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Activate: building bridges between CSOs, Private Sector and Active Citizens

America for Bulgaria Foundation is a BCNL’s strategic partner for many years with the common belief that Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are an intrinsic element of every independent and prosperous civil society. Jointly with ABF during the years we’ve developed several programs dedicated to improve the civil society organizations in Bulgaria:

  1. Improving and enabling the environment for CSOs;
  2. Building capacity of CSOs for financial sustainability, entrepreneurship, good governance and program development.
  3. Engaging general public in CSOs program and campaigns.

Below are some numbers that show our successes for the last 3 years (2016-2019):

  • 1873 CSOs received support from BCNL – consultations, participation in trainings, etc.;
  • More than 400 events with more than 8300 participants – organized or hosted by BCNL and the NGO House;
  • 182 000 BGN invested in CSOs engaging in securing independent sources of funding – fundraising grants and business plan awards;
  • Almost 500 000 BGN earned by the supported CSOs as a result of our assistance.

 

Two of our main programs are developed thanks to the ABF’s trust and support for the civil society: The NGO Summer School and Entrepreneurship for Non-Profit Organizations. In almost a decade we managed to train and inspire more than 160 new leaders in the civic sector, and to help CSO’s become more sustainable and open their activities.

“I believe that we have to continue upgrade what we have learned and the experience we got, and that the support to the alumni community is extremely valuable with regard to the necessity from  recognizing the civil society and the democracy values in Bulgaria, especially in the context of the contemporary challenges that raise before Europe.” – a participant in the NGO Summer School,2016.

Our key program Entrepreneurship for Non-Profit Organizations helped more than 180 teams to develop their ideas about entrepreneurship as a sustainable tool to solve social challenges. For the last three years more than 50 new jobs were created and more than 90 business clients were attracted to the mission-driven businesses’ products and services.

As a strategic partner ABF supports us in brave and valuable initiatives – such as the NGO House. Since 2016 the NGO House succeeded to become a recognizable place where organizations and active citizens meet and share information, knowledge, inspiration and ideas.

Our vision encompasses the creation of an independent and prosperous civil society and we recognize ABF as a strategic partner of BCNL for the time ahead. In the next two years we are motivate to work with their support on:

  1. Promoting entrepreneurship as a good sustainable business model for solving problems and a way to achieve CSOs’ missions.
  2. Monitoring the environment for CSOs, ensuring participation in decision-making process and good governance.
  3. Promoting the importance and the role of the private sector (CSOs, business, citizens) in creating innovations and shaping the community agenda.

Time frame: 2020-2022

ABF support for BCNL: 586,816 BGN

America for Bulgaria Foundation (ABF) is an independent, non-partisan and non-political American philanthropic foundation. Founded in 2008, ABF is a successor to the Bulgarian American Enterprise Fund, an investment fund created under the SEED Act of 1989 through the U.S. Agency for International Development.

ABF assists in strengthening a vibrant market economy and the institutions of democratic society in Bulgaria, helping the country to realize its full potential as a successful, modern European nation. The philanthropic aid provided by ABF builds on the legacy of good will and friendship that exists between the American and Bulgarian people. For more information, please visit: www.us4bg.org.