Views: Zoran Stojkovski

Sustainability of the civil sector depends on successful mobilization

Sustainability is not only one of the key words in the group of magically unreachable conditions of 99% of the citizen associations in Republic of Macedonia, but also a need for providing a long-term development of the overall civil sector in RM. Led by those reasons, the Centre for institutional development – CIDe organized the conference “Strategies for sustainability of the NGO sector in Macedonia” within the NGO Fair from 2nd to 5th December 2004 in Skopje.

The idea of the conference, among the others, was to represent the experiences and the practise of the representatives of civil associations from Central and Eastern Europe for providing financial sustainability of the civil sector. Because of that, there were 15 introducers at the conference, who came from Slovakia, the Chech Republic, Hungary, Bulgaria, Serbia and Monte Negro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and USA.

As a result of the conference, conclusions and recommendations were made for possible strategies for sustainability of the civil organizations in Macedonia. The conclusions of the conference can be divided in three groups.

In the group that refers to creating a supporting legal surrounding for development of the financial sustainability of the civil sector, there were several conclusions. With providing economic activities for the citizen associations, as well as with tax reliefs for individuals or enterprises that want to donate, Macedonia would reach the condition of all the other countries in the region and CEE. It’s necessary to regulate the governmental financial support through establishing criteria and a proper process of choosing and financing, as well as organizing the process for licencing when we talk about social services.

The decision for opening a department for cooperation with citizen associations in the Government of RM, brought in November 2004, was greeted. At the same time, it was concluded that it’s very important for the CA to be included in the preparation of the plan and programme of the department for cooperation with CA. One of the ideas is to create reserve funds in order to provide participation of CA in the EU tenders.

It’s necessary to provide different possibilities in the legal regulation, as for example passing a percentual (%) legislation. The idea for changing the Law for lottery games was greeted. Establishing a legal frame for volunteers can be put in this part of the conclusions.

The second group of conclusions refers to increasing the practises for mobilizing resources by CA. At the same time it was concluded that it’s necessary to go for a bigger involvement of the individuals and groups that are prepared to invest their time, expertise and means to improve the quality of life in the local communities, in order to improve the feeling of the citizens for their care, responsibility, interdependance and inclusion. The key in the development of finacial sustainability of organizations is the development of TRUST with citizens. It’s necessary to increase the public image, transparency and efficiency of the civil sector. Every organization should build its own strategies for sustainability, that will include relying on more different sources for sustainability. Building financial reserves of the organization is a precondition to conduct the mission and to remain independent.

From the models that exist in the region of Central and Eastern Europe we would point out the recommendations for creating community foundations, as well as making an analisis for the possibility for development of endowment funds in RM. Also very useful is the possibility for including the diaspora in the collection of means and solution of the community issues. It was concluded that it would be of a big benefit for us to use the experience from our region in mobilizing resources at local level.

The last group of conclusions is connected to developing corporational philanthropy. Here it was concluded that the business and the civil sector have a mutual interest for cooperation. There’s interdependance of the sustainability of the civil sector with the development of capital and the brisk economic development. Here there’s a need for bigger support by the business subjects for the development programmes and projects of the civil organizations. Also the civil sector should  build its own infrastructure for support and cooperation offers to the business-sector. It’s necessary to develop the skills of the socially responsible entrepreneurs at the business-sector.

If we strive for an influential civil sector, that will be able to respond properly to the processes in the society in solving important problems and phenomena, then it will be necessary to build not only ability for successful mobilization of citizens and the society, but also an ability to mobilize resources from domestic sources.

(the author is president of the Centre for institutional development – CIDe)