The new Parliament is hurriedly revising the entire Croatian legislative framework to align it with the standards of the European Union, which it hopes to join over the
next decade, as well as to undo the damage done by legislation passed in the Tudjman era, which centralized the political system and ensured the dominance of
the ruling elite and ethnic Croats. The laws of particular relevance for the development of civil society include a law on local administration and
self-governance that will enable locally specific development sensitive to citizens' needs; a law on NGOs that will ensure the autonomy and sustainability of the
sector (by means of easy registration procedures and provisions for tax-exemption and self-financing); a new tax law that could stimulate local philanthropy; a new law
on local foundations that will give foundations autonomy from local government; and a new law that would transform national television into a public—as opposed
to the state-controlled—medium. There is a need for NGOs to be included in the public debate and design of these laws, in the roles as both experts and communicators of citizens' concerns.
As the participants of the roundtable emphasized, one of the most important elements of nonprofit sector work is developing a transparent legal system that will
regulate the status and funding of civil society organizations without putting their independence at stake.
According to Mladen Ivanovic, a representative of the Croatian Law Center, the
new draft law on NGOs has undergone several reviews and commentaries by NGOs and local government officials but has yet to be passed. Changes in the new draft include the following:
- informal NGOs can operate without registration;
- foreign individuals and organizations can establish an NGO under the same rules and regulations as Croatians;
- the number of NGO members required to register an NGO has decreased from ten to five; and
- NGOs are not required to register local branches.
In spite of the more relaxed regulations for NGOs, there is still room for improvement. The government's National Office for NGOs is currently working to
distinguish NGOs that work for the "public benefit" of citizens from those that work for the private interests and benefits of their members. Right now all the NGOs,
from the Green Action to sport clubs, are in the same category.
The distinction will help legally describe a "public benefit" organization, which is
currently not defined. The Office for NGOs, in cooperation with the Croatian Law Center, is reviewing different models of NGO and tax laws in the U.K. and CEE,
especially Hungary, which have more progressive systems. (According to Hungarian law, NGOs need to work for three years for the public benefit before
they are allowed to register as a general benefit NGO and receive better tax relief status, benefits, and better access to public funding). Major attention is also being
given to joint actions with private sector organizations that are currently only marginally involved in NGO sector funding (and that support is largely for sport and recreation groups—see box 1).
Box 1. Survey Findings (46 respondents of 50 companies surveyed)
According to the survey findings, only 6.5 percent of local companies donate on
regular basis, 65.2 percent donate from time to time, 8.7 percent have been asked about donations but haven't donated, and 19.6 percent claim they are never contacted for donations.
An interesting finding is that 69.6 percent of respondents donate to sports and recreational organizations and 63 percent to cultural and artistic organizations.
Over half (54.3 percent) donate to organizations that work on educational and science programs; 43.5 percent donate to youth organizations and organizations
that care about children and young people, and 41.3 percent donate to ecological organizations. Organizations that care about health prevention and protection were
funded by 39.1 percent of companies. One-third (32.6 percent) donated to organizations that care about persons with special needs. Animal rights and
protection organizations get financial assistance from 23.9 percent of companies; human rights organizations from 17.4 percent of companies surveyed. Public safety
and protection (mostly volunteer firefighters) is supported by 15.2 percent of companies. Humanitarian organizations receive contributions from 10.9 percent of
companies. Six and a half percent companies donated to organizations for public safety and crime prevention and 4.3 percent companies funded consumer organizations.
New tax laws could stimulate private sector donations to a certain degree, but more work needs to be done if companies are to become more involved in the
NGO sector support. For that reason, the Office for NGOs is currently involved in the joint profit–nonprofit sector project that would develop more information about
NGOs work and allow for more transparency as a precondition for cooperation and financing.
The new law on national TV (enacted on April 10, 2001) enables the full
representation of NGOs in the Council of Croatian Radio-Television, which is the highest decision-making body for programming. The new council does not include
any politicians, so it can help transform the Croatian Radio-Television into public media.
Funding and Financial Sustainability
NGO activities are predominantly financed through grants from either international donors or national and local government. In-kind contributions are minimal and
restricted to voluntary work as membership, individual donors, and self-financing are under-developed throughout the sector. Over the past ten years, most NGOs
with clear social-change or political agendas (human rights, minority rights, peace and social justice) have predominantly turned to international donors for financial
support and are only recently approaching the government. On the other side, most community-based organizations outside the capital have become dependent
on scarce government resources for basic expenses and have no skills in approaching international donors or private sector funders. In addition to that,
local government bodies that provide financing lack grant-making and administrating skills needed for managing an effective and transparent grant
program with a clear set of criteria. The result of this non-strategic approach is that NGOs and CBOs usually receive a symbolical sum inadequate for any long-term
program implementation and development. This kind of funding does not ensure sustainability, especially since the funding is only for programmatic and not operational costs.
