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Description
Kuldiga Senior School is a free non-formal education provider for people of retirement and pre-retirement age, currently involving more than 200 seniors. Organization is operating for 2 years now and has been activly attracting small project grants, but does not have home page, social network accounts and lot of adminsitrative processes established, also seniors mostly does not know how to use and work with modern technologies and social networks and how to attract sponsors and donors. This capacity project aims to strengthen the sustainability and capacity of the organization by diversifying financial sources, improving the association''s management competencies, as well as creating a modern website www.kuldigassenioruskola.lv for communication and information and educating activists to use those communication opportunities. The management of the organization and volunteers will gain knowledge in working with seniors for attracting new members. Public awareness of school activities through social networking sites will increase. As a result of the activities, donors and sponsors will be atracted. As a result, seniors will be more actively involved in the well-being of their community, more effective and influential in achieving their goals. The long-term operation of the association will be ensured.
Summary of project results
The "Dare, Get Involved" project for Kuldīga Senior Citizen School aimed to address several key challenges. The school lacked stable income sources and was dependent on project-based funding, as it did not have paid staff. There was a need to diversify funding and reduce reliance on grants to ensure sustainability. Members, activists, and volunteers required training to improve skills in working with seniors, which would allow them to better support and engage the senior community. Additionally, the school lacked sufficient information channels to effectively communicate with its members, which hindered broader engagement and information flow. The absence of essential equipment, like a computer, limited the organization''s operational efficiency. A need for increased presence on social media and a modern website was identified to facilitate faster communication and encourage member participation.
The "Dare, Get Involved" project undertook several activities to enhance the Kuldīga Senior Citizen School’s capacity and engagement. A small working group developed a situation analysis and annual plan, creating a survey to gather senior members’ opinions and incorporating these insights into the action plan for a year of training activities. A website was launched to improve information flow and accessibility, making it simple and senior-friendly to encourage frequent use. Two seniors were trained to maintain the site with support from an IT specialist, resulting in an increase in the number of seniors using the website for information. A series of training sessions were conducted for organization leaders and volunteers, covering topics such as project management, senior advocacy, event organization, member recruitment, and diversified fundraising. The sessions strengthened collaboration and decision-making, involving more seniors in planning processes. Social media activities and recruitment efforts led to an increase in new members. Fundraising efforts were successful, with communication to donors leading to financial support for workshop facilitators, lecturers, sports equipment, and several organized excursions, as well as for the creation of garden furniture and various cultural and educational events. Over the course of the project, donations totaling over 6,000 EUR were collected, supporting a wide range of activities, supplies, and events that promoted senior engagement and community integration.
The "Dare, Get Involved" project strengthened the capacity of the Kuldīga Senior Citizen School by diversifying income sources, increasing non-project-related revenue by over 10 percentage points, and enhancing organizational leadership skills. A modern website was created, serving as a key communication and information hub, allowing for better outreach to a growing number of seniors. The project expanded the organization’s reach, attracting new members to the senior school who are now more engaged in improving their lifestyle and health. Regular meetings, email groups, and WhatsApp channels for the management team facilitated ongoing communication and collaboration. The project’s impact extended beyond the organization, as the school shared its experiences and gained knowledge with colleagues in other regions, ensuring the benefits continue long-term.