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Description
The aim of the project "YOU+ 4.0" is to strengthen the long-term capacity and operation of the Association “Development platform YOU+”, thus promoting the development of the youth field in the South Kurzeme region. Within the framework of the project, it is planned to diversify the financial flow of the association and strengthen the virtual activity.
Today, the need for more efficient information exchange and virtual identities is only increasing. Thereby, it is planned to develop a new virtual platform, which in the future would provide much more extensive and detailed information. It would be not only information about the association''s prolonged activity and other social projects but also about the services offered. Meanwhile working with potential clients, mainly municipal social services, the new platform is expected to strengthen the financial flow of YOU+, which in turn will promote the association''s financial independence from projects and development. The developed virtual platform also serves as the first step in developing a virtual youth environment envisaged that is part of the long-term strategy of YOU+.
At the same time during this project, it is planned to implement training for the employees and volunteers on topics such as fundraising, effective goal setting, work planning, data processing and personal data storage to strengthen the readiness of the employees to work with directions envisaged in the project: diversification of financial flows and digitization. It is planned to train at least 40 persons involved in the daily work of the association.
In addition social network publicity guidelines, website administration guidelines and visual materials guidelines will be developed and implemented in the association as a result of this project.
Summary of project results
The association "Development platform YOU+" had grown rapidly in recent years, becoming one of the largest and strongest youth organizations in Kurzeme. However, the internal structure struggled to keep pace with this expansion, creating limitations in effective administration of a team that had increased to nine employees, seven volunteers, fifteen mentors, and several smaller partner teams. The knowledge and abilities required to manage this complex structure effectively were lacking, and training in administrative processes, as well as structural organization, was needed to support sustainable growth.
Furthermore, the project aimed to address the risks and instability associated with the association''s dependence on public funding, having attracted nearly €300,000 in project funding over the past two years. Although various educational programs and services with potential consumer interest had been developed, there was a need to establish income-generating services that could reduce reliance on external funds and ensure long-term sustainability. A development plan prepared by a growth consultant for service development required additional technical solutions to be implemented successfully.
Additionally, the association faced challenges in audience segmentation and diversification of information channels. With a heavy reliance on Facebook and limited activity on Instagram, as well as the early stages of TikTok development, the association’s growing audience and marketing resources were not being optimized. As activity levels and engagement increased, the association identified a need for targeted audience outreach to increase marketing efficiency and expand its reach to potential customers. Thus, the project was designed to strengthen information channels, create structured development plans, and develop effective evaluation metrics for marketing outcomes.
The project involved developing a visual identity and guidelines to support consistent branding. A new website with an integrated online store section was created, aimed at promoting and enhancing the organization’s economic activities and financial independence. Staff members received training on donation solicitation, effective goal setting, and work planning, equipping them with tools to optimize and systematically organize their tasks, and they were also trained in measuring social impact. Another priority was training staff on personal data processing and storage to ensure compliance with data protection laws, especially with the website''s new forms for collecting third-party data. Service development and publicity optimization were pursued through multiple workgroups, resulting in an e-store concept for selling newly developed services.
The project "YOU+ 4.0." achieved key outcomes that strengthened the organizational capacity of "Development platform YOU+." It developed a cohesive visual identity and launched a new website with an online store, providing a platform for offering products and services, such as methodology development services and association cards, which can generate independent revenue streams. The project also improved staff skills through training on donation solicitation, goal setting, data management, and social impact measurement. Regular communication activities were planned to raise public awareness of the organization''s work, which is expected to attract more clients, contributing to increased income from non-project-related sources and enhancing the organization’s financial stability and capacity for future growth.