With few exceptions, the private sector is approached by NGOs sporadically and with no clear strategy. The concept of corporate social responsibility is still greatly
unexplored by all sectors due to an intense economic crisis, corrupt privatization and initial accumulation of capital, and lack of tradition. There are currently only a
couple of companies that have developed grant programs (Zagrebacka Banka, Rijecka Banka, Microsoft, Slavonska Banka and Agrokor); only one company that
is contemplating the set-up of a corporate foundation (Pliva); and no supportive laws, government policies, or NGO campaigns. Multinational corporations active
in Croatia have not provided a positive role model to local businesses either, since none of them include Croatia in their social responsibility and philanthropy
portfolios. Box 2 contains findings from company surveys.
Box 2. Survey Findings Companies (sample of 46 out of 50 surveyed companies):
The main reason given for cooperation with NGOs is company promotion (17 of 46 companies). The next most common reason is humanitarian (8/46), followed by
developing quality of live and social and ecological conscience (4/46). Three companies claim no interest. Other companies either do not cooperate with NGOs (13/46) or didn't answer (1/46).
Reasons for lack of donations are based on bad economical environments in companies. Donations in Croatia are not tax-free. Companies who donate in-kind
are obligated to pay VAT (Value Added Tax) and profit tax. Forty of forty-six companies answered that they would start to donate or increase their donations if
there were a tax-free policy on donations. Four companies answered that the opportunity to make tax-free donations wouldn't change their policy towards
NGOs, and two companies answered that they don't know how it would affect their policy towards NGOs.
Biljemerkant, Osijek is one of ten strongest companies in the county of
Slavonija-Baranja. The company does not have a structured practice of donations, but it does respond regularly to requests for sponsorship, mostly buy donating its
products (food and beverages). The company director is personally more inclined to support spiritual groups, as opposed to sports clubs, with the exception of those
clubs active in the local communities where the company is especially active or where the director has worked for a long time. The director emphasizes that the
true nonprofit commitment and practice of an NGO requesting finds is the main criterion for donations. He complains that on top of restrictive laws on tax
exemptions (only 2 percent of gross profits), the general economic crisis, exacerbated by market liberalization and penetration of foreign companies—which
the Croatian state stimulates by additional subventions—is the greatest obstacle to more substantial private sector sponsorship of the Croatian civil society.
Surveyed NGOs and CBOs (a sample of 150 organizations) have ranked main sources of funding as follows:
1. local community
2. membership
3. Croatian companies
4. government institutions (National Office for NGOs, Ministries)
5. individuals
6. activities that bring income
7. event organization
8. foundations
9. fees for services (surveys, education)
10. foreign government agencies
11. foreign companies
12. intermediary organizations
These results reflect the financial sources of smaller national NGOs and CBOs,
which are primarily focused on local government funding, as opposed to bigger, professional national NGOs, concentrated in Zagreb and to a smaller degree in
other regional centers, which are primarily reliant in foreign donors.
Hela Liveric from STRIBOR, a leading environmental NGO in Rijeka, confirms
that foreign and some government funding is the only source; NGO self-financing is not possible due to the legal issues and taxes that make any for-profit work
difficult. Membership fees as a resource of funding is an area not yet developed due to the poor economic situation.
Activists of Sunce, an environmental NGO from Split, express their dissatisfaction with their current cooperation with the private sector. They have identified natural
allies—waste deposit and processing communal enterprises, and three emerging private companies; as well as the municipal tourist office. An activist says, "There
is a lack of a culture of financing and sponsorship. All these waste deposit companies do not understand that we are their ice-breaker. They have done
nothing to invest in their own promotion and do nothing to make sure that people separate waste. It is Sunce's task. They could definitely profit from sponsoring
environmentalist groups." Activists are aware of vast possibilities in combining ecologically conscious food production, such as medicinal herbs or organically
cultivated meat, with support for environmentalist groups, which can help create a market for such products by raising environmental consciousness of citizens. "In
that case, the butcher who organically grows cattle will not need to sell that meat to Japanese only," an activist says. According to the Sunce activists, obstacles to
such cooperation are various, and companies expect the state to create a more stimulating environment and often have a negative image of environmentalists: "They
think we are always against everything." Sunce activists conclude that it is also the responsibility of NGOs to become more proactive in their approach to the private sector.
