Category: News

In 2012, independent foundations from six countries in the region, gathered in SIGN network, started a project that aims to increase the support of citizens and local partners thus increasing the sustainability of civil society organizations (CSOs) and their impact in democratization processes in the Western Balkans region, by creating a favorable environment for philanthropy development and giving for the public good and openly working on fundraising in local communities.

Until the end of 2016, special attention within the “SIGN for Sustainability” project will be dedicated to the creation of policy recommendations leading to the increase of individual and corporate giving, adoption of Standards for transparency in fundraising by a large number of CSOs, promotion of national and regional cooperation in the development of local philanthropy and establishment of the first regional Sustainability Academy, providing matching grants to organizations that successfully fundraise from local sources for initiatives relevant for their respective communities.

In the first phase of the project that lasted until the end of 2014, with the help of an expert dr Dragan Golubovic, partners developed a Baseline study about legislative and tax framework in six countries of the region and conducted public opinion surveys in all partner countries. Based on this, partners created policy recommendations in five countries that underwent a wide consultation process with representatives of CSOs, businesses, and state institutions. At the end of this process, policy recommendations were submitted to relevant decision-makers and the majority of these proposals were inserted into appropriate Strategies and draft legislation amendments, due to be adopted in 2015.

More information about Trag’s activities in this field can be found within the section of our webpage dedicated to the Public Policy Program.

Besides the policy work, partners conducted the first cycle of the Sustainability Academy program. Selected organizations managed to raise over 92.000,00 Euros in their local communities and receive 77.420,00 Euros in matching grants from SIGN partners. These funds were used for the realization of initiatives that the civil society organizations fundraised for and for the continuation of their fundraising activities. The results of this program were promoted through the video “A Good SIGN” that received significant attention across the region.

Within this project, partners also developed regional “Standards for Transparency in Fundraising” that are based on principles applied in 11 countries of the European Union and consultations with civil society organizations that contributed to adjusting the document to the regional context. These standards intend to set principles of good practice in the process of fundraising, increasing the citizens’ trust in activities of the CSOs thus enhancing their legitimacy, sustainability, and impact. The final version of the Standards was published in mid-2014 and, thus far, it was signed by over 130 CSOs from all countries of the Western Balkans region. Organizations that are interested to apply these standards in their work can sign them by submitting a form that can be found on the SIGN website.

The end of the first phase of the “SIGN for Sustainability” project was marked by a regional conference that gathered over 100 representatives of CSOs, businesses, state institutions, and media from five countries in the region. During the conference, participants discussed the enabling environment and issues of transparency as prerequisites for the development of philanthropy in the Western Balkans region and used the opportunity to form a joint platform for future work on these questions.

In the following phase of the project that will last until 2016, partners will continue to advocate for a more favorable legislative and tax framework for philanthropy development, conduct a Regional Sustainability Academy gathering most successful participants from the first cycle and produce Manual for Implementation of Standards for Fundraising that will provide signatories and other CSOs with a list of indicators, forms, links and good practice examples related to each standard.

SIGN for Sustainability project is conducted in partnership between Trag foundation from Serbia, Mozaik Foundation from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Fund for active citizenship from Montenegro, Forum for citizens’ initiatives from Kosovo and Balkan Trust for Democracy as an associate on the project. Foundation VIA from the Czech Republic and Institute for Contemporary Studies from Albania are also involved in the realization of the above-mentioned activities.

The project of the SIGN Network is implemented with financial support from the European Union and Balkan Trust for Democracy.

As one of the leaders in the development of local philanthropy and social responsibility in Serbia, Trag wants to shift the stimulation to Serbia’s sustainable development from foreign aid to domestic potential.

As a local foundation, we believe that it is important that communities, in their development, rely on internal potentials and therefore we make efforts to encourage the development of local philanthropy and social responsibility. In line with our strategy, through various activities and programs, we invest in promoting and fostering philanthropy, both nationally and locally.

After several years of work in the field of corporate philanthropy, at the end of 2009 Trag has started exploring the area of individual philanthropy by surveying attitudes of the general public. In this way, Trag has gained various insights into the culture of giving in Serbia, citizens’ attitudes, knowledge of giving mechanisms, and their readiness to invest financial means or material goods to initiatives for the public good. Citizens have clearly stated that they wish to give and that they are motivated to donate significant amounts when there is a clear need for it.

