrepreneurship while promoting volunteer work as an essential key to personal development.

Being a small organization, with no full-time employees, APT has integrated new technology into its everyday work.

photo credit: APT facebook page

We could say that not only TechSoup helped us

have access to the most recent software but also

indirectly contributed to implement one of our

projects.”Marius Jula, Vice-President of Projects,

Youth Association

Who are they?Projects for Youth Association (APT)

www.aptineret.ro


What to they do?They develop projects for youths.

How big are they?

4 founding members; 20 volunteers

What did they receive?Office 2013 Standard

What was the outcome?Money saved could be used for other

projects.

““For an NGO that relies on volunteers, the lack of online technology would surely mean the failure of achieving the goals,” said Marius Jula, APT’s vice-president.

He added that being able to access affordable technology with the help of TechSoup Romania has made a huge difference in the organization’s budget and enabled it to save money for co-funding other projects. “We could say that not only TechSoup helped us have access to the most recent software but also indirectly contributed to implement one of our projects,” concluded Jula.

IN BRIEF


EMPOWERING LOCAL NGOS WITH THE HELP OF ONLINE DONATIONSThe Association for Community Relations (ARC) works towards encouraging individual donations for empowering charitable initiatives in local communities.

One of its most important projects is an online platform that enables people to donate via SMS or by direct debit: www.donatie.ro. Even though an online donation tool for charities is something rather new in Romania and people are not very familiar with it, the first reactions are encouraging. With ARC’s website - www.donatie.ro — it has managed to raise almost US$900,000 for nonprofit causes.

“The local organizations have started using these mechanisms, which demonstrates that fundraising is not the big organizations’ privilege,” said Catalin Gheorghe, communications director of ARC.

With 15 employees in two different cities in Romania, ARC considers online communication an important asset for keeping up with the flow of work, developing donation platforms, or communicating with their beneficiaries.

“The real world’s achievements would not be possible without the virtual world’s communication and instruments,” said Gheorghe.

Access to donated technology from Adobe with the help of TechSoup Romania has helped the organization design informative materials without the need for outside help.

“The software helps us save money on two levels: we save money for our IT budget and we do not pay for extra design services,” says Gheorghe.

The right technology at the right moment enables the organization to be fast and flexible. photo credit: ARC facebook page

The real world’s achievements would

not be possible without the virtual world’s

communication and instruments.”

Catalin Gheorghe, Communications Director, ARC Romania

Who are they?Association for Community Relations

www.arcromania.ro

Where are they?Cluj Napoca, Bucharest, Romania

What to they do?They support the mobilization of

resources in community in Romania.

How big are they?15 employees; 2-3 volunteers

What did they receive?Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design

What was the outcome?Helped the organization design in-house

visual materials.

“

IN BRIEF


SOFTWARE DONATIONS HELP ACTIVISTS FIGHT CANCERCancer is a major public health problem in Romania and the second largest cause of death among children and youth aged 4 to15 years. Each year, 500 children are diagnosed with cancer, and 5,000 children and young people are under medical observation. Ignorance, lack of public information, and the limited involvement of authorities can be blamed for late diagnosis of the disease. For many people, being diagnosed with cancer is equivalent to being sentenced to death. “Early diagnosis is essential for healing, and this is medical proof,” says Olga Cridland, the president of P.A.V.E.L Association, a nonprofit organization of parents with children diagnosed with cancer. “Eighty percent of cancerous tumours diagnosed early in children can be cured.” P.A.V.E.L Association benefits 400 cancer patients aged 1 to 26 and their families.

One of the organization’s most important projects is The School from Hospital, which serves patients who have had to stop or abandon school. The program offers an educational curriculum adapted to children and young people who are hospitalized . Each patient can learn math, history, biology, or geography and also learn to use the Internet. Their parents participate in special therapy sessions. More than 200 have joined the program.Aside from working with hospitalized children, a large part of the organization’s work takes place online. A reliable technology for keeping up with donors and partners was a promise fulfilled by TechSoup Romania.“Because of these donations, our financial efforts for accessing the right technology were diminished. The products were used to equip

photo credit: Asociatia Pavel facebook page

Because of these donations, our financial efforts for accessing

the right technology were diminished. The products were used to equip two computers in the playroom for kids and one

laptop.”Olga Cridland, President, P.A.V.E.L

Association

Who are they?P.A.V.E.L Association

www.asociatiapavel.ro


What to they do?Help children and young people with

cancer and support their parents.

How big are they?

6 full-time employees; 10 part-time employees; 20 volunteers

What did they receive?Windows Professional – Get Genuine

Windows 8 Pro – Get GenuineOffice 2013

Windows MultiPoint Server 2012Windows Server 2012

What was the outcome?Increased and secured the workflow

within the organization.

“

two computers in the playroom for kids and one laptop,” says Cridland. She added that receiving software donations from TechSoup Romania helps the organization save money and redirect it toward helping children.“Considering the variety and complexity of programs and services we run, for many beneficiaries, without proper technology, the team’s work would be harder. That is why we really appreciate Microsoft donations for being extremely useful and precious for our organization and the good run of our programs,” she concluded.

THANK YOU!We are grateful to our donations partners

that have made TechSoup possible for Romanian NGOs:

AdobeCisco

Microsoft

Our activity in 2013 was supported by our local and global partners:

Microsoft RomaniaRomanian-American Foundation

Bitdefender

Fundcja TechSoupTechSoup Global

Thank you to all our partners in 2013:

IREX Romania / Biblionet 123ContactFormUberVUTechLoungeANISTechHub BucharestHowToWebGoogle Romania

Zitec ROSEduGood AfternoonEuroCloudIT SparkSoftbinatorTechAngels

Ateliere fara FrontiereImpact HubDreamCatchersGala Societatii CivileSocietal

Simon DietrichZelist MonitorSeniorHyperMediaIQ

Adevarul TechDasCloudStiriONGRomania PozitivaAl Treilea Sector

RedBullStaropramenStarbucks

2013 annual report techsoup romania

Documents

octobertechsoup romania

marchtechsoup romania

suchas restart romania

techsoup romania annual

januarygoogle romania

restart romania2nd

romanian ngos support

ngo sector