15 years of the “Act Locally” Program include thousands of completed local projects, hours of inspiring training and a wealth of invaluable experience. Due to the fact that in Poland the Network of Locally Active Centers (ALC) has developed so well, the time has come to share the experience gained abroad with organizations that are ready to introduce the model of Act Locally Centers in their communities.
About the project
Within this project, we wanted to strengthten the NGO sector in Ukraine by creating a network of local philantropic organizations in Ukraine, modelled on the Polish network of Act Locally Centres. The project involved 9 Act Locally Centres and 10 organizations from Ukraine.
Within the project:
- We have carried out an analysis of the potential and conditions for networking of local philantropic organizations, modelled on the Act Locally Centres network in Ukraine,
- Act Locally Centers and organizations from Ukraine took part in the educational program, then in partnerships consisting of ALC and organization from Ukraine invented social projects promoting the idea of local philanthropy in Ukraine. Three projects received grants in amount of 16.000 PLN for implementation of partnership projects. Detailed information on the projects can be found in the summary report (PL). The participants of the project had also an opportunity to carry out study visits to Ukraine.
- At the end of the project, a summary report in Polish and Ukrainian was prepared.
As a result of the project we have started a process of building a network of local philantropic organizations in Ukraine, modelled on the network of Act Locally Centres.
The project was carried out by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland in a partnership with The Initiative Center for Social Action “Ednannia”, as part of two programs of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation: Act Locally, implemented by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland (ARFP) and the RITA Program – Region in Transition, implemented by the Education for Democracy Foundation.
Schedule
- IX-X.2016, Ukraine: Implementation of feasibility study in Ukraine.
- X.2016, Radom, Poland: Two-day training for 10 Act Locally Centres and 10 organizations from Ukraine.
- X.2016 – V.2017, Ukraine: Study visits.
- X.2016 – VI.2017: Competition for small grants for Act Locally Centers and carrying out social projects in Ukraine.
- VII – VIII.2017: Preparation of the project summary report.
Project participants
Act Locally Centres:
- Fundacja Fundusz Lokalny SMK
- Fundacja Fundusz Lokalny Ziemi Biłgorajskiej
- Stowarzyszenie Centrum Młodzieży „Arka” w Radomiu
- Stowarzyszenie Czajnia
- Fundacja Generator Inspiracji
- Lokalna Grupa Działania “Warmiński Zakątek”
- Lokalna Grupa Działania Stowarzyszenie “Południowa Warmia”
- Fundacja Sztuki, Przygody i Przyjemności ARTS
- Stowarzyszenie Lokalna Grupa Działania “Kraina Łęgów Odrzańskich”
Ukrainian organizations:
- City Charitable Organization Voznesensk Community Foundation – Wozniesieńsk
- NGO „Alliance of Good Deeds” – Wasylków
- Charity Organization Community Fund of Bar Region”Bari” – Bar
- City Charitable Organization Community Foundation of Berezan – Berezań
- The society of Yavoriv region experts „Gostynec” – Jaworów
- Charitable Community Foundation of Dolyna – Dolina
- Trostyanets District Charitable Foundation „Dobrota” – Trościaniec
- Agencja Rozwoju Lokalnego Gospodarczej Bursztynu – Bursztyn
- Fundusz Lokalny Czerwonogradu – Czerwonohrad
- NGO Community Initiative Development Foundation – Mała Wyska
- Civil Society Organization The Initiative Center to Support Social Action „Ednannia” – organizacja partnerska – Kijów
Project efects
Summary report:
BOX Tools, translated into Ukrainian as part of the project “Tools of social capital research for Ukraine”:
The project is co-financed by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation as part of the RITA Program – Region in Transition, implemented by the Education for Democracy Foundation.
Act Locally in Ukraine
In 2018 we have decided to continue this idea and together with Polish-American Freedom Foundation and ISAR Ednannia created Act Locally in Ukraine Program.
Ukrainian ngo sector is facing some challenges in developing social capital similar to Poland’s situation 18 years ago. Difficulties with fundraising, the lack of support offered by the government and the citizens’ passivity in matters of the engagement in the design of the social policy – were the most important issues that affected Polish NGOs those years. In the same way such issues were described in the ‘Mapping Study. CSOs Engagement In Policy formulation and monitoring of Policy implementation’[1] – a study from 2014 showcasing the situation of Ukrainian NGOs.
To ensure that such findings are still actual, the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland and ISAR Ednannia in 2016 conducted a feasibility study. The main aim of the study was the identification of the potential, the opportunities and the guidelines for an effective design of the draft of local philanthropic organizations network in Ukraine that would be modelled on the Polish Act Locally Network, as well as the identification of the perspectives for the development of the stable network in the future. In summary, the report presents the following findings:
- ISAR Ednannia has sufficient organizational potential to play a role of an umbrella organization for the network of local philanthropic organizations in Ukraine.
- Ukrainian CSOs have sufficient potential to develop the network of local philanthropic organizations (in small-medium communities).
- There is an interest among different stakeholders and a need to create the network of local philanthropic organizations in the Ukraine.
- The NGOs, the government and the business sector have enough ability to cooperate.
- There are adequate financial, human and institutional resources necessary for the efficient operation of the organizations affiliated to such a network.
Thus, we believe that this is the appropriate time to use the Polish experience of implementing the Act Locally Program and initiate a process of building a network of Act Locally Centers in Ukraine.
[1] Source: Kobets r., Ruda O., Mapping Study. CSOs Engagement In Policy formulation and monitoring of Policy implementation, 2014.