Inspired by the results of this survey and wish to raise awareness and solidarity of citizens regarding the importance of philanthropy and individual contributions to the common good, during 2010 and 2011 Trag has conducted the “Penny is not petty – giving hand, joyous heart” campaign. Funds raised during this campaign have been donated to children coming from families with multiple issues, gathered by the Children’s Club “Moonlight” in Subotica

The latest survey on individual and corporate philanthropy in Serbia that Trag conducted at the end of 2012 shows that interest in philanthropy is on the increase but that long term investments in the community are still lacking.

The main findings point out that Serbian citizens still primarily comprehend philanthropy as humanitarian aid and provision of support to socially vulnerable groups and individuals. Representatives of companies on the other hand, although consentient that the primary goal of initiatives for the public good is to aid the endangered, pay considerably greater significance to actions contributing to the general community development. Both citizens and companies agree that current state of philanthropy is dissatisfying, mostly as a consequence of the economic crisis and societal apathy, but they also agree that potential for development exists and that it is necessary to mobilize and stimulate both citizens and companies to participate in philanthropic initiatives through better engagement of media and state, change of legal and fiscal framework, development of transparency and providing feedback on the flow of funds raised to support these actions and their results.

Citizens show a lack of trust towards civil society organizations, especially in matters of financial management, while companies make a distinction between organizations and foundations, showing more trust in the latter. They also expressed readiness to support both organizations and foundations, noting that they should improve their work and transparency, quality of suggested actions, and communication with the business sector beforehand. Trag has used this research to improve its strategy and work in this area. Complete research “Individual and Corporate Philanthropy in Serbia” could be found here.

In the field of individual philanthropy, Trag is implementing programs aiming to support civil society organizations to raise funds and work with individual donors on the local level. For more details please visit Successful fundraising and Perspectives for sustainability pages.Trag is also building its database of individual donors. With their donations to the annual campaign Kindness as a gift, friends of Trag contribute to the implementation of key programs of the foundation as well as specific initiatives such as the one supporting CSOs in flooded areas in 2014. Up until now, more than 200 individuals supported Trag programs, the establishment of its endowment fund, and the recovery of flooded areas. Trag has also introduced the methodology of working with major donors to its work. After conducting the feasibility study, in 2014 Trag launched its first campaign for financial endowment titled Tracing the future to raise USD 250.000 from individual donors for the endowment fund supporting the sustainability of local communities in Serbia.

By raising funds by the end of 2018 we reached our goal set of $ 251.861,00 creating an initial endowment fund of over $ 750.000,00 thanks to the support of the Charles Stuart Mot Foundation, which donated twice the amount raised. Through investment, the fund will increase over the years and provide sustainable support for active and responsible citizens across Serbia who are changing their communities and the whole society for the better.

Inspired by the development of individual philanthropy and significant contribution of citizens to initiatives for the public good, Trag foundation expanded its VIRTUS award to this area and introduced the category for Individual contribution to philanthropy that will be awarded annually from now on. The first laureate of this award is Svetlana Urosevic from Grocka and VIRTUS jury also decided to award special acknowledgment for outstanding contribution to the development of philanthropy in Serbia to Veran Matic, Chairperson of the Board of Fund B92. So far, we have awarded XX winners in this category, and since 2018 we have been giving a special prize to a young philanthropist up to 30 years of age. Should you wish to share your philanthropic experiences with us, or you need information on to whom you may support and in what way, send us an e-mail at filantropija@tragfondacija.org.

Trag is actively working on the development of corporate philanthropy to include as many companies and entrepreneurs, as well as individuals to strategically give for nonprofit and public good initiatives whilst building long term partnerships with civil society organizations. Business subjects may participate in the development of the local community in which they operate, by providing material and financial support to the aforementioned actions. Through strategically planned investment, companies advance their corporate social responsibility and invest in the field of corporate philanthropy. In this way, Trag launches a systematic campaign aiming to instigate and reaffirm philanthropic ideas and attitudes in our society. Trag realized a variety of activities carrying a message that giving for the public good should be reinstated as a daily and regular part of our lives.

To acknowledge and publicly emphasize companies and enterprises whose material and financial aid serves as the best example for others and who set the standards that the world of responsible management should strive to, Trag has been presenting the annual VIRTUS award for philanthropy since 2007. This award is meant for companies and individuals that supported non-profit actions or organizations for the public good most efficiently and effectively in the previous year. One of the objectives of this Award is to promote and encourage philanthropy in our country and to increase the participation of companies, enterprises, and individuals in initiatives and programs for the public good in the future.

