The residents’ forum was the basis for the Northern Kurzeme NGO Support Centre in Talsi to begin a discussion about the establishment of a community foundation. With the aim of identifying the opportunities and interest in establishing a community foundation, the centre’s employees invited forum participants to attend discussions. They discussed the possibility that after the residents’ forum, the foundation would undertake to finance projects proposed by residents. The centre’s representatives obtained information about community foundation, which was provided by the national support organisation and international project consultants, and studied the available literature. In the six months following the forum, 12 discussions took place, each of which was attended by 5-7 people, who augmented and commented on the proposals of the participants in each previous discussion and developed new ideas. In total, the discussions were attended by about 70 people, of whom 45 agreed to become founders of the Talsi Region Community Foundation, and to donate at least LVL 20 to the foundation each year.
After the residents’ forum, with a view to establishing a community foundation, the residents of Lielvārde chose to address entrepreneurs as potential donors, in order to provide support for the implementation of ideas cherished by local residents. The foundation’s founding meeting was attended by representatives of 14 local businesses and one private individual, who agreed to the support on an annual basis with a donation of LVL 100. Although, at first sight, the Lielvārde Development Foundation may have reminded an outsider of an entrepreneurs’ club, but there was one significant difference – in this foundation, decisions on the foundation’s operations and supportable projects is made by a board comprise of 11 people. The Board was convened to ensure the representation of a wide group of different residents. It is comprised of representatives of the foundation’s founders, as well as municipality representatives, pensioners, teachers, young people and other local activists.
Having seen a successful resident’s forum take place in Talsi, a year later in April 2003, the citizens of Alūksne organised a residents’ forum in their town. The forum was possible, thanks to the successful collaboration between the Alūksne NGO Support Centre and Alūksne City Council. After the forum, the Alūksne NGO Support Centre began to gauge public opinion about the establishment of a community foundation. As a result, 21 people agreed to found the foundation. The Alūksne Region Community Foundation was registered in April 2005, which after territorial reform was renamed as the Alūksne and Ape Region Community Foundation. During the first year, about 50 private individuals and legal entities became supporters of the foundation.
In 2004, interest in establishing a community foundation was shown by Valmiera, followed a few years later by Liepāja. Both cities received the support of the Baltic-American Partnership Fund. In Valmiera, the idea of establishing a foundation was initiated by NGO support centre “Strategy”, which by conducting interviews, organising round table discussions, meeting entrepreneurs and NGOs, agree to found the Valmiera Region Community Foundation in June 2005. In turn, interested local parties founded the Liepāja Region Community Foundation in June 2007. The first ever Liepāja Residents’ Forum was conducted in 2008.