„Bridging the Sectors" Project

 


The CSDF aims to enhance interest based cooperation among NGOs, businesses and government agencies by

As foreign aid is withdrawing and state sources accessible for non-profit organizations are shrinking gradually, the nonprofit sector is facing the challenge of long-run sustainability in all of East Central Europe. The CSDF launched its "Bridging the Sectors" project to help nonprofit organizations create conscious and effective cooperation with the business and state sectors, while taking into account local characteristics as well as already working models abroad.

In the long run, we wish to contribute to the strengthening of the civil sectors in Central and East Europe by encouraging nonprofit sector initiatives in cooperation with the other two sectors. For this reason, we launched our project in January 1997 in cooperation with the Civil Society Development Foundation in Poland. The project package consists of interrelated elements that are integrated into our long-term strategy.

Winter Institute on Cooperation With the Local Government
Corporate Donors Directory
Good Works Project
The DEAL - Development Action Locally - Project

Winter Institute on Cooperation With the Local Government

In the Winter Institute, first run early 1998 and planned to be repeated annually, convened 20 pairs of NGO and local government representatives to work on concrete projects in a four-day residential training program. Emphasis was placed on enhancing participants’ skills in Cooperative Planning as well as providing up-to-date and practical background information on legal and fiscal implications of the partnership.

Some examples of projects that have been developed by NGOs and Local Government officials during the Winter Institute:

Corporate Donors Directory

There are a number of Hungarian and multinational companies and firms in Hungary that are supportive of the non-profit sector and give occasionally, or on a more permanent basis. In the Spring of 1999 we published a directory containing data on the biggest corporate donors and the conditions under which nonprofit organizations could win support or could enter into partnership with companies.

Good Works Project

There are a number of ways besides financial support in which the business sector could cooperate with nonprofit organizations. The mission of the Good Works project is to promote business-NGO partnerships through matching up the interest of businesses and NGOs in concrete community actions, including secondment of business expertise to NGOs or team-efforts of business employees in helping NGOs and their clients.

Some examples of already running partnerships:

We facilitated cooperation between Chinoin Pharmaceutical Works and the Red Cross. In this partnership employees of the Works give blood and they would offer it for the Red Cross.

CSDF worked intensively over a longer period of time with Budapest Bank in developing its nationwide Community Action Program. The bank is now working with a number of environmental protection organizations as well as local governments in planting trees and cleaning forests (for example in Solymár). They also introduced local initiatives like renovating a kindergarten at a local branch.

We launched cooperation between a homeless residence and Scala, a computer company, in which homeless people are being trained on fifteen computers by company employees.

An employee of MCI, telecommunications company, works for the Association of City Protection in planning and marketing.

A successful community partnership has also been set up between Tungsram GE and HAYIKO (youth organization) in Káposztásmegyer in a school renovation project.

 

The DEAL - Development Action Locally - Project

DEAL was launched in January 1999 to foster local development in one Hungarian city, involving local NGOs, businesses and government to strengthen the community and ensure strategic and sustainable development for the NGO sector locally.

The mission is to be achieved through an innovative methodology that ensures democratic participation of all stakeholders and results in an action plan for the city. The project is based on the 18 month experience of running the Bridging the Sectors Project in Hungary and also introduces a new methodology for the common planning process called Search Conference.


csdf@mail.c3.hu.