Innovative practices in Bulgaria
Sharing innovations for improving local self-government
Establishment of Bourgas Community Fund
NGO Development Center - Bourgas
Background
There are about 160 active non-governmental organizations on the territory of the town of Bourgas. They provide mainly social services, work in the field of environment preservation and protection of human rights. They also initiate youth educational and cultural activities. The Municipality of Bourgas finances NGO projects and initiatives, but the lack of free access for all non-governmental organizations and individual citizens, clear evaluation rules and publicity in announcing the results are the reasons for the public distrust, low efficiency of the achieved results and lack of motivation among the local donors. The NGO Development Center is the initiator of the Community Fund, established as an institution providing financial support for the local citizens sector.
There are about 160 active non-governmental organizations on the territory of the town of Bourgas. They provide mainly social services, work in the field of environment preservation and protection of human rights. They also initiate youth educational and cultural activities. The Municipality of Bourgas finances NGO projects and initiatives, but the lack of free access for all non-governmental organizations and individual citizens, clear evaluation rules and publicity in announcing the results are the reasons for the public distrust, low efficiency of the achieved results and lack of motivation among the local donors. The NGO Development Center is the initiator of the Community Fund, established as an institution providing financial support for the local citizens sector.
Practice
The encouraging of local initiative for outlining local priorities and realization of beneficial activities, the accumulation of a donors database and democratization of the municipal budget, as well as increasing the level of publicity and responsibility of both the municipal administration and non-governmental organizations are the main motives for the establishment of the Bourgas Community Fund. An accessible local financial resource for NGO projects becomes a gravitational center for attracting more funds, including those of the international donors` programs. The so called Community Foundation is a successfully functioning model in the USA and various European countries. It defines local priorities in cooperation with the active organizations and provides financial aid from the municipal budget or other local donors.
During the period November 1998 - May 1999 the NGO Development Center conducts several intensive consultations with municipal representatives and municipal councilors, journalists and representatives from NGO Consultants , Bulgarian Society for Education and Culture - Stara Zagora, the Civic Society Development Foundation, Union of the Bulgarian Foundations and Organizations and makes Internet research for the experience of the Community Foundation.
During the five workshops organized with the participation of more than 60 local NGOs the necessity of establishment of a Public Fund was discussed. All parties interested in such initiative were invited to participate personally or through the local media. The petition sighed by 44 local organizations and forwarded to the Municipal Council, requesting 150 million leva financial support for various NGO projects; the referendum for choosing the exact way of Fund registration, the process of establishing efficient relationships with potential donors and the nomination and election of the Fund s Board of Directors, are the main steps launched in the very beginning of the process of establishing the Fund, thus strengthening the democratic practices on a local level. The founders chosen by secret voting present the wide spectrum of the public interests and come from various spheres of public life - central and municipal administration, business, media, NGO leaders, minority representatives etc. The registration in the Bourgas County Court and the establishment of certain work regulations, as well as determination of the main problems for the municipality are already in process of realization.
The encouraging of local initiative for outlining local priorities and realization of beneficial activities, the accumulation of a donors database and democratization of the municipal budget, as well as increasing the level of publicity and responsibility of both the municipal administration and non-governmental organizations are the main motives for the establishment of the Bourgas Community Fund. An accessible local financial resource for NGO projects becomes a gravitational center for attracting more funds, including those of the international donors` programs. The so called Community Foundation is a successfully functioning model in the USA and various European countries. It defines local priorities in cooperation with the active organizations and provides financial aid from the municipal budget or other local donors.
During the period November 1998 - May 1999 the NGO Development Center conducts several intensive consultations with municipal representatives and municipal councilors, journalists and representatives from NGO Consultants , Bulgarian Society for Education and Culture - Stara Zagora, the Civic Society Development Foundation, Union of the Bulgarian Foundations and Organizations and makes Internet research for the experience of the Community Foundation.
During the five workshops organized with the participation of more than 60 local NGOs the necessity of establishment of a Public Fund was discussed. All parties interested in such initiative were invited to participate personally or through the local media. The petition sighed by 44 local organizations and forwarded to the Municipal Council, requesting 150 million leva financial support for various NGO projects; the referendum for choosing the exact way of Fund registration, the process of establishing efficient relationships with potential donors and the nomination and election of the Fund s Board of Directors, are the main steps launched in the very beginning of the process of establishing the Fund, thus strengthening the democratic practices on a local level. The founders chosen by secret voting present the wide spectrum of the public interests and come from various spheres of public life - central and municipal administration, business, media, NGO leaders, minority representatives etc. The registration in the Bourgas County Court and the establishment of certain work regulations, as well as determination of the main problems for the municipality are already in process of realization.
Results
The establishment of the Community Fund attracted other municipalities and NGOs from different regions of the country. Similar funds are already established in the towns of Plovdiv and Stara Zagora; FLGR supported a joint initiative of the Civic Society Development Foundation titled Citizens initiative for creation of local funds for public development . The holding of a competition for distribution of the available funds offered by the Municipality of Bourgas and purposed for NGO projects, and the attraction of finances from international programs are the expected results.
The establishment of the Community Fund attracted other municipalities and NGOs from different regions of the country. Similar funds are already established in the towns of Plovdiv and Stara Zagora; FLGR supported a joint initiative of the Civic Society Development Foundation titled Citizens initiative for creation of local funds for public development . The holding of a competition for distribution of the available funds offered by the Municipality of Bourgas and purposed for NGO projects, and the attraction of finances from international programs are the expected results.
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