Government Relations: Cooperation vs. Cooptation
Civil society leaders have different views about the appropriate relationship
between NGOs and government. Some argue that the cooperation with both national and local government is a necessary condition for a sustainable social
change and for the broader development of social and public interests, while others prefer to remain removed to fulfill their primary role of advocate for better laws and
regulations. "The role of civil initiatives is to constantly remind the government of the Constitution, laws, and regulations, and that's why we (NGOs) are in a
perpetual conflict with them," said a participant at March roundtable in Zagreb. Participants argued that communication with the government is composed of
different dimensions, cooperation, critique and conflict. Some NGOs won't readily engage in the partnership due to their critical role of government actions, while
others are not afraid of cooperation, which they argue does not necessarily exclude the opposition. All the participants agreed that the government lacks a clear strategy on civil society.
Another area of research was related to exploring alternative means of social service delivery that would release the government of a responsibility to be a sole
provider of social services. The innovative provision of social services by means of partnerships between local governments and NGOs is an instrumental mechanism
of transforming the current, bankrupt system of social service provision into the more responsive and cost effective one. Currently, local government is exploring
the idea of contracting NGOs for delivering specific social services (e.g. the municipal government of Rijeka has contracted Drustvo za kibernetiku
psihoterapije to provide training to grade school children and high school students in peer communication and team work, and the municipal government of Split has
contracted the Association MI to provide care for the elderly).
The new law on local government places social service provision under the
jurisdiction of local governments, while current law on social welfare enables sub-contracting. However, areas such as education, social services, health, and
employment are still primarily a responsibility of the local government. Lack of funding and professional staff make it difficult for the government to cope with and
resolve all the problems from garbage collection to adequate schools and hospitals. Citizens, however, still believe that it is the government's responsibility to
manage these issues. They also do not fully understand the role of NGOs and how can they actually help them in their every day lives.
When discussing NGO/government relationships, it is important to pay special attention to potential problems that may arise. For example, both a lack of
alternative sources of support and the low level of income per capita of the population can make NGOs dependent on the central government for financial
support. Also, the government can become increasingly concerned about control and regulation, partially out of habit but also out of a need to reduce fraud and
financial mismanagement of grant monies. For example, a concern expressed by local government in Hungary was that NGOs lack skills to provide social services,
while the government already knows how to do that. The second concern was the extent to which governments can manage the increased demand for funds that might
result from a more open system of contracting. Unfulfilled contracts was a concern of NGOs. For example, Nives Ivelja, president of MI, a Split NGO,emphasizes
the need for an improved subcontracting process, involving MI, municipal government, and various ministries, where NGOs would be able to negotiate more
favorable and sustainable conditions of service provision. MI signed a three-year contract to provide social care for fifty elderly citizens of Split, in partnership with
the municipal government, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, and Ministry of Reconstruction and Public Works. After nine months, the government funding
dried up and MI was put in an uncomfortable position of having made a commitment to clients, which it could keep only by means of volunteer work and
other resources. Ivelja stresses the need for continued education of both local government officials and NGO managers responsible for cross-sector cooperation,
the goal of which is better service provision to citizens.
In the group discussion about the current state of civil society in Eastern Slavonija
and Baranja organized as part of this assessment, representatives from about twenty local CBOs and NGOs have concluded that lack understanding of civil
society and the social role of NGOs in smaller communities and a lack of horizontal solidarity and functional collaboration between civil initiatives are the
main causes of continued lack of cooperation between local NGOs and local governments, especially in smaller communities. Activists of the Osjecki zeleni, an
environmentalist group have stated that local NGOs should be much more proactive in forming coalitions and approaching the local government authorities
with legitimate demands for allocation of free municipal space: "We need civic courage to explain to the authorities that what we often do is assist them as we
provide free social services to citizens."
Members of the Women's Club Pakrac from Western Slavonija, the first local NGO with strong and explicit commitment to interethnic cooperation and
peacebuilding, have nourished local support in their community traditionally suspicious of their politics. Their annual organization of the celebration of the Earth
Day involves local authorities, police, small entrepreneurs, other women's associations (whose politics are much more traditional), local school, parents from
both Pakrac and Lipik. A Pakrac member said, "The police provided logistics for children to draw on pavements; we got a donation of chalk; women from another
association baked cakes for children; a local merchant gave us drinks and biscuits. With the school teachers, we organized the public reading of best children's
poems. Parents heard their children in public of the fist time. This helped us gain visibility and support from the local authorities and other local organizations."
