The Bucharest Community Foundation, with ING Bank Romania’s support, doubles the funding for environmental initiatives through the Environmental Platform for Bucharest, investing over 830,000 lei to support six projects in expanding their efforts to improve the quality of life in the Capital. The funding complements a first investment round, worth nearly 770,000 lei, to support these initiatives covering diverse areas, from environmental education and circular economy to biodiversity and civic engagement, enabling organizations to expand their activities and impact over the medium and long term, beyond isolated interventions.
The projects supported through the Environmental Platform for Bucharest were selected following structured analysis processes, based on clear criteria focused on generating real change, collective impact, continuity and scalability. All six projects had previously received funding through programs developed by the Bucharest Community Foundation, and the decision to continue funding was based on their demonstrated impact, their potential to expand interventions for greater community impact, and their alignment with the Platform’s strategic directions. The projects went through a strategic incubation process grounded in the theory of change and collective impact methodology, which included expert-facilitated sessions on planning, beneficiary identification, problem analysis, solution validation, scaling readiness and the definition of concrete action plans.
This approach reflects the long-term commitment of the Environmental Platform for Bucharest to supporting solutions that generate impact in the city only when they are developed, improved and consolidated over time. Both the Bucharest Community Foundation and ING Bank Romania share the understanding that sustainable urban change is achieved through consistent support and recurring investments in civic projects that deliver and can be scaled.
“Real change in a city does not come from isolated interventions, but from continuity. A city transforms when the people who live in it have the time, resources and trust to take projects that work further. Through this funding, we choose to support initiatives that have already proven their impact and that can grow alongside the communities around them. We are not talking about one-time projects, but about interventions built over time, which bring meaningful change to Bucharest”, says Alina Kasprovschi, executive director Bucharest Community Foundation.
“At ING, we believe in everyone’s ability to contribute to positive change and in the responsibility of funders to support, over the long term, the people and projects that make it possible. It is essential to invest resources and patience in identifying and supporting social entrepreneurs who offer environmental solutions. The Environmental Platform for Bucharest has shown us that they can be found everywhere, in NGOs, civic groups or neighbourhood initiatives such as In YOUR AREA. From urban regeneration and biodiversity protection to circular economy, community composting and education for civic engagement, everything starts with the intention to make a difference, a spirit we consistently support”, adds Tomina Vodarici, Community Investment Specialist ING Bank Romania.
Increased capacity for the rescue and rehabilitation of native wildlife
A project continuing due to its proven results is “Rescue and rehabilitation of native wildlife in Bucharest and Ilfov”, implemented by the Visul Luanei Foundation. Following funding of 185,490 lei granted in 2024 to consolidate the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, the initiative receives 224,970 lei for the period between June 2025 and July 2026. The project responds to the growing number of wild animals at risk due to urbanization and supports specialized interventions for rescuing and rehabilitating urban wildlife. In its first phase, the centre cared for over 2,600 animals from 152 species, and in the current phase aims to support approximately 2,000 animals by developing medical capacity, infrastructure and public education activities.
Protecting bat colonies in the context of urban renovations
The Wilderness Research and Conservation Association continues the “Batwatch” project after previously receiving 130,000 lei to monitor and protect bat colonies in Bucharest. The initiative receives an additional 100,000 lei in funding for the period between June 2025 and July 2026 and aims to reduce the impact of renovation and thermal insulation works on urban wildlife. In its first phase, the project identified seven bat colonies and contributed to the adoption of protection measures accepted by authorities, including the installation of shelters and collaboration with local administration. The current phase continues monitoring and protection interventions, alongside educational activities and practical tools for communities and specialists, aimed at integrating biodiversity conservation into urban rehabilitation processes.
Urban regeneration and circular economy for Bucharest
After receiving 74,550 lei between July 2024 and May 2025 to redevelop a degraded urban space in central Bucharest, the Wilson Civic Initiative Group continues the project “Green Concret(e). From grey to life” in 2025-2026 with new funding of 50,000 lei. The initiative addresses the lack of nearby green spaces and transforms a residential block courtyard into a green, community-oriented space. In its current phase, the project expands its circular economy and environmental monitoring components through a community fair, the installation of air quality sensors and dialogue with local authorities, aiming to improve green space management and environmental quality in the city centre.
Sustainably managed micro-green spaces in neighbourhoods
The “Bucureștii verzi și Noi” project also continues in 2026, following a previous 74,550 lei funding round for regenerating micro-green spaces between apartment buildings in the Bucureștii Noi neighbourhood. The initiative proposes alternatives to aggressive green space maintenance and builds dialogue between residents and authorities through simple, replicable solutions for caring for nearby green areas. In the current phase, supported by new funding of 74,975 lei, the project expands existing interventions and focuses on maintenance, education and the broader application of the “Good Practices Guide for Community Micro-Green Spaces.” The initiative includes opening new green areas and developing a strategy for approximately 4,000 square metres near the Masca Theatre, demonstrating that micro-spaces can be managed sustainably with real benefits for communities and the city.
Urban gardens and community composting at sector level
Following two previous phases focused on urban gardens and neighbourhood composting, the “ROOTS – Urban Gardens” project, developed by the Culturalis Association, enters a new phase in 2025-2026 with funding of 109,940 lei. The initiative addressed common neighbourhood issues such as poorly maintained green spaces, soil degradation and insufficient biowaste collection by creating two block-level gardens in the Vitan-Foișorului and Titan areas, each equipped with a composting station and developed with the involvement of residents and local authorities. In the current phase, the project expands across Sectors 1, 2 and 3, aiming to build an active community network around urban gardens and composting points. It involves homeowners’ associations, schools and civic organizations in composting, environmental education and citizen science activities, supporting responsible biowaste management and improved soil quality, with long-term benefits for green spaces and neighbourhood life in Bucharest.
Composting points and collective impact in reducing biowaste
In addition to neighbourhood-level interventions, the Environmental Platform for Bucharest also supports city-wide initiatives that can change how environmental challenges are addressed. One such example is the Compost Academy, a collective impact project implemented by a consortium consisting of the Climato Sfera Association, Culturalis Association, the Association for Sustainable Consumption and the Livada Comunitara Martisor. After an initial 200,000 lei funding round in 2023 that validated the community composting model, the Compost Academy continues in 2025-2026 with new funding of 273,000 lei to expand the network of composting points, develop educational components and strengthen dialogue with local authorities. The project directly contributes to reducing biowaste sent to landfill and transforming it into a resource for the city’s green spaces, demonstrating how local solutions can generate real change when supported over the long term.
The Environmental Platform for Bucharest is a strategic programme developed by the Bucharest Community Foundation and ING Bank Romania, launched in 2022. It brings together specialists from civil society, academia and the private sector, activists, policymakers and public administration to act in a coordinated manner to address complex environmental issues affecting Bucharest. Through key pillars such as research, funding and collaboration, the Platform collects data and concrete examples to better understand environmental challenges and civil society solutions, mobilizes financial resources for their implementation and scaling, and creates a collaborative framework between NGOs, private companies and public administration. To date, 58 projects have been funded, with a total value of RON 15 million.
