Development

Message for Michael Strubin, WINGS

Community Foundations (in Slovenia known as Local Development Foundations) are developing as part of the program Dobra družba, co-financed by the Trust for civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. Program Dobra družba (Good Society) begun in 2004 and it will be running till 2007.

After the feasibility study, regional workshops and national conference the call for proposals invited all interested NGOs to become or establish a LDF. The call for proposals for all NGOs was published at the end of September 2006, deadline for applications was November 15th (we also had special workshops regarding the call for proposals - we presented the call, answered all the questions, etc.). 8 chosen applicants went through the training about everything one needs to know about CFs with the study visit to Slovakia. The training was conducted during December 2006 and January 2007. Study visit to Slovakia was in December. In the framework of the training there were workshops on legal issues, strategic planning, investments, lobbying, fundraising, PR, etc. At the end of the training applicants wrote the LRF programme and financial plan, on the basis of which 4 organisations were selected in February to receive seed financial support. By the end of the 2006 all 8 organisations fundraise, because the second part of financial support will be divided according the funds they gained. The whole time the project partners proved assistance and support.

Out of four LDFs, three of them are newly established and one of them broadened it's activities. They are all registered as foundations.
Their names:

• LDF for Pomurje,
• LDF Posavje,
• LDF Banjška and Trnovska Planota,
• LDF Vincenc Draksler.

There is common web page www.lrf.si, which is unfortunately only in Slovene language, but there you can find contacts and links to the LDF's web page (currently only one LDF web page is established: LDF for Pomurje, http://lrf.ra-sinergija.si/).

By the end of these year LDFs will be mostly occupied with fundraising and promotion. We will know more about the donors at the end of this year. Although they are already active in the community, the true work will begin next year.



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