Civitates is an initiative of the Network of European Foundations (NEF), which acts as its host. NEF is an international non-profit association enabling better and more strategic collaboration between foundations. The NEF Operational Framework guides the operations and governance structure of all collaborative projects hosted by NEF, including Civitates.
Civitates’ governance structure also enables knowledge sharing, experimentation and taking on field and movement building roles.
The Civitates Steering Committee, which meets twice a year, is Civitates’ board. It comprises all the donor partners. It drives and adopts strategic decisions, approves annual budget allocations, and guides the Secretariat’s work. It also approves any new lines of work.
The Executive Committee is a subset of the Steering Committee. It assists the Secretariat with operational matters. It is composed of three to six members, including the Civitates Chair.
The Chair represents Civitates externally. He or she presides over the Steering Committee and promotes excellent relationships among everyone who works with Civitates.
The Working Groups are the bodies that the Steering Committee delegates to oversee the strategy and implement a specific programme (working in the fields of civic space, tech and democracy, media). Among other things, the Working Groups approve the grants and make recommendations for changes in the strategy or approach to the Steering Committee.
The Secretariat drives the collaborative’s work forward. It implements the strategies developed with the Working Groups and agreed on by the Steering Committee. It is responsible for grant making and serves as a key point of contact for all organisations seeking and receiving Civitates’ funding, as well as for the foundations working with Civitates. It does so in collaboration with the Network of European Foundations, Civitates’ host.
