Project overview

Partner:	European Community Foundation Initiative (ECFI)
Impact:	Developing database for community-foundations social-impact indicators (Phase I)
Skills:	Python, database desing, knowledge of database managament systems (like MySQL or Maria DB), GitHub. Familiarity with cloud computing (like NextCloud) and data security (like access control, maybe encryption) is considered a plus.
Team:	4-5 people
Start:	Midth of October 2025
Predicted end of project:	End of January 2026
Location:	Remote
Language requirements:	German and/or English are welcome. As a European NGO, English as the project language is preferred.
Apply until:	10.10.2025
Application form	https://ee.correlaid.org/x/JS9WxNRx    Select language in upper right corner of form.
Ressources:	Link to CorrelAid Data4Good Documentation

Project description

About ECFI

European Community Foundation Initiative (ECFI) is a non-profit organization strengthening and promoting the development of community foundations and their support organisations across Europe. ECFI serves as a hub for learning, peer exchange, and visibility, equipping community foundation practitioners with knowledge and connections to improve their practice and impact. Their vision is a vibrant community foundation movement contributing significantly to citizens’ engagement in local philanthropy and civil society in Europe.

Further Reading:https://www.communityfoundations.eu/home.html

Project Goals

The main objective of this project is to develop a database management system that enables ECFI to:

1. Consolidate and store existing data from various sources (e.g. Excel sheets).
2. Integrate and update data from community foundations.
3. Make data accessible for internal and external use with different access rights (authentication) for different stakeholder groups.
4. Use the database for future applications (e.g., interactive web map to communicate success to stakeholders; see Phase II).

This project aims to build a database for data collection and data updates of European community foundations, must be cost-neutral and support easy maintenance, open source and GDPR (like using servers in Europe only).

Deliverables

The project tasks can be broken down into the following parts:

• Design and development of a relational database (e.g., MySQL, MariaDB).
• Implementation of database structures (tables, relations, indexes, views).
• Migration and integration of existing data (from CSV, Excel, or web data).
• Setup of user and permission management (authentication, access rights).
• Delivery of technical documentation (ER diagrams, table and relationship descriptions).
• Development of a simple front-end interface for data maintenance and data input for regular data queries from new and existing community foundations.

Data

ECFI collects data from community foundations such as their name, address, website, and founding year. The data is available in Excel files. Other data may be collected and integrated like public data on regional statistics.

Outcome and social impact

The database will allow ECFI to collect the data on the European community foundations in a systematic and automated way and make them accessible for different stakeholders. Using this database to visualise the community reach and social impact of European community foundations can help ECFI to equally empower the civil society all over Europe.

Volunteer Profiles Needed

CorrelAid-Projects offer you the opportunity to utilise and develop your skills and potential for the common good as part of a team. Here you can acquire new skills, develop and test innovative solutions and broaden your horizons. To apply and participate, you should be interested in the impact of community foundations on our civil society and excited to develop database management systems.

In the team, we would like to combine the following skills:

• Interest in supporting European community foundations in growing, learning, and networking and understanding their data.
• Experience with or interest in (technical) requirement analysis and conceptual data modelling of databases (database design).
• (Basic/advanced) knowledge of open-source database management systems (like MySQL, MariaDB) and cloud hosting (like Nextcloud).
• Familiarity with data security (like access control, maybe encryption) and GDPR for data storage and data analysis.
• Enthusiasm for the comprehensible presentation, documentation and explanation of data structure and data projects. Output-orientated work.
• (Basic/advanced) knowledge of Python.
• A basic understanding of the Git workflow (pull, commit, push) or willingness to learn it

The estimated commitment is approximately 4 hours per week. We plan to work in English as the standard language.

Timeline

• Application: from 05.10.2025 until 10.10.2025
• Team selection process: beginning of 11.10.2025
• Project kickoff and workshop: middle of October 2025
• Project work: until end of  January 2025

Open team positions

• 1 team lead
• 3 team members
• 1 trainee

Expected time effort

• 4 hours a week per volunteer

Link to application

APPLY HERE

Select English version of the application form on the top right of form.