The Center for Development of Non-Profit Sector

Zmaj Jovina 34,
11000 Beograd

tel/fax: (+381 11) 3283-306, 3283-308, 3283-309
e-mail: info@crnps.org.yu
web: www.crnps.org.yu
Contact: Zarko Paunovic (Director), Branka Petrovic (Program Director), Zoran Markovic (Public Relations Coordinator)

History, mission and goals

Center for the Development of Non-Profit Sector is a non-governmental, independent, non-profit institution intended as a center for information and documentation, communication, counseling and research. It is a service organization meeting the needs of non-profit, voluntary, non-governmental organizations in the FRY. It was established in 1996, in order to aid in building, renewing of the non-profit sector in the FR Yugoslavia and prompting the development of autonomous civil initiatives and civil society.

The Center does not provide material aid to, or arbitration between organizations, nor does it determine their agendas. It does not coordinate NGOs as a "center" from which something is either imposed or ordered. The services for all the voluntary, non-profit organizations are free, and Center's activity does not interfere with the program and management structures of these organizations. It exists as an "aid center" for those who demand such help.

The Center has become a member of the Orpheus Network, the network of the centers for the development of NGOs and civil society in Central and Eastern Europe (pertaining to the European Foundation Centre). Since December 1, 1999, the CDNPS is an executive partner to the European Commission on small grants project for NGOs in FR Yugoslavia.

Programs of the center

The Center's activities include the following programs:

1. Information-Documentation Program (gathering and distributing information; establishing the data base significant for non-profit organizations in the FR Yugoslavia; publishing bulletins, brochures and books; publishing the data base in a directory form; preparing the Internet presentations of the non-profit sector in the FR Yugoslavia; mediating in contacts and communications; providing counseling).
2. Training and Education Program (organizing professional and educational meetings, round tables, seminars, public talks; publishing brochures and directions useful for advancing the work of non-governmental organizations).
3. Advocacy and Aid to NGOs (advocating the interests of NGOs in the society, promoting and supporting the work and significance of NGOs, providing direct help, counseling, information and contacts).
4. The Volunteer Center Program (aiding in recruitment of the new people in projects and activities of local NGOs; establishing the volunteer job market - the data base on available citizens-volunteers willing to engage in non-governmental organizations).
5. Public Relations Program (advocating NGOs in public and developing an active relationship between NGOs and the media, public; helping the media in their coverage of NGOs).
6. Legal counseling for NGOs (providing legal counseling for citizens and NGOs related to establishing and registering of NGOs and their work; working towards the change of existing laws concerning the foundation and registration of the domestic and foreign NGOs in the FRY; analyzing and working towards changing the extant tax legislation related to the non-profit sector).
7. Research program (developing and supporting the scientific research of the non-profit sector in the FRY).

The activities and projects

The strategy of work and activity of the Center was created on the basis of NGO needs indicated by the survey on NGOs in 1993-94 and 1997. These researches have demonstrated that the impact of the non-profit sector and non-governmental organizations on the overall social changes, fulfillment of social needs and development of the civil society is still weak, because it is burdened by many problems. Based on these problems and needs of NGOs, the Center drafted its five-year working plan, entitled "Building the non-governmental democratic institutions in the FR Yugoslavia" (1997-2001). The plan is realized through the Center's programs, while these programs are divided into projects in two ways. First, there are projects directed towards NGOs, in which they are requested to participate and help (an "aggressive strategy"), and second, there are projects for which the Center provides service, responding to the NGOs demands ("defensive strategy").

The main goal of this five-year plan is to provide help in terms of founding, development and stabilization of NGOs in the FR Yugoslavia. This includes the improvement of communication, building the structure of organizations, networking, training, education, counseling, and research, promoting the civil self-organization and activity. This plan has being realized in phases (each phase is to be completed within a calendar year). In the first phase, i.e. during the first year of the Center's activity (1997), the main goal was to establish the quality database on NGOs in the FR Yugoslavia. Gathering information and data on NGOs, as well as publishing and announcing this information to the public, were the bases for any action of the Center. In the second phase, during the second year (1998), the main goal of the Center was to aid in establishing better communication and networking among NGOs based on their needs and extant information. Furthermore, one of the primary tasks was to prompt the development of new NGOs in the cities where they had not existed. In the third phase, during the third year (1999), the major objective of the Center will be to stimulate, through public campaign and lobbying, the awareness of NGOs regarding their common interests; also, to demonstrate the necessity to associate with regional alliances, coordination and movements. This campaign is directed towards public promotion of the non-profit sector, including its connection with the profit sector and the state. In the fourth phase, during the fourth year of the Center's activity (2000), the main goal is to work towards building the horizontal and vertical NGO networks, aimed at connecting NGOs on the local, regional and - through the Forum of NGOs - national levels. This will, in turn, create awareness of their common interests and actions.

This is just a short presentation of work of the CDNPS. There are a great number of projects realized through the programs of Center. More information about these projects is available on CDNPS's web site or through a direct contact with Center's staff.