DEFINITION OF TERMS

In Georgian reality, the term “community”- “თემი” is mainly associated with the territorial unit or social institutions in the past (like Khevsurian community, prehistoric community, etc.); however, the community means so much more than just traditionally understood neighborhood or territorial unity. Urbanization has given rise to a new type of community, which does not depend only on territorial proximity or common origin; therefore, Community can be defined as a unity of people with a common geographical perspective and/or common interests, values, social conditions, and priorities.

Neighborhoods or geographic type of unity is the most common in the world because people living in the same area are strongly connected by common problems, opportunities, socioeconomic status, and so on.

Community development is a continuous process of social change that must be driven by the experiences, needs, concerns, and interests of the people living in a particular geographic area.

The result of community development is enhanced self-confidence and a sense of ownership in community inhabitants, as well as the advancement of certain knowledge, skills, social ties, and contacts within the community. All of these, in turn, contribute to the improvement of the overall habitat. Community, by its nature, is a living organism and there’s no single formula for its development; each community is individual with its idea of unity, member experience, geographic perspectives, challenges, and solutions.

One of the forms of civil society organizations is the Community Based Organization – CBO. For Georgia, the most common type is the geography-based community; accordingly, most of the locally active CBOs are small informal groups or registered organizations that work to improve the quality of life of people residing in a certain geographic area (municipality, district, town, village, neighborhood). Under existing legislation, the legal status of CBOs in Georgia is the same as in the case of civil society organizations – non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity N(N)LE. Despite the same organizational and legal form, community groups (CBOs) are different from CSOs because their scope is limited and focused on one specific geographic area, and therefore their activities are driven by the needs of that particular community. 

In addition to territory-based CBOs, community organizations that are based on common interests are also widespread throughout the world. These include organizations or initiative groups working with people with disabilities, religious, ethnic, or sexual minorities. It should be added that such interest-based community organizations are common in Georgia too.

Community Foundation is an independent local organization that aims to improve the quality of life for people residing in a particular geographic area. The main purpose of a community foundation is to mobilize technical, financial, and human resources in the community and to support local initiatives aiming to solve various essential problems of the same community. Attracting local resources and using them for the needs of the same locality – is the very main feature that distinguishes the community foundation from other foundations. More details on community foundations are available in information materials prepared by our organization.

According to the definition proposed by the European Commission, crowdfunding is an alternative way of funding connecting those who can contribute/give away certain resources with people who need those resources for specific projects. 

Crowdfunding makes it possible to receive funding not only in traditional ways (through banks, foundations, business companies, etc.) but also through various internet platforms, directly from donors. There are many models of crowdfunding, and the type of crowdfunding usually determines what specific benefits donors receive in exchange for their contribution. 

For more in-depth information, please check our Crowdfunding Events Guide. 

A collective giveaway is a form of philanthropy, where people with shared values and goals join together in small and large groups to solve a common problem. There are various forms and definitions for the collective giveaway and one of those is a Giveaway Circle. Such circles can be established both as small-size groups and as larger associations. Giveaway Circle, in turn, funds those local organizations and groups that can make a positive impact on the community through their initiatives. 

For more in-depth information, please check our Crowdfunding Events Guide.