NGO Zmistom

NGO Zmistom was founded in 2020 in Odesa as a civic initiative focused on architectural heritage and citizen participation in urban development. The organisation later expanded its scope to community building, democratic dialogue, civic education, and capacity development of civil society actors. In 2023–2024, Zmistom implemented four “Ideas Accelerator” hackathons and training programmes, strengthening cooperation among more than 40 NGOs in Odesa Region and expanding activities to Lviv Region. The organisation operates the community space “Na Chasi” as a platform for networking, educational events, and dialogue. During this period, Zmistom implemented programmes for youth, volunteers, and local leaders. In 2024–2025, Zmistom became a partner in the International Renaissance Foundation “Resilience Lab” initiative and implemented the project “Resilience On Time.” This resulted in the development of the Cohesion Roadmap and facilitation of a regional dialogue process involving civil society, local authorities, and business actors. Analytical outputs were submitted to the Odesa City Council and integrated into discussions on the Odesa Development Strategy 2027. Zmistom co-founded the Civic Association “Odesa Strategy” and a Regional association of civil society organisations to strengthen coordination and participation in regional development processes. Since 2025, in partnership with Læseforeningen and CISU, the organisation has implemented the Shared Reading method, trained facilitators, established reading circles, and developed Ukrainian-adapted materials. Today, Zmistom operates as a regional civic actor working with resilience, dialogue, and civil society development.