Creating a Favorable Environment for Advocacy and Public Policy

• The Trust in the CR:

• Impacts and Achievements
  • Overall impacts
  • Meeting CEE Trust goals
• Program Map
• Program Components
  • Creating a Favorable Legislative, Fiscal and Philanthropic Environment
  • Creating a Favorable Environment for Advocacy and Public Policy
  • Institutional Support for Key Strategic NGOS
  • Knowledge Fund
  • The Consultants´ Guild
  • Strengthening Regional / Community Foundations
  • Non-Profit Organizations on the Threshold of the EU: Support for Model Regional and Community Projects
  • Ensuring Access to Information and Expertise Concerning EU funding
  • Increasing Support from the Private Sector
  • Increasing Support from Individuals
• Program In Spotlight
  • CEET in facts and figures
  • CEET in the eyes of grantees
  • CEET in stories
  • CEET in pics
• Annotated Summary of Grants( pdf 153 kB)

A program component implemented by the Open Society Fund Prague

This grant program supported NGO projects which focused on voicing and advocating public interests, and strengthening democracy and public participation in decision-making processes. Furthermore, it contributed to the emergence of independent think tanks focusing on democracy and civil society issues.

Nine grants ranging from $7,250 to $39,500 supported the project work of advocacy NGOs in the areas of fighting corruption (the process of setting anti-corruption measures in the newly established regional governments; drafting of the Conflict of Interest Act) environmental protection (monitoring and commenting on legislation; litigation; support to increase public participation in decision-making), and citizen and human rights (rights of the handicapped, aliens and refugees; equal access to legal aid).

The work resulted in concrete results: drafts of and comments on specific pieces of legislation (e.g. Conflict of Interest Act, Act on Administration); discussions and seminars providing a platform for dialogue between the public administration and NGOs (e.g. seminars for regional governmental officials on anti-corruption measures); campaigns and publications (e.g. push for ratification of the Aarhus Treaty, 4 publications on asylum politics and practices) as well as practical assistance for NGOs and individual citizens to eliminate cases of unlawful and improper decision-making by state offices in matters of the environment and human rights (e.g. litigation aid in more than 30 legal cases; ongoing legal advisory and consultations).

Three think tanks were supported with grants ranging from $17,000 to $30,600: the first-ever independent think tank specializing in NGO sector and two others dealing with overall political culture in the Czech Republic (in particular the need for laws on lobbying) and global issues (e.g. "democracy and security").

The supported activities can be best illustrated in the already accomplished activities of The Centre for Nonprofit Sector Research - CVNS: the publications "The Economy of Czech Foundations and Non-endowed Funds" and "The Economy of Czech Public Benefit Organizations" produced the first-ever analytical data concerning the financial aspects of the work of Czech foundations and public benefit organizations. Analysis of NGO annual reports revealed the potentials for increasing the level of transparency. The "Satellite account of Czech NGOs", developed in collaboration with Czech Statistical Office, provided a tool for gathering statistical data about the NGO sector in a form compatible with other economic statistics. The methodology developed by CVNS has served for mapping the flow of public subsidies to NGOs.

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