NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN BULGARIA (2002)

April 2002

 

SUMMARY

Project: Non-profit organizations in Bulgaria

 

Based on the data obtained the following conclusions can be drawn in summary:

 

1. In terms of their legal registration two thirds of the surveyed organizations are associations and the rest are foundations. According to the type of their major activities training and/or information agencies are most widespread. Most non-governmental organizations are fundraising and only a few of them are grant providers.

 

2. In terms of their major goals and objectives the non-governmental organizations being surveyed are dominated by those protecting professional interests and providing support as representatives of their members before the central and local authorities. Among them are organizations involved in cooperation and international relations with similar organizations and institutions as well as those promoting the development of the civic society in the country as their major objective.

 

3. At the time of the survey about one third of the non-governmental organizations had been registered (or in the process of registration) under the new legislation on non-profit legal entities, 67% were public benefit organizations and 17% – organizations involved in private benefit activities.

 

4. Most organizations not registered under the new legislation on non-profit legal entities are definitely intending to complete this procedure as soon as possible. As for the time involved nearly two thirds of them have mentioned a period of between one and six months to register under the new law.

 

5. The percentage of surveyed organizations that have expressed their intention to modify the aims of the organization after its registration under the new legislation on non-governmental legal entities is insignificant. Over two thirds of the organizations indicated that after the registration they will develop activities in the interest of the public.

 

6. The development and promotion of spiritual values, civic society, health, education, science, culture, technologies and physical culture are foremost among the possible spheres of public benefit activities.

 

7. The results obtained show that a large part (about 43%) of the organizations being surveyed perform additional economic activities related to their goals and objectives. Under that criterion paid consulting services rank first.

 

8. In 2000 nearly 37% of the non-governmental organizations included in the survey had positive financial results subject to profit taxation.

 

9. The share of the organizations involved in additional economic activities not related to their objectives is relatively low as compared with the third sector as a whole. Nonetheless nearly 40% of the respondents have indicated that their organizations offer different paid services. Consulting and educational services are at the top while publishing and research are much less common. Close to one third of the organizations covered by the survey obtain over 50% of their incomes from paid services provided by them.

 

10. Nearly two thirds of the organizations performing activities against payment do not duplicate the services provided by the central or local authorities. The opinion that the services offered by NGOs are of better quality prevails among the organizations involved in similar services. Furthermore, the survey has registered similar opinions concerning the cost of the services offered.

 

11. The Bulgarian legal entities should be mentioned first among the funding sources with the largest share in the incomes of the non-governmental organizations – up to 25% in most cases. Next to them in the order of significance are foreign legal entities representing a major funding course for more than half of the organizations. Foreign physical persons are least involved in funding the third sector in Bulgaria.

 

12. Up to the time of the survey over half of the NGOs had no funding under EU projects. For most of those who had received such support it accounted for up to 25% of their total income.

13. The support provided by foreign legal entities to Bulgarian NGOs is most often in cash grants. For nearly two thirds of the organizations funded from such sources such funding represents from 76% to 100% of all incomes. The assistance in kind (equipment, technical assistance, products etc.) and the provision of services and expert assistance are much less common in the activities of the foreign legal entities.

 

14. Over half of the NGOs are involved in joint activities with the central government or the municipality concerned. Most often these activities take the form of development of projects and programs, organizing cultural, sport and tourist initiatives and mutual consultations and expert assistance.

 

15. The data obtained indicate a high degree of financial independence of the third sector from the central and local government. Only one fifth of the NGOs receive funding from the above two sources. In most cases it involves direct cash grants and more rarely – free use of equipment and immovable property and free consulting services provided by experts.

 

16. Donation as one of the forms of support to the activities of the non-governmental organizations has deeply pervaded the structures of the third sector. In 2000 nearly one third of these structures obtained such financial support.

 

17. The biggest donors over the same period of time were Bulgarian legal entities followed by Bulgarian physical entities and foreign legal entities. The share of incomes of the organizations receiving financial support from the first two categories of donators is within the range of up to 25% of their total incomes in the past year. Meanwhile the grants from foreign legal entities are considerably higher and vary between 75 and 100% of the total incomes of the organizations involved.

 

18. The donations received by non-governmental organizations in 2000 were mostly in the form of money. The donations in kind (free provision of technical equipment and appliances, products etc.) or expert assistance and services were much fewer.

