Global Challenges Local Solutions

Another project from Round 9 of GCLS “Solutions for the Future”!

Together in Varna: Changing Narratives, Building Understanding, by ОБЩЕСТВЕН ДАРИТЕЛСКИ ФОНД ЗА ВАРНА (Varna Community Foundation), will tell real stories of Ukrainian and Bulgarian families, young people and educators living and learning together in Varna.

🎥 Three short documentaries will challenge stereotypes and misinformation by showing refugees as neighbours, classmates, parents and contributors to local life.

Produced with Bulgarian National Television Varna, the films will be shared online and followed by a public screening and discussion.

🔗 Read more about the project: https://localsolutionsfund.org/good-practices/meet-the-gcls-round-9-grantees-varna-community-foundation-bulgaria/

🌍 Another featured project from the 9th GCLS Grant Round! 🚴‍♂️✨

As part of our ongoing series highlighting the initiatives supported in this round, today we take a closer look at a project bringing the Sustainable Development Goals to life in Romania: "SDGs in Motion: Community Stories @ Bikeathon 2026", run by the Fundația Comunitară Țara Făgărașului (Făgăraș Country Community Foundation)! 🇷🇴

In the Făgăraș region, cycling has become a powerful engine for local action. This project focuses on creating an engaging 5-part video campaign filmed around Bikeathon 2026 to show how local initiatives drive progress on , , , and .

From health and education to public spaces and strong partnerships, see how local energy translates into global goals.

📖 Read the full project description and learn more:

👉 https://localsolutionsfund.org/good-practices/meet-the-gcls-round-9-grantees-fagaras-country-community-foundation-romania/

Presenting the next grantee of the 9th GCLS round: SZKA - Székelyudvarhelyi Közösségi Alapítvány (Odorheiu Secuiesc Community Foundation from Romania) and their project "Future Skills, Healthy Futures"!

What happens when doctors, teachers, and business owners join forces?
🌱 Youth learn about healthcare prevention,
🛠️ Schools gain access to hands-on STEAM workshops,
🚀 Young people discover promising career paths in their own region!

See how global goals (SDGs) become a local reality in Romania.

Click below to read the full project description:
https://localsolutionsfund.org/good-practices/meet-the-gcls-round-9-grantees-odorheiu-secuiesc-community-foundation-romania/

How does a single act of generosity transform an entire region? 🇮🇹✨In the Italian province of Vicenza, local residents, families, and donors are proving that philanthropy isn’t just about making donations. It’s about building a stronger, healthier, and more inclusive community together. Through their new video campaign supported by the GCLS program, the Community Foundation of Vicenza (Fondazione di Comunità Vicentina per la Qualità di Vita) is bringing real stories to light:
➡️ How dedicated community funds support disability inclusion
➡️ How personal donor choices improve local well-being
➡️ How charitable legacies help shape sustainable cities for future generations
Discover how local action in Vicenza translates abstract Global Goals into practical, everyday solutions!
🌍👇🔗 Read the full story on our website: https://localsolutionsfund.org/good-practices/meet-the-gcls-round-9-grantees-vicenza-community-foundation-italy/

🧐How can a city become more resilient to drought, heavy rainfall, and rising temperatures?
In Pécs, Hungary, local residents, researchers, and community organisations are working together to explore practical nature-based solutions through the Sponge City concept.
The campaign will follow local stories of rain gardens, Miyawaki mini forests, healthy soils, composting, citizen monitoring, and other actions that help retain water and strengthen urban biodiversity. Through six videos, viewers will discover how small, local initiatives can support climate resilience and inspire community participation.
📖 Read more about the project implemented by the Pécsi Közösségi Alapítvány, selected in GCLS Round 9.
👉https://localsolutionsfund.org/good-practices/meet-the-gcls-round-9-grantees-pecs-community-foundation-hungary/

Today we're introducing another project from the 9th round of the GCLS program. This time from Fondazione MeSSInA, Sicily, Italy.

The Sustainable Development Goals don't have to feel distant or abstract.

For students in Messina, they will become the story of a neighbourhood they can visit and people they can meet.

This new GCLS video campaign follows the transformation of Fondo Saccà – from a former shantytown into a community with affordable housing, shared public spaces and a renewable energy community. Alongside two short documentaries, local students will create their own video, telling the story of social inclusion and clean energy in their own words.

