Foundation Conservation Carpathia officially launches the CARPATHIA Fund, a funding mechanism for the development of local communities around the Făgăraș Mountains, addressed to NGOs, local initiative groups, public organisations, individuals and small entrepreneurs developing nature-friendly businesses. In 2023, Foundation Conservation Carpathia invested more than 410,000 EUR through this mechanism in projects dedicated to local communities, and in 2024 it is estimated it will invest more than 1 million EUR.

The mission of Foundation Conservation Carpathia through the CARPATHIA Fund is to help local communities around the Făgăraș Mountains develop in a sustainable way and to support projects that bring long-term benefits to the communities, while facilitating access to a non-bureaucratic system of rapid assistance in difficult situations.

CARPATHIA Fund has two components: a grant component, dedicated to the development of local communities by financing conservation, social, educational, cultural and sports projects, and an investment component, which targets local small entrepreneurs in the Făgăraș Mountains area. The investment component aims to support green business ideas from local communities and will be launched soon.

In 2023, through this fund, scholarships and grants were awarded to initiative groups and NGOs in Țara Făgărașului, education programmes were supported (Junior Ranger, Adopt a Corner of Nature, programmes of the Richita Centre for Activities and Nature Exploration), sports programmes in communities (table tennis in schools, Karate club in Lerești, Zimbrii Lerești football team), air transportation for the restoration of the Scara Refuge, cultural and social projects carried out with the town halls of the Southern Făgăraș Mountains, the project to enhance the beech trees of Nucșoara – The Forest of Immortal Stories, as well as social and inclusive education programmes carried out with the Casa Bună Association in Nucșoara and Lerești.

The resources of CARPATHIA Fund come from the fundraising activities carried out by the organisation (sponsorships from companies, philanthropy, projects supported by other national and international organisations), the profit from the economic activities carried out by the legal entities of the foundation (Travel Carpathia, Roadele Munților, Cobor Biodiversity Farm), and also the European Union through the LIFE project.

The CARPATHIA Fund supports projects and activities in all the municipalities around the Făgăraș Mountains, which are part of the Natura 2000 sites of the Făgăraș Mountains, Râul Târgului – Argeșel and Piatra Craiului. The communities that already benefit or may benefit from support through the Carpathia Fund are:

Argeș county: Nucșoara, Arefu, Cetățeni, Rucăr, Lerești, Dragoslavele, Stoenești, Dâmbovicioara, Albeștii de Muscel, Valea Mare Pravăț, Brăduleț, Bughea de Sus, Bughea de Jos, Corbi, Domnești;

Sibiu county: Porumbacu de Jos, Avrig, Cârtișoara, Arpașu de Jos, Turnu Roșu, Racoviță, Cârța, Tălmaciu;

Brașov county: Hârseni, Recea, Șinca, Zărnești, Lisa, Ucea, Sâmbăta de Sus, Viștea, Moieciu, Drăguș, Șinca Nouă, Fundata, Victoria;

Vâlcea county: Câineni, Perișani, Sălătrucu, Boișoara, Boița, Titești;

Dâmbovița county: Moroeni, Runcu, Pucheni.

In 2024 the value of projects to be supported by the CARPATHIA Fund will exceed 1 million EUR, to which projects for the development of tourism and visitor infrastructure in the Făgăraș Mountains and communities should be added.

What kind of projects does the CARPATHIA Fund finance?

Foundation Conservation Carpathia believes in the potential of local communities around the Făgăraș Mountains to build a green, sustainable future, which is why the CARPATHIA Fund supports initiatives from NGOs, initiative groups and public institutions, and also from individuals who have ideas and the desire to bring change to their community.

Projects financed by the CARPATHIA Fund should aim at positive impact objectives in the fields of environment, education, social, and also sport and health. It is also important that projects, regardless of their scope, respect local natural and cultural values and are environmentally friendly.

Project eligibility criteria

General criteria:

• The project must have clearly defined outcomes that improve the lives of one or more members of the local community.
• Institutional funding or activity funding, which is the legal task of a municipality, is excluded.
• Activities that are part of an election campaign, or that could be construed as an election campaign, are excluded.
• Projects, which come in support of local people in the community, in response to a difficult situation, which did not arise through any fault of their own and which cannot be satisfactorily resolved without support from the Carpathia Fund.

Education, sports and health:

• Support for educational activities is limited to environmental education or supporting socially disadvantaged members of the community (remedial, vocational education).
• Support for sports clubs should be consistent with supporting a healthy lifestyle for children and young people.
• Health caravans.

Events:

• The organiser must have a sustainable environmental policy, considering issues of waste management and community food procurement, stimulating local development.
• Events must have at least one activity, or component, that promotes the natural values of the area in which they are held.
• Events must predominantly use community services (logistics, staff, etc).

Environmental projects:

• Projects that address a local environmental issue. NGOs, initiative groups, local institutions are eligible.

Social projects:

• Projects that support vulnerable people.
• Support for cases where someone in the local community has suffered as a result of a disaster or accident.

Funds are allocated through direct competition, e.g. NGO grants, scholarships, nature education programmes, and also through projects submitted by institutions and organisations in the community to fondulcarpathia@carpathia.org . All projects will be considered, but only those that meet the eligibility criteria, have a clearly defined target group and objectives, and are geared towards making a difference within a clear timeframe will be supported, depending on the available budget.