 

SUMMARY

 

Project: Non-profit organizations in Bulgaria

 

Based on the data obtained the following conclusions can be drawn in summary:

1. In terms of their legal registration two thirds of the surveyed organizations are associations and the rest are foundations. According to the type of their major activities training and/or information agencies are most widespread. Most non-governmental organizations are fundraising and only a few of them are grant providers.

 

2. In terms of their major goals and objectives the non-governmental organizations being surveyed are dominated by those protecting professional interests and providing support as representatives of their members before the central and local authorities. Among them are organizations involved in cooperation and international relations with similar organizations and institutions as well as those promoting the development of the civic society in the country as their major objective.

 

3. At the time of the survey about one third of the non-governmental organizations had been registered (or in the process of registration) under the new legislation on non-profit legal entities, 67% were public benefit organizations and 17% – organizations involved in private benefit activities.

 

4. Most organizations not registered under the new legislation on non-profit legal entities are definitely intending to complete this procedure as soon as possible. As for the time involved nearly two thirds of them have mentioned a period of between one and six months to register under the new law.

 

5. The percentage of surveyed organizations that have expressed their intention to modify the aims of the organization after its registration under the new legislation on non-governmental legal entities is insignificant. Over two thirds of the organizations indicated that after the registration they will develop activities in the interest of the public.

 

6. The development and promotion of spiritual values, civic society, health, education, science, culture, technologies and physical culture are foremost among the possible spheres of public benefit activities.

 

7. The results obtained show that a large part (about 43%) of the organizations being surveyed perform additional economic activities related to their goals and objectives. Under that criterion paid consulting services rank first.

 

8. In 2000 nearly 37% of the non-governmental organizations included in the survey had positive financial results subject to profit taxation.

 

9. The share of the organizations involved in additional economic activities not related to their objectives is relatively low as compared with the third sector as a whole. Nonetheless nearly 40% of the respondents have indicated that their organizations offer different paid services. Consulting and educational services are at the top while publishing and research are much less common. Close to one third of the organizations covered by the survey obtain over 50% of their incomes from paid services provided by them.

 

10. Nearly two thirds of the organizations performing activities against payment do not duplicate the services provided by the central or local authorities. The opinion that the services offered by NGOs are of better quality prevails among the organizations involved in similar services. Furthermore, the survey has registered similar opinions concerning the cost of the services offered.

 

11. The Bulgarian legal entities should be mentioned first among the funding sources with the largest share in the incomes of the non-governmental organizations – up to 25% in most cases. Next to them in the order of significance are foreign legal entities representing a major funding course for more than half of the organizations. Foreign physical persons are least involved in funding the third sector in Bulgaria.

 

12. Up to the time of the survey over half of the NGOs had no funding under EU projects. For most of those who had received such support it accounted for up to 25% of their total income.

 

13. The support provided by foreign legal entities to Bulgarian NGOs is most often in cash grants. For nearly two thirds of the organizations funded from such sources such funding represents from 76% to 100% of all incomes. The assistance in kind (equipment, technical assistance, products etc.) and the provision of services and expert assistance are much less common in the activities of the foreign legal entities.

 

14. Over half of the NGOs are involved in joint activities with the central government or the municipality concerned. Most often these activities take the form of development of projects and programs, organizing cultural, sport and tourist initiatives and mutual consultations and expert assistance.

 

15. The data obtained indicate a high degree of financial independence of the third sector from the central and local government. Only one fifth of the NGOs receive funding from the above two sources. In most cases it involves direct cash grants and more rarely – free use of equipment and immovable property and free consulting services provided by experts.

 

16. Donation as one of the forms of support to the activities of the non-governmental organizations has deeply pervaded the structures of the third sector. In 2000 nearly one third of these structures obtained such financial support.

 

17. The biggest donors over the same period of time were Bulgarian legal entities followed by Bulgarian physical entities and foreign legal entities. The share of incomes of the organizations receiving financial support from the first two categories of donators is within the range of up to 25% of their total incomes in the past year. Meanwhile the grants from foreign legal entities are considerably higher and vary between 75 and 100% of the total incomes of the organizations involved.

 

18. The donations received by non-governmental organizations in 2000 were mostly in the form of money. The donations in kind (free provision of technical equipment and appliances, products etc.) or expert assistance and services were much fewer.

 

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