The program’s mission is to develop local philanthropy in Russia.
Support
Supporting organizations and people engaged in developing local communities
Beneficiaries
- NGOs
- Community foundations
Project working language: Russian
Time frame: since 1999 till now
Status: active
Updated: 02.12.2019
Contact details
- Larisa Avrorina, Program Director
- Irina Novikova, Program Manager
+7 (495) 989-41-00
Project web-site
http://www.cafrussia.ru/page/programma_razvitiya_fondov_mestnih_soobschestv
Video
https://vk.com/video-65062595_456239035
Target audience and stakeholders of the project
Target audience (beneficiaries):
Primary:
- NGOs operating under Russian law, along with their employees, meeting the following criteria:
- The NGO’s activities are limited to a particular community (a city or a region).
- The NGO provides contest-based funding for a broad range of local socially significant projects.
- The NGO attracts funds from various sources (organizations, individuals and other donors).
- The NGO is managed by a collective body reflecting the interests of the local community.
- The NGO seeks to build and use its endowment.
- Other NGOs operating under Russian law, along with their employees, if their activities are in line with the program’s mission and goals.
Secondary:
- Municipal institutions
- Activists
- Local residents
This model’s particular feature is that the same people, i.e., community members, may be both beneficiaries and donors.
Stakeholders:
- Local residents.
Mission and goals
The program’s mission is to develop local philanthropy in Russia. The program creates conditions, approaches and models for the development of local philanthropy where community foundations (CFs) play a leading role. It supports new initiatives by providing them with favorable starting conditions and supports new and existing foundations.
The support comes in a variety of forms. It includes both the financial dimension (the grant program has been in operation for 15 years, since 2003) and consultations with CAF experts.
The support the program provides to regional and national conferences and forums helps discuss the current agenda, challenges and strategy, thus helping to see major processes taking place in the sector and its role in developing local philanthropy.
Key objectives:
1) Support the initiatives developing local philanthropy;
2) Develop the culture, tools and models of local philanthropy;
3) Strengthen interaction between various players involved in local philanthropy;
4) Assist the specialists working in local philanthropy with developing their professional skills.
In addition to key objectives, the program seeks to assist the CFs in formulating a clear and sustainable development strategy, teaching them to discover local untapped resources and use them efficiently to address various social problems.
Another objective is to study, use and replicate the best international practices in philanthropy, to maintain and develop ties with the international community of foundations and long-standing institutions. Internships, participation in international conferences, opportunities for Russian foundations to learn the world’s best practices – all this develops and expands the scope of the foundations. Currently, there is a new program called On to the Future. It goal is to introduce new leaders, foundation heads and members from Russia, Canada and Germany, to the principles and experience in developing local philanthropy.
Achieved results
Direct results
Currently, there are 80 CFs operating in 29 Russian provinces, 70% of them working in rural or remote areas.
Social results
The foundations have become the centers and leaders in developing local philanthropy. They have accumulated a lot of experience in working with their local communities and efficiently replicate the best practices. Through the grant activity of the foundations, the territories now have the expertise to evaluate the efficiency of proposed solutions. The donor community is being cultivated by attracting small and medium-sized businesses.
The foundations have become a genuine platform for dialogue. Having local authorities and business people represented in their governing bodies enables them to come up with consolidated resources and solutions, develop closer ties with partners and discover new opportunities and resources for problem-solving.
Social effect
Transparency and accountability are the key principle in foundations’ operation. The foundation release annual reports and present them to their communities.
Foundations contribute to volunteer programs
The foundations’ involvement in major network programs and nationwide projects like Giving Tuesday, especially in remote areas, helps integrate those territories into large-scale projects and makes them feel part of a larger work instead of feeling isolated.
For instance, Melnitsa and Perspektiva foundations were regional coordinators for the nationwide Giving Tuesday initiative in 2019. The former is in the village of Pryazha, Karelia, and the latter in the village of Maima, Altai.
Publications of the project
- http://www.cafrussia.ru/page/kogda_razmer_imeet_znachenie_1
- http://www.cafrussia.ru/page/analiticheskii_doklad_mestnaya_filantropiya_nacionalnogo_znacheniya
- http://www.cafrussia.ru/page/ubeditelnie_proyavleniya_mestnoi_filantropii
- http://www.cafrussia.ru/page/programma_razvitiya_fondov_mestnih_soobschestv
- https://philanthropy.ru/analysis/2019/11/07/82394/
- https://philanthropy.ru/?s=%D0%9E%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B3%D0%B0+%D0%92%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D1%81%D0%BE%D0%B2%D1%86%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B0
- https://philanthropy.ru/?s=%D0%9D%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0+%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BD%D0%B0
- https://philanthropy.ru/cases/2017/10/03/55172
- https://philanthropy.ru/cases/2019/09/16/79001/
- https://philanthropy.ru/cases/2019/02/27/73056//
- http://old.miloserdie.ru/articles/lyudi-kotorye-puskayut-korni-fondy-mestnyh-soobshhestv?fbclid=IwAR3xJCTtjeZSRU_NUuT98u0Ffs5vCRx2haK_tQdTvBb2Ktj9NupVPWDgCXc