With the message "We have more in common than what sets us apart," the Raiffeisen Communities accelerator is developed by Raiffeisen Bank Romania in collaboration with the Association for Community Relations and has attracted nearly 200 entries from NGOs nationwide, both from small communities and large urban centers. From these, a jury composed of over 30 leaders from civil society, business, and media selected the 20 winning projects, with both the pitches presented by organizations and the involvement of the addressed communities in community voting being evaluated in the final stage.

"Raiffeisen Communities is one of our flagship programs, and we are delighted that this year's edition has entered a new stage of development, both through the 1 million euro funding and through the extensive acceleration and mentoring program developed together with the Association for Community Relations. I am confident that these 20 projects will bring about positive change in their communities, benefiting us all." - Cristian Sporiș, Vice President, Corporations Division, and Member of the Board of Directors, Raiffeisen Bank Romania.

In addition to funding, Raiffeisen Communities also offers an acceleration and mentoring program, including practical courses to enhance the implementation capacity of the winning projects: financial management, fundraising, communication, and the development of a support network in the community.