According to Karla Muskovic, NGO Liaison at the City of Rijeka, Dept of Health, currently there are 1,500 registered NGOs in the Primorsko-Goranska zupanija.
The city of Rijeka finances approximately 300 NGOs. Grantmaking is divided among different departments but although Muskovic is acting as appointed liaison
with NGOs, she confirms that there is no formal NGO coordinator. She admits that the city needs assistance on setting up the grantmaking procedures and criteria.
Based on the recommendations of the Council of Europe, in 2000 the City of Osijek introduced the position of liaison officer for cooperation with NGOs. Sinisa
Gregoran, NGO fills that position. Only Rijeka had such a position earlier, and Gregoran has tried to learn from the Rijeka model but there is lack of direct
communication, which would enable more adequate exchange of experiences. The main problem in cooperation with NGOs, according to Gregoran, is lack of
coordination within the municipal government, where different departments maintain separate budgets and lines of communication with NGOs without structured and
regular internal exchange of information. There is a prevalent confusion in using adequate institutional channels for cooperation. There are numerous instances
where NGOs do not understand the local government structure and too frequently address their requests directly to the office of the Mayor. Similar mistakes happen
in the communication between the National Offices for NGOs and the City of Osijek. Gregoran has taken personal initiative in improving the NGO presence in
the media and is frustrated by the general lack of knowledge of effective media presentation as well as cooperation between local NGOs. He stresses the problem
of inadequate reporting on part of NGOs. He emphasizes the need for professional development of local government officials who cooperate with NGOs:
"I would like to know of a transparent model of cooperation—grant procedures, NGO participation in municipal committees—that can be applied in our
circumstances." Gregoran is interested in more frequent consultations and meetings between local government officials from different Croatian cities, which would also
have a positive impact on officials from those cities where prejudices against NGOs are still strong, such as in some towns in Dalmatia.
The city of Split is probably unique in Croatia in its cross-sectoral approach to social service provision, which includes NGOs and different institutions as service
providers. Vesna Zec, head of the social welfare and activities department of Split, emphasizes the importance of visiting similar programs in Hungary (organized by
the World Learning Transit program, sponsored by USAID). His visit "opened my eyes to the possibilities of cooperation with NGOs in organizing local social
programs." Government and NGOs "need to act as partners. NGOs actually bring foreign investments into our social service programming. We invest four
million Kuna directly into local NGOs. I am sure that NGOs themselves are able to raise three times the amount on top of our sponsorship." The city of Split has
founded Split-Zdravi grad, and NGO that used to function as a special municipal program for social and ecological development of Split. As a separate NGO,
Split-Zdravi grad is an intermediary organization that channels money to different local initiatives that promote voluntarism, public health, environmental protection, and social activities.
Vesna Zec is satisfied with the cooperation with the National Office for NGOs, which encourages municipal authorities to inform the national office about their
funding priorities in order to complement national and local funding for NGOs. The Office has been particularly active in seeking feedback on the new law on citizen
associations from NGOs throughout Croatia as well as municipal authorities. Zec is enthusiastic about the prospects of greater coordination and exchange of
experiences between local government officials in different Croatian cities, which are committed to improving their cooperation with NGOs. Zec strongly endorses
additional, continued education of local government officials in the areas of innovative cross-sectoral social programming, grant processing, and monitoring and evaluation.
Mladen Vilfan, Deputy Mayor for Social Affairs of the City of Zagreb, explains that the city of Zagreb includes NGO representatives and independent experts into its
Council for European Integrations, a body which is designing the city strategy of accelerated integration into various European associations and networks, such as
the Assembly of European Regions; Eurocity; European Cultural Cities, and the like. Through its Municipal Office for NGOs and other departments, the City of
Zagreb supports NGOs in four main ways: (1) over 200 NGOs receive continued funding directly from the municipal budget; (2) there are rounds of grant
solicitations for specific projects; (3) the city supports ad-hoc events, actions, and manifestations from a separate budget; and (4) the city allocates city-owned space
to NGOs for minimal rent. Vilfan stresses NGO competition as one of the main problems that the local government faces in its work with NGOs. From the
interview with Vilfan, it seems that there is no special approach or understanding of how the local government can support the development and empowerment of particularly vulnerable citizen associations.
