Purpose:
Operating since 2013, Riga NGO House is the virtual and physical space of collaboration and support for non-governmental organisations, and the place where representatives of NGOs and grassroots organisations can engage in supportive activities, learn, explore and cooperate. The scope of Riga NGO House is to address the challenges of participation in the activities of the municipality, to foster integration for people of different ages, social groups and nationalities, by supporting NGOs promoting inhabitants’ awareness of local affairs.
Stimulus/Rationale:
The idea of Riga NGO House came about in 2010, at Riga’s first Citizens Forum. At this event, one of the working groups analysed the problems NGOs and the municipality face in working together, and tried to find solutions for better synergies in the future. Looking for possible cooperation models between citizens, NGOs and the Riga municipality, it was identified that NGOs lack the space for meetings and activities. An unused school building was renovated by Riga municipality and the NGO House inaugurated on 25 September 2013 by members of Riga City Council and municipal officers as a demonstration of a broader will to strengthen the city’s civil sector.
This initiative of cooperation between Riga municipality and NGOs began with nine premises in one location and through the years expanded to 18 premises provided by Riga municipality and available free of charge across seven different locations in Riga in 2025, united under the umbrella of Riga NGO House.
The budget of the NGO House is fully financed by the municipality. The NGO House has four employees, employed by the municipality. Spaces and all activities are available free of charge.
Process:
Riga NGO House and its 18 premises across seven different locations offer a wide variety of spaces for civic activities, which are designed to suit its users’ needs: spaces for large events, several offices, seminar rooms, workshops and a computer room. Riga NGO House is open to visitors from Monday to Saturday, from 9 am to 9 pm. The occupancy rate is quite high, especially on Fridays and Saturdays the House is at capacity, all facilities are fully booked and activities run back-to-back. An online reservation system also allows to see the availability of spaces and to make the booking well in advance.
Besides free spaces the NGO House also provides free of charge technical equipment used for events held in different neighborhoods of the city.
Managed as a platform of public-civic cooperation, the NGO House focuses on various forms and processes of society integration: many of the events organised in NGO House promote inclusion of people with special needs, health problems or socially disadvantaged children, different nationalities and social groups. The users of the premises include a great variety of NGOs dealing with culture and recreation (music, dance, theatre, visual arts, folk art and heritage, ethnic minority culture), education, health, social support, development and housing supply, civil and human rights, sports, senior and youth activities.
NGOs are invited to use the premises: to organise their events, meetings, training sessions, administrative work, concerts, performances, festivals, charity activities, and support groups; to take part in events organised by NGO House employees and to launch new initiatives for civic engagement and cooperation.
As empowering NGOs through capacity building is one of the institution’s most important objectives, the NGO House offers educational and informative seminars every week, focusing on themes like accounting, project management, communication, social media, volunteering and AI opportunities. The NGO House gives advice to NGOs about different issues and can help finding specialists with competences corresponding to the NGOs needs.
The NGO House aims at playing a central role in connecting different civic actors in Riga. Therefore, the NGO House organises networking and good practice exchange events that bring together organisations working in the same field or with similar objectives. This provides an opportunity for them to meet, exchange experiences, and discuss challenges. Throughout the year, approximately seven to eight networking events are held, including the involvement of individuals with special needs or those operating in the charity sector.
Communication and information exchange activities happen on regular basis via emails and through various social media channels, as well as via posters and flyers displayed in Riga NGO House. The monthly newsletter is sent to about 1700 addresses. Each newsletter includes information about different events, calls for projects and other activities where NGOs can engage. Organisations can contribute to the newsletter with their own information.
Impact:
Since its establishment in 2013 the NGO House has become a key institution in Riga’s civic ecosystem. The numbers of the NGO House are impressive:
- more than 300 000 people have attended events in the building and representatives of more than 700 NGOs participated in the events or organised these events;
- approximately 55 NGOs use premises of NGO House on a monthly basis;
- about 18 NGOs operate at NGO House on daily basis;
- some NGOs have been using the NGO House since its opening.
Key reference documents:
Information about Riga NGO House (in Latvian): https://apkaimes.lv/integracija/par-nvo-namu/