To develop its strategy in the area of corporate philanthropy in the most effective way, in 2012 Trag conducted comprehensive quantitative and qualitative research on individual and corporate philanthropy. The results of the research can be found here “Individual and corporate philanthropy in Serbia”.

Within the philanthropy program, from 2007 Trag has been implementing several programs aiming to support civil society organizations to work on their long term financial sustainability by establishing close cooperation with a wider circle of donors in the local community. The idea of these programs is to provide educational and/or mentor support as well as financial means to enable these organizations to achieve sustainability through strategic work, reliance on different sources of funding, innovative models of fundraising in the local community, and instigating corporate and individual philanthropy. 

Multiannual collaboration between Oak i Trag fondacije.started when launching the program “Empowering women’s organizations and movements in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro to combat violence against women” in 2015. The program aims to empower women’s organizations, movements, and networks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia through donations, capacity building, and networking. This program is equivalent to the existing strategy and program of Oak Foundation called Issues Affecting Women Programme.

The program has two main pillars:

1. developing a movement for women’s human rights

2. combating violence against women

These two pillars further divide into four program areas:

– movement building

– combating violence against women 

– fight against exploitation and human trafficking 

– crisis violence (war, post-war violence)

The program supports organizations involved in the promotion and protection of women’s human rights in the mentioned areas.

Through giving donations, Trag Foundation manages the institutional support coming from Oak Foundation to women’s organizations and networks, monitors the implementation of activities on the field, and provides technical and advisory support for organizations when project reporting process towards Oak Foundation.

According to the needs of women’s organizations and networks, Trag Foundation through capacity building organizes group and individual training and education (training in developing child protection policies and procedures in collaboration with Keeping Children Safe, training in writing EU projects, fundraising, developing a social business in collaboration with NESsT, etc). As part of capacity building, to adapt the support to the needs of women’s organizations and networks, in 2015 Trag Foundation conducted self-assessment workshops with all organizations that were supported by the Oak Foundation. Additionally within the program, as part of capacity building, Trag Foundation gives support to all organizations daily and according to their needs.

Through networking, Trag Foundation manages the process of developing a new regional strategy to support women’s organizations in the Balkans, connects and promotes communication among organizations supported by the Oak Foundation through regular regional meetings, and identifies new organizations and networks contributing to the advancement and implementation of programs in the Balkans that would be supported by the Oak Foundation in the future.

Trag Foundation has been implementing the Active Communities program for 20 years through witch 630 initiatives of informal groups and associations in over 200 communities across Serbia were supported. From the very beginning, the program monitors the needs of united citizens and financially and otherwise supports them to realize their ideas that contribute to the development and improvement of their communities. The projects we support are not thematically limited and are the result of the ideas, energy, work, and dedication of the people who participate in them.
 
Who can apply?

We support citizen associations and informal groups that:
● initiate and actively involve citizens in their activities,
● represent the general interests of their community,
● do not exist for more than 10 years,
● have an annual income not exceeding RSD 1.200.000,00 (for associations),
● have no access to significant funds from other donors or are not directly affiliated with international agencies and funds and
● are located in the territory of Serbia.

Informal groups mean groups of at least three people who are gathered to solve community problems and are not formally registered.

What do we support?

We believe that united citizens best recognize the needs of their communities, therefore the Active Communities program opens up space for diverse projects that contribute to community development. For us, the community is consisted of citizens, gathered around common values, needs, interests, problems, who, by developing a sense of belonging to the community, take common action.

Trag Foundation believes that a community is not a group of individuals, moreover that it primarily represents the interactions that individuals achieve for the common goals that are furthermore based on the values ​​of solidarity, respect for diversity, equality, and responsibility. We believe in the potential and power of active and united citizens to influence change in their communities, whether related by a particular physical space (geographical territory), online space, or a shared interest or need. Therefore, communities can be local, ethnic minority communities, members of different marginalized groups, LGBT +, online communities, etc.

The procedure of granting donations

During the selection process, project proposals for the Active Communities program are mediated at the following levels:
1. Trag Office
2. Activists Committee
3. Donations Committee
You can find out more about the selection process at the link.

Program Active Communities is realized with financial support from Balkanski fond za demokratiju (BTD) and Fond braće Rokfeler, as well as Coca-Cola HBC Srbija i Crna Gora.