The 24th edition brings 73 specialists to the jury to evaluate 263 registered projects
73 specialists, of whom 68 are professionals from key fields and 5 are experts within the Social Impact Jury, evaluate the projects registered in the 24th edition of the Civil Society Gala (GSC), the competition organized by The Institute that supports and promotes the activity of the non-profit and non-governmental sector in Romania. The jury brings together specialists in project implementation and evaluation, representatives of the private sector, representatives from public institutions, opinion leaders, public policy specialists, journalists, researchers, consultants and communication experts, content creators, and young people who use their platforms in support of civil society.
The Institute has been actively contributing, for over two decades, to building a collaborative ecosystem in which civil society plays an essential role in the sustainable development of Romania, both through the promotion of the most valuable civic initiatives and through stimulating dialogue and cooperation between the actors involved in social transformation.
“The over 260 projects registered this year show us that civil society in Romania remains alive, inventive, and deeply connected to the real needs of communities. At The Institute we believe that the role of a competition such as the Civil Society Gala is not just to award prizes, but to make this energy visible and to place it in dialogue with the private sector, with public institutions, and with the general public. A jury so diverse — from journalists and researchers to business and non-profit sector leaders is proof that change is built together,” declares Andrei Borțun, President of Fundația The Institute.
A diverse jury from key fields
The Institute announces the composition of the GSC 2026 jury: a diverse and extensive jury, formed from 68 professionals from key fields representatives of the private sector, representatives of public institutions, opinion leaders, public policy specialists, journalists, researchers, consultants and communication experts, content creators, and young people who use their platforms in support of civil society. To these are added 5 evaluators within the Social Impact Jury, a component of the competition created in partnership with Ashoka Romania.
A record participation: 263 registrations, 146 organizations
The jury will analyze and evaluate 263 projects registered in the competition, coming from 146 applicant organizations, across 13 sections structured into two categories. Compared to the previous edition (206 projects, 117 organizations), the 2026 edition marks a significant increase in participation.
Category A – 9 thematic sections: Education and Learning; Art and Culture; Defense of Individual/Collective Rights; Civic Behavior and Public Participation; Health; Social Inclusion; Social Assistance Services; Environmental Protection; Economic and Social Development.
Category B – 4 dedicated sections: Projects Carried Out with the Involvement of Volunteers; Programs; Social Campaigns; Young People for Good.
31 organizations have applied to both Category A and Category B. Education and Learning is the most diverse section: 37 unique organizations out of 41 registrations. The majority of projects have national coverage (44.7%), followed by those with local impact (34.4%). Top 3 cities where the selected projects take place: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Iași. Health has the widest geographical distribution Iași, Brașov, and Constanța are almost on a par with Bucharest.
Social Impact Awards
Starting with the 2022 edition, GSC includes a special category: the Social Impact Awards, developed through a strategic partnership with Ashoka Romania, an international organization recognized for supporting social entrepreneurs and consistently ranked in the Top 10 NGOs with global impact, from 2015 to the present.
The Social Impact Awards offer recognition to projects that generate systemic changes and that address the root causes of social problems, not just their symptoms. The evaluation is carried out by a special jury, formed from specialists in social change, public policy, education, and civic participation, selected in collaboration with Ashoka Romania.
“Ashoka is honored to support the national competition by evaluating and selecting the winners of the Social Impact Award. Supporting civil society is essential, as social innovations start from citizens who notice a problem, take action, involve other actors as allies, and encourage as many people as possible to contribute to change. In evaluating social impact, Ashoka analyzes not only the direct results of an initiative, but also the way in which they change systems: the extent to which they transform mindsets, practices, relationships, or structures in a positive and lasting way. We also pay special attention to the way in which organizations empower the community to become an engine of change.” Ashoka
