As a result of COVID-19, civil society organisations must find new income streams to tackle public health challenges, such as addressing the gap in life expectancy between Roma and the general population. Sustainable funding is vital to strengthen their capacities to support vulnerable communities, such as Roma, homeless people, migrants and refugees, people with disabilities or LGBTQI+.
Following our capacity-building workshop “Finding sustainable fundraising to build health equity in Europe,” EPHA has produced a guide aiming to strengthen the capacities of national and local stakeholders working with vulnerable groups to gather new income streams, within a post-COVID context. The workshop offered a space to reflect on the barriers in accessing EU funds, the limitations of EU projects as well as some solutions to overcome such challenges. In addition, it advanced a discussion about the role of European institutions and international organisations in reducing health and social inequalities through current and future programmes, projects and strategic partnerships.
Based on this discussion, this guide includes inputs from national organisations, local authorities and universities involved in European and transnational projects who shared experience and knowledge about programme management in their specific fields. More broadly, it provides support to civil society, public health communities, universities and research institutes willing to establish cross-sectoral and transnational cooperation to mitigate the pandemic effects on the most vulnerable and build health equity in Europe.