More cooperation between government and NGOs as well as better citizens' information about NGOs services is needed to improve both government and
NGO operation. In assessing the needs and legal environment for developing this new model of public–nonprofit partnership, it is important to identify potential
problems and discuss methods of addressing them. In order to analyze potential problems and challenges, it is important to work in cooperation with experts who
understand potential problems related to contracting, decentralization, and social aid.
Through exchanges, training, and individualized consultations with both NGOs and
government, as well as more citizen involvement and understanding of public–nonprofit partnerships, more adequate provision of social services could be
secured. In addition, this kind of initiative would establish better relationship among NGOs and government and encourage more joint initiatives in the future.
Decentralization and Regional Cooperation
While there are more than 18,900 NGOs registered in the country, the strongest
ones, which are capable of accessing international funding and longer term planning and program development, are concentrated in the major Croatian cities of Zagreb,
Split, Rijeka, and Osijek, with the exception of few organizations active in the post-war areas which had greater exposure to foreign support. It is apparent that
geographical disparities in civil society development coincide with international donor presence and political relevance of particular regions of Croatia over the
past ten years. Thus, civil society is least developed in those regions, which have been economically and socially isolated as well as detached from war-related
operations and (Gorski kotar, islands, Podravina, and Zagorje).
While the viability of the sector as a whole does not mean that all NGOs need to
professionalize and expand their activities, there is a great need for further development of beneficial interactions between organizations of different sizes and
organizational capacities within and among the regions of Croatia. Only through solidarity, open communication channels and ability to organize joint actions can the
small community-based organizations and specialized expert NGOs complement each other and create a viable civil society. Respondents have pointed out that
despite improved cooperation focused on issues of common concern, such as pre-election mobilizing, legislative changes, or national campaigns against violence
against women, most collaboration is contingent on personal relationships and levels of trust regarding the provision of strategically relevant information, such as funding.
At the March roundtable, participants repeatedly stated that there is a need for a better and more strategic NGO cooperation, as well as for an evaluation of
previous joint NGO initiatives (see Box 3). A critical problem is that they lack a forum where they can discuss and agree on different means of cooperation. "We
need systematic communication and a clear mechanisms of cooperation. We are the most active when we need to react to something, but we have no clear
mechanisms set in place to agree on joint actions," declared one of the participants at the meeting. "We need to define strategic plans of action. In the last year since
the new government came to the power we are too quiet, too subversive. We stopped critiquing government actions. We need to start with concrete problems,
like in Moj glas za pravnu drzavu. It is not difficult to organize a campaign, but we need a clear division of labor."
Box 3. Survey Findings on Cooperation (sample of 150 NGOs and CBOs):
- 80.6 percent NGOs cooperate with other NGOs, but 29.8 percent thinks that cooperation is very badly developed, 30.9 percent thinks cooperation is
badly developed, 31.9 percent thinks cooperation is medium developed, 5.3 percent thinks cooperation is good, and 2.1 percent thinks cooperation is excellent.
- NGO would like to cooperate with other NGOs through (in order of rating): joint contacts (with donors, media, state institutions), human resources
(mangers, trainers), training and education, and technical support.
- NGOs cooperate mostly with organizations working on similar issues. The most active NGOs are, usually, the most cooperative and most media
savvy. The most active organizations are: GONG, HHO, Suncokret, CMS, Odraz, BaBe, udruga MI-Split, Attack, S.M.A.R.T, mama, Centar
za Mir Osijek, and Zelena akcija. They are also the most cooperative organizations. (A special category for activity are veterans NGOs, which
are very active, but it is hard to say if they are actually NGOs.)
Hela Liveric from Stribor, acknowledges an overlap in NGO activities, which is necessary due to the complexities of issues. "For example, in order to work on the
protection of environment, you also have to work on human and animal rights issues, and analyze laws and regulations and the legitimacy of legal decisions made
on both local and national levels." Liveric also believes that all NGOs need education about cooperation and coordination.
On the most active and cooperative NGOs, Hela said that "NGOs with different activities are achieving great results. For example, Centar for Peace Studies is
exceptionally successful, and accepted from the citizens. Also, we could mention Zenske Studije and Zenska Infoteka, which are very positively influencing the civil
society development with their publishing activities. Also, Green Action is, on a national level, achieving great results and involving large number of citizens and
NGOs in their initiatives. B.a.b.e. is achieving results in the area of domestic violence on women and children. Eko Liburnia and Bio-Istra are contributing to
the bio-farming production and advancement, while Sunce from Split and Zelena Istra are active in the protection of environment."
