Social challenge and reasons for project’s initiation

Immediacy of the social problem

One of the problems of the Russian society is passiveness and noninvolvement of local communities into solving important social and urban problems and raising the living standards in their cities. It is high time to develop public initiative and raise engagement of Russian citizens in social project management, public services improvement, ecological and patriotic education, city natural resources conservation, youth socialization, healthy lifestyle promotion.

External reasons for project’s initiation

In the regions of project’s implementation, there is also a great need to create favorable social environment by means of supporting community-focused non-profits and joining efforts of proactive residents in order to solve socially important issues. Grant contest has long proved to be a transparent and effective tool to support public initiatives, launch partnership projects and finance cultural, sports, professional and other events.

Internal reasons for project’s initiation

Support of social initiatives in the regions of TMK presence, promotion of charity in the community, strengthening of company’s reputation as a socially responsible business are all long-term goals of TMK corporate social responsibility.

These goals are met through accomplishment of the following tasks:

• Supporting traditional moral, family and cultural values in the society, contributing to patriotic education, youth socialization, healthy lifestyle promotion, supporting public initiatives by means of launching partnership projects, conducting grant contests, financing cultural, sports and other events. 

• Developing long-term projects, conducting educational seminars for non-profits with the aim to create favorable social environment in the regions of TMK presence.

• Developing and strengthening partnerships, holding consultations with local authorities on the issue of updating TMK database of charity recipients and charity programs.

• Developing charity projects portfolio with regard to local specifics and aimed at solving social issues of local communities.  

• Requesting feedback from charity recipients to see, if projects’ goals were met.

• Engaging company’s employees into charitable events through the corporate volunteering program.

• Developing social investments as a base for corporate charity through public – private partnership, multilateral agreements in the regions of company’s presence.

Through sponsorship and charity, TMK seeks to foster a favorable social climate in the regions, where its plants are located. ТМK strives not only to ensure good working conditions for its employees, but also to support the social and economic development of regions where it operates. Social partnership agreements have been successfully developed with local authorities in cities where plants operate, aimed at joining efforts to solve socially important issues in the regions.

TMK charitable projects are implemented in partnership with Corporate Charity Foundation “Sinara”.

Project description

TMK in partnership with CF “Sinara” runs a grant contest for non-profits on annual basis. Contest participants submit a project, which should have a certain achievable goal and create favorable conditions for the organization to further continue this project in the sphere of volunteering after financing is stopped. The key criteria of the contest are the social impact and the maximum reach of the project. Other two important criteria are media coverage and engaging volunteers into the project. Since 2018 the Expert Committee of the grant contest includes external independent experts. To make the selection process more transparent and convenient, in 2018 the organizers introduced an online platform, which accumulated results of the best grant contests in Russia. The methodology of projects’ assessment is based on that of the contest of the Foundation of Presidential Grants for the Development of Civil Society. The selection process id based on a two-level expert assessment. The final decision in short-list voting is made by the Board of the CF ”Sinara”.

The grant contest is conducted twice a year with summing up the results in June and December. The maximum grant is 200 000 RUB for one project.

According to the Contest Regulations, non-profits can apply in the following nominations:

• “A Hard Nut to Crack” (sports): promotion of physical education and sports, healthy lifestyle among children, teenagers and youth.
• “Life Without Borders” (rehabilitation and adaptation): providing medical, psychological and educational support to children with special needs.
• “A Road to Home”: prevention of child abandonment, raising awareness about this problem in the society.
• “Believe in your Dream!”: education and professional career-guidance for children below 18.
• “Native Land”: environment protection, developing ecological culture in local communities, implementing ecological projects, strengthening tourism appeal, etc.
• “Cultural Heritage”: promotion of classical art, support to spiritual heritage, restauration of objects of special architectural and historic interest.

A list of reliable non-profits is updated by local authorities and communities – long-term partners of CF “Sinara”. To provide regular support to applicants, CF “Sinara recorded a webinar on the mechanics of participation in the contest, available on its web-site. “Sinara” also actively uses social media: Вконтакте, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube to inform participants about the start of the contest and its results.

The project has he following stages: introductory seminar for perspective applicants and local authorities, collection of applications, expertise and assessment, selection of winners, projects implementation, projects’ efficiency assessment, interviews with local communities about projects’ sustainability.

The contest implies obligatory reporting with photos and videos attached, links to posts in social media and media coverage. One of the key requirements for contest participation is inviting CF “Sinara” and TMK representatives to events within the projects, which enables them not only monitor the projects, but to be in a constant dialogue with local communities on all stages of projects’ implementation.

Team and partners 

Team

Representatives of CF “Sinara” and TMK.

Partners

• Non-profits;
• Local authorities;
• State agencies supervising non-profits;
• Local communities – long-term partners of CF “Sinara”.

Resources

Financial resources

2018 budget – over 4 000 000 RUB.

Human resources

Project’s development, implementation, monitoring and assessment are performed by representatives of CF “Sinara”, TMK and external experts.

Social resources

Members of the Expert Committee, engaged into projects’ evaluation,  work pro bono.

