Developing cooperations with other CSOs strengthen the work of the organizations. CSOs can get together by organizing in networks/platforms, and develop partnerships with other organizations for acting together in accordance with their fields of activity.
STGM Database of Civil Networks in the World and Europe
The Database of Civil Networks in the World and Europe, developed by STGM acts as a search engine for CSOs to reach general information, aims, membership, and contact details of networks at the international and European level. The list of networks can be searched by keyword, subject, country, and city criteria.
Collaboration or establishing partnerships with other civil actors assist CSOs to achieve their goals, increase their influence and further strengthen their capacities by a mutual learning process.
Cooperation and partnership can be developed with civil actors such as networks/platforms at the regional, national and international level in the similar thematic area. Moreover, collaborative works can also be established with an organization which works in the same field.
For more information, please check out to the following resources;
- Partnership Resource Centre. University of Erasmus, Rotterdam School of Management, Netherlands
- A Practical Guide to Partnership: How to Make It Work. Floriana Nappini. Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN), 2016.
- Review of EU Networks for Civil Society Organizations. TACSO, 2011. The book provides brief information about more than two hundred networks and platforms in the EU member states.
- Networking and Relationship Building for CSOs Course Toolkit. Prepared by Indrani Sigamany. INTRAC, 2007
As good at working together, partnerships and collaborations can succeed and they develop meaningful relationships that create effective results. Partnerships are formed by some essentials such as collaborative mindsets, principled attitudes and relevant knowledge. In order to develop solutions and add value, some features should also be adopted such as bridging different contexts, language, working cultures to build a fit for joint.
Moreover, it should be taken into consideration that collaborations amongst CSOs often occur in an uncertain environment such as a fragile context in an unpredictable political or economic atmosphere. So, they require a high degree of flexibility, adaptability and resilience.
Therefore, development of effective partnerships and collaborations comprise of following steps;
- Work on shared ambitions,
- Respect each other’s interests,
- Pay attention to personal relationships and group dynamics,
- Organize/set up the partnership in a professional way,
- Focus on a meaningful/effective process,
- Support mutual learning,
- Sustain partnership outcomes.
For more information, please check out PrC Insight Series: Partnership Skills
Agreements are considered as a key mechanism of partnerships or collaborations, because their role is to govern interactions. They help partnerships to become more effective by allowing partners to cope with relational, performance and situational risks that characterize inter-organisational relationships. The Partnerships Resource Centre and The Partnering Initiative have developed a “Partnering Agreement Scorecard” based on insights from practice and grounded on theory. The tool will be beneficial for any organizations that contemplate setting up a new or reviewing an existing partnership. The tool can be reachable here. Also, “Partnership Agreements Insight Series” document on partnerships/collaborations agreements is available here.
Detailed information of all associations in Turkey can be found in the database of the Directorate General for Relations with Civil Society, searching by city, district and field of activity in Turkish. Additionally, information of associations in Turkey can also be reached at "Dernekara”, searching by location and field of activity.
Detailed information of all foundations in Turkey can be found in the database of the Directorate General of Foundations, searching by city and district. Additionally, information on scholarship foundations in Turkey can also be reached in the database.
ECOSOC Civil Society Network
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the main bodies of the United Nations System. It consists of 54 United Nations Members elected by the General Assembly. The information regarding CSOs in the world can be reached at the ECOSOC Civil Society Network Database. In addition to the database, the web page of the network also offers areas to communicate with other civil society organizations, to reach the news about the civil society in the world, to reach good practices and success stories from the civil society, and to participate in forums on different topics.
Single Electronic Data Interchange Area (SEDIA) of EC
The European Commission works on an integrated, "one-stop-shop" web-based information management system, called “SEDIA (Single Electronic Data Interchange Area)” for all European Union (EU) instruments related to EC external actions and other EU bodies. Organizations that are registered in the system can access the information of other registered organizations around the world. By "Partner Search" facility of SEDIA, organizations which were previously registered in the PADOR can make a search. Please be informed that the SEDİA is still under development.
PADOR Database
PADOR (Potential Applicant Data On-Line Registration) is the online system in which organizations, who are potential applicants to calls for proposals, register and update regularly information about their profile (legal, financial, etc.). Through the online system, organizations can be searched by using the "Search Organization" tab in the user menu on the basis of country and organization name/keyword, and access the contact information. For those who have not a PADOR registration yet, the informative videos are available under the title of “Videos for EU Supported Projects” of STGM YouTube channel. Besides, PADOR User Manual V.2.2.3 can reachable here.
Review of EU Networks for Civil Society Organizations. TACSO, 2011. The book provides brief information about more than two hundred networks and platforms in the EU member states.
European Youth Portal
In this database prepared for young people's volunteering, internship, and job searches, can be searched the basis of the country and thematic field of activity and access brief introduction and contact information of organizations.