"Groups really want to talk to somebody. Nobody is giving them information or helping them, especially smaller groups outside of Rijeka and other bigger towns.
There is a lack of information and communication. Ri-centar is trying, and they do provide information when groups ask them, but they have just recently started and
they lack staff to cover the entire territory (three counties). There are small groups or even individuals who have great ideas but no access to funding or information.
Many groups and people fall in cracks because of that," said Ani Blazic of the Drustvo za Kibernetiku Psihologije, a group in Rijeka that, among other activities,
works with youths in grade and high schools on communication and team building. Although they are sub-contracting with the city of Rijeka, their work is not
sustainable despite the strong interest in their work. Schools usually don't have enough financial resources to contract NGOs on a regular basis.
Vojko Ivica, from Altruist, Split, considers cooperation at the regional and national level problematic but also provides examples of positive developments. In order to
improve local cooperation between human rights' organization and their local visibility, Altruist has entered a coalition with Gradjanski otpor nasilju (GON) and
Centar za razvoj demokracije (CERD). Their purpose is to act jointly toward local authorities, from which they demand free or subsidized office space, toward other
organizations, with which they would like to cooperate more closely; and toward citizens, to whom they want to provide more relevant services and whom they want
to recruit as activists. "Our goal is to reinvigorate the NGO scene in Split. For that reason we will organize a reception tomorrow … to break the silence and
avoidance of cooperation. It is important to preserve our different identities, but we need to cooperate wherever we can. For instance, there are 160 NGOs in
Split. Imagine if just thirty of them sent their activists to witness an eviction! It would make a huge difference and increase our strength."
Two interesting examples of unusual, innovative cooperation between different civic organizations are provided separately by Altruist and the Center for Civic Initiatives
in Zagreb, which both work in post-war areas mobilizing local population to become more active in their community development. In both cases, these NGOs
have established cooperation with local unions of cooperatives, which have established self-financing schemes but have little knowledge of current funding
trends and NGOs. Jointly, they are starting to design local economic revitalization initiatives.
Members of CESI, from Zagreb, which is very active in supporting emerging
women's organizations, including Roma groups, in small towns in Banija, Dalmatia, Lika, and Northern Croatia point out the existence of "black holes" in civil society
development in various parts of Croatia, in particular in the areas between Karlovac and the seaside and in the north, in Medjimurje and Zagorje. While there
are a lot of training programs, they are too concentrated in the same areas.
Bojan Munjin from HHO, Zagreb, gave a comprehensive analysis of the current
state of the Croatian civil society, which he considers immature, characterized by weak alliances and imbalanced regional development. "After the departure of the
common enemy (that is, the HDZ regime), whose dangerous existence stimulated solidarity, acted as a glue—there was a clear division between "them" and
"us"—and created a sense of family on the civil scene, there is a question what will happen now." The civil scene, according to Munjin, was not clearly developed for
two main reasons. First, with its severe oppression of human and civic rights, the past regime imposed a sense of survival. Civil initiatives ran on adrenaline and had
no time to articulate more nuanced civil values. The remnants of such grave situation can still be felt in towns like Karlovac, Obrovac or Vinkovci, where civil
activists feel endangered by extremists when they go out socially. Second, civil society has a relatively short existence, emerging only in the mid-1980s, and was
first strongly rejected by the ruling socialist regime. "For the sake of comparison, let us remember that in the U.S., the predecessor to the American Civil Liberties
Union was founded in 1915," notes Munjin. During the preparations for the election campaign in 1999 and especially 2000, these problems were evident, and
only through hectic, last-minute mobilization and focus could CSOs organize so many pre-election activities and create functioning coalitions. Incredibly, after the
great success of extremely high voter turn out at parliamentary and presidential elections, there was little joy, and mutual attacks prevailed. Munjin is worried
about the impact that the atmosphere—featured by scarce communication and cooperation among groups and individuals and a lot of problems in society as a
whole—will have on young people interested in becoming socially active. "Even today, after two or three years of activism, young activists in towns like Obrovac,
Vinkovci, Slavonski Brod or elsewhere, operate at 20 percent of their potential. They have no psychological or other knowledge about how to cope with
omnipresent frustration, how to advocate; they have no vision. Apart from small islands, there is no exchange of ideas on the civil scene … The sector is apathetic,
disconnected, most collaboration is ad-hoc, organized at the last minute, everybody is frustrated, and there are unnecessary internal tensions that hinder creativity.
There is