Technological and material resources

To make the selection process more transparent and convenient, in 2018 the organizers introduced an online platform, which accumulated results of the best grant contests in Russia. The methodology of projects’ assessment is based on that of the contest of the Foundation of Presidential Grants for the Development of Civil Society”. To provide regular support to applicants, CF “Sinara” recorded a webinar on the mechanics of participation in the contest, available on its web-site. The Foundation sends regular e-mails with information to non-profits, which have applied to participate in the contest.

Time resources

The grant contest is conducted twice a year with summing up the results in June and December. Selected projects are run for the period from 3 to 12 months.

Achieved results

Immediate results:

During 12 years of the contest conduct, 262 projects have been financially supported and implemented in Sverdlovsk region. Since 2019 the grant contest has been run in other regions and the number of winning projects increased from 20 to 45.

Social results:

Considering that community-focused non-profits are an important part of social movement, grant contest provides them with an additional opportunity of financial support, enabling public organizations present their best practice, aimed at solving important social problems. Many non-profits have been taking part in the contest for several years, improving the quality of their projects. The contest also contributes to the development of volunteering movement and joining the efforts of non-profits and local communities, aimed at solving important social problems.

Internal project assessment:

The Foundation performs projects’ monitoring and assessment, as well as collects and audits financial reports. Reports are obligatory and should include information on projects’ results and implementation, copies of media publications, links to posts in social media, printed materials, photos..

Social environment:

— monitoring of social activity of non-profits in their cities/regions;

— monitoring of the quantity and quality of media publications about projects, supported by TMK and CF “Sinara”;

— monitoring of projects’ implementation, including budget execution, goals and targets achievement, PR campaign results, projects’ reach;

Engagement:

— opinion surveys among TMK plants’ employees (awareness of CF “Sinara”, awareness and appeal of projects implemented, etc.);

— questioning perspective and acting volunteers, wishing to take part in charitable events, organized by TMK and “Sinara”;

— questioning non-profits on the relevancy of projects, help needed or the necessity to engage TMK corporate volunteers in local community events.

Performance:

Performance results are discussed by the Board of the Foundation, which takes place two times a year with participation of representatives of TMK plants representatives;

The Foundation has developed a tool kit to evaluate performance results, which includes the following tools:

— monitoring of media publications on TMK and CF “Sinara” charitable programs;

— reporting by charity recipients and local projects’ managers;

— social impact measurement, monitoring the volume of social changes, monitoring of comments on social changes by interviewing opinion leaders.  

Criteria for assessment of projects’ efficiency and social impact are the following: project’s reach, number of non-profits at the territories of presence, engaged into company’s programs. (The company strives to engage over a half of all the non-profits, operating in the city of presence). It is also important to engage company’s partners and subcontractor into charitable programs. While selecting the project for support, the organizers evaluate its sustainability, scaling-up perspectives, charity recipients’ satisfaction level.

External project assessment:

The Foundation assessed the needs and background situation of the charity recipients, projects’ implementation process and their results. The assessment was performed by external experts of the grant contest, as well as CSR expert community.

Project’s distinctive features and know – how

TMK plants’ employees are engaged into programs’ selection process, development of projects, best of which, selected by external experts, receive financing.

CF “Sinara” Board includes representatives of TMK plants, who provide their feedback from the territories of projects’ implementation. Each project is developed with participation of charity recipients and is monitored directly at the territory of its implementation.

Challenges and solutions

During grant contest implementation the Foundation and experts involved faced lack of simple competencies on social project management, that the majority of non-profits demonstrated. They could not make a budget estimate and develop project’s schedule, which proved their low level of project management. Non-profits also often forget about a quality media campaign, do not bother to work with mass media and social media. To improve the situation, CA “Sinara” on a regular basis holds seminars and webinars, as well as phone consultations to help non-profits participate in the grant contest. The Foundation monitors applications at each stage, providing recommendations on necessary amendments. In partnership with Corporate University TMK2U, CF “Sinara” has developed an online course on social project management for regional non-profits, which will be launched in the nearest future. All projects are to be submitted for the contest online, which causes new problem for some non-profits, because they are either computer illiterate or simply do not have a computer. All this slows down the process of digital platform integration.

Plans of further development   

CF “Sinara” plans to continue conducting the grant contest, analyzing its results and making corresponding improvements, as well as engaging as many non-profits to participate in the contest, as possible.

Advice and recommendations

1. Pay more attention to the development of methodological materials and educational events (seminars, webinars), explaining how to apply.
2. Engage experts into the development of methodological materials and educational events, as well as winners’ selection process.
3. Develop also a clear contest tool kit (application form, digital platform, etc.).
4. Get ready for mentoring non-profits, which face difficulties while applying.
5. Monitor winning projects at all stages of their implementation.

Project’s documents

• Contest Regulations: https://www.bf-sinara.com/image/%D0%9F%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B6%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5%20%D0%93%D0%9A%20%D0%BE%D1%82%205.04.2019.pdf
• Link to Grant contest platform https://gk.bf-sinara.com/cabinet/
• Project description page: https://www.bf-sinara.com/dejatelnost/grantovyj_konkurs/

On this page you can also find a webinar on how to apply.