Discover how one neighbourhood shows that global goals can become local action.

👉 Read more about the project: https://localsolutionsfund.org/good-practices/meet-the-gcls-round-9-grantees-messina-foundation/

🚸 How can school journeys become safer, healthier, and more sustainable?
In many Romanian cities, the area around schools is dominated by traffic congestion, air pollution, and safety concerns. Yet practical solutions already exist – and some are already being tested locally.

The new GCLS Round 9 project, "Safe School Streets", led by the Fundația Comunitară Mureș - Marosszéki Közösségi Alapítvány, will showcase real stories and tested solutions such as School Streets, Pedibus and Bicibus initiatives, Kiss&Ride zones, and campaigns encouraging children to walk or cycle to school.

Through a series of short videos, parents, teachers, local authorities, and mobility experts will share their experiences and show how these ideas can work in practice.
Read more about the project and discover how local communities are creating safer school environments: 👇
🔗 https://localsolutionsfund.org/good-practices/meet-the-gcls-round-9-grantees-mures-community-foundation/

This is the second project presented as part of the 9th GCLS grant round!
How can we connect the energy of sports with global challenges? The Fundația Comunitară Sibiu has a clear plan. Instead of sharing abstract facts about the Sustainable Development Goals, the foundation will speak a language that local residents understand perfectly—through the real stories of the Sibiu International Marathon.
As part of this six-month project, the team is launching a video campaign featuring six mini-documentaries (2–5 minutes long) with English subtitles. Rather than interviewing academic experts, the films will focus on the participants themselves: runners, local charity leaders, and community members. Viewers will see concrete examples of everyday action, from groups reclaiming urban green spaces to people supporting chronic illness charities.
The video campaign will roll out this autumn on the marathon's digital channels, followed by a public screening at a local cultural venue in Sibiu. By watching these real-life stories, audiences will learn how grassroots cooperation between residents, NGOs, and local government can turn global targets into practical solutions.
Stay tuned to meet the next grantees of the 9th GCLS round!
Learn more:
https://localsolutionsfund.org/good-practices/meet-the-gcls-round-9-grantees-sibiu-community-foundation/

How does change begin? It all starts with a good plan.

We are happy to announce the first grantee of GCLS Round 9 – Northamptonshire Community Foundation! Based on their grant proposal, we already know this is going to be a very special project: “25 Stories of Change”.
What are they planning to do?
• Give a voice to 25 local organizations across Northamptonshire,
• Show the human side of fighting exclusion and poverty,
• Prepare a series of inspiring, short video materials.
The grantees have months of hard work ahead to bring these ideas to life. We will see the final results and the completed videos at the end of the year! Stay tuned and follow their progress. 🎬👇
Learn more: https://localsolutionsfund.org/good-practices/meet-the-gcls-round-9-grantees-northamptonshire-community-foundation/
📍 Project SDGs: 3 Good Health and Well-being | 10 Reduced Inequalities | 1 No Poverty

🎉 We are pleased to announce the results of the 9th round of the Global Challenges for Local Solutions programme!

In this edition, participants developed video campaign projects focused on local initiatives supporting the implementation of 1 to 3 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Out of 20 submitted applications, 14 organisations have been selected to receive funding for the implementation of their projects.

👏 Congratulations to all grant recipients:

Fundacja Klementyna
Fondacija Iskorak
SZKA - Székelyudvarhelyi Közösségi Alapítvány
Pécsi Közösségi Alapítvány
Zaklada Zamah
ОБЩЕСТВЕН ДАРИТЕЛСКИ ФОНД ЗА ВАРНА
Fondazione di Comunità Vicentina per la Qualità di Vita
Fundația Comunitară Țara Făgărașului
Fondazione MeSSInA
Fundația Comunitară Mureș - Marosszéki Közösségi Alapítvány
Northamptonshire Community Foundation
Fundația Comunitară Sibiu
Обществен Дарителски Фонд - Стара Загора
Żywiecka Fundacja Rozwojuu

We warmly congratulate all the winners and wish them every success in implementing their projects, which will contribute to raising awareness of the SDGs within the framework of the UN International Year of Volunteering for Sustainable Development Goals.