DMF 4.0 Has Launched: Digital Marketing for Meaningful Causes

The Digital Marketing Fellowship (DMF) 4.0 scholarship program, implemented by the America for Bulgaria Foundation in partnership with Impact Drive Foundation, is now underway. The fourth edition continues the mission of previous programs, to build sustainable digital communications skills in the non-governmental sector and to support the organizations driving social change in Bulgaria.

Context and Purpose of the Program

Despite the rapid digitalization in almost every field, a large part of Bulgarian non-governmental organizations still lack their own communications specialist. This limits their ability to reach the public, counter disinformation, and make a compelling case for the causes they work on.

DMF 4.0 builds on the successful model created by the America for Bulgaria Foundation and aims to give organizations real, long-term digital communications capacity through trained young experts.

The program is structured in several stages, from preparation and consultations with the organizations, through the selection and training of digital communicators, to a nine-month paid internship accompanied by mentoring and tracking of results.

Each of the selected fellows will work within a real organization, develop communications strategies, create content, and support the visibility of socially significant causes.

First Steps

The path to the launch of DMF 4.0 passed through several key stages. Over the course of the summer, an open call for participation was held, aimed at young professionals and students with an interest in digital marketing and communications.

Following a careful selection process involving experts from Impact Drive, representatives of ABF, and former participants from previous editions, ten young fellows were chosen. At the same time, the host organizations went through individual consultancy sessions to define their priorities, audiences, and communications goals.

After the completion of the preparatory stage, Impact Drive carried out a matchmaking process between the communicators and the organizations, based on their interests and profiles.

The Introductory Week: The Start of the Collaborative Work

The practical part of the program got underway with an intensive introductory week (October 19-25, 2025), during which the communicators and organizations meet in person. The week is packed with trainings, practical tasks, and facilitated sessions for building trust and team spirit. Participants work through topics such as digital strategy, content creation, cause communication, and visual storytelling. They also have the opportunity to exchange ideas, experiences, and expectations, in order to build a solid foundation for collaboration over the following nine months.

The host organizations in DMF 4.0 represent a varied picture of Bulgaria's civil sector, working in the areas of ecology, social inclusion, education, human rights, and youth development. What they share is a commitment to being more visible and more effective in communicating with their audiences.

What Lies Ahead

Over the next nine months, the program will develop in several interconnected directions:

• A paid internship for the communicators within the organizations, where they will apply what they have learned and build sustainable communications processes

• Online trainings within Impact Drive's DigiComs platform, focused on digital marketing, writing for causes, and visual content

• A mid-term training meeting devoted to campaign communication and fundraising, with the participation of guest lecturers from the business and civil sectors

• Mentoring support and peer support groups, which will monitor the development of the communicators and encourage the exchange of experience among participants and alumni from previous editions

  
  

At the end of the program, each organization will have a strategic communications plan built on real-world experience, and each digital communicator will graduate with a rich portfolio and practical skills.

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Here are the names of this year's fellows in the program:

• Viktoriya Karabasheva

• Gabriela Radkova

• Gabriela Yankulova

• Dimetra Krasteva

• Kalina Kirova

• Maria Ganeva

• Nikola Ivanov

• Stefani Todorova

• Teodora Vuchkova-Lepoeva

• Helena Bubalova