Philanthropy Forum 2024: Philanthropy as a driver of sustainable development

We had the opportunity to participate in this beautiful and inspiring event in which various stakeholders unite to jointly face the challenges of today. The forum, which was attended by participants from Albania, Kosovo, Macedonia, Singapore, Serbia and Croatia and over 80 participants from institutions, businesses, civil society organizations and media, emphasized that philanthropic efforts play a key role in promoting and building a fairer and sustainable world for all. The forum shared best practices from the Balkans and beyond. Philanthropy is an action that creates more opportunities, partnerships and new models of enhanced cooperation that encourage growth on the path to sustainable development. One of the directions for action that was highlighted is that we should work on promoting strategic philanthropy, and not only on ad-hoc initiatives and providing support in emergency situations. At this event, Konekt also presented the possibilities of the new platform for group giving “Op-op” that allows donors to make thoughtful donations to worthy non-profit organizations that are proven to make big changes. 6 civil society organizations that have gone through the process of checking high international standards were awarded the “Mark of Trust” certificate and are recommended for donors to support. Don Carmine, Director of the USAID Office for Democracy and Good Governance, emphasized that USAID believes that philanthropy can be a driver of sustainable growth. Holders of top executive positions of domestic companies, members of the Konekt Responsible Business Club emphasized that the association of companies in this sustainability initiative will strengthen their positive impact on society in cooperation with the civil society sector. The media panel discussion highlighted the need for good philanthropic practices to rank higher in the topics that are the focus of editorial policies, fostering a national culture of philanthropy. This event is part of the USAID “Giving Partnerships” project implemented by “Konekt” in partnership with the European Center for Nonprofit Law (ECNL), the Chamber of Commerce of North-West Macedonia, Indigo, and the American Chamber of Commerce in North Macedonia

Participation at the National Forum of Philanthropy

On 15.12.2022, the Philanthropy Forum was held organized by Konekt and the network for financial sustainability as part of the USAID Donation Partnerships Project. This is an annual gathering of national leaders in philanthropy and includes representatives of the business community, institutions, and civil organizations, including the YMCA, who shared experiences and created models for enhanced cooperation. Konekt’s research shows that half of the companies donate during the year which is an indication that there is significant philanthropic potential in our country. In terms of donating funds from citizens this year 2022, Macedonia rose to a solid 25th place compared to 75th in 2013 according to the ranking of the World Giving Index. At a time when unpredictable events in the world fill our daily lives, and the future is full of uncertainty, it is the right time for philanthropy to take its rightful place as a driver of positive change in the community. The forum presented the global trends and influences of philanthropy and put that point of view in a Macedonian perspective. “As individuals, business owners, and managers, many of us open our wallets to support friends, family, and people who seek our emergency help. But when thought out and targeted for the benefit of the wider community, donations have the power to improve conditions in the long term and contribute to the well-being of society. We are creating donation partnerships to enable increased donations, real incentives for donors, and easy and fun ways to donate that will enable all citizens and companies to be part of the changes for a better tomorrow.” The Executive Director of “Konekt”, Ms. Nikica Kusinikova, pointed out. The forum discussed overcoming the challenges to shape a favorable environment for increased donating in the function of accelerated development. The participants showed a willingness to nurture partnerships for donating, work on a better legal framework, become members of the Club of Responsible Businesses, and educate themselves about philanthropy and social responsibility, and the announced online platform for group donations aroused interest. This forum was organized by the USAID Donation Partnerships project, implemented by Connect, in partnership with the European Center for Non-Profit Law, the Chamber of Commerce of Northwest Macedonia, Indigo, and the American Chamber of Commerce in the Republic of North Macedonia.Photos from the event can be seen here and here.

Label of Trust Workshop

On 07.02.2022, 17 civil society organizations got acquainted with the standards of the Label of Trust and the benefits of using it through an online presentation. Among them was the YMCA youth association with its representative. The trust mark is a self-regulatory system that aims to make it easier for citizens and companies to choose trustworthy organizations to which they can donate. It strives to increase long-term trust between civil society organizations (CSOs) and local donors. The label is obtained through a carefully created process and criteria for transparency, accountability, performance results, compliance with legal regulations, etc. Civil organizations that possess the trust mark are good partners of citizens, but also other stakeholders in the community. Why donate to an organization that holds the label of trust? To acquire the label of trust, a CSO has to adhere to a certain set of principles and criteria in the following areas: To receive the trust mark, civil organizations first perform a self-assessment, that is, they fill out a questionnaire for the evaluation of their work, and then the board of the trust mark checks all the documentation and additional meetings with the CSO. At this link, you can view the application guide for obtaining the designation. At the end of this process, the Board decides whether the CSO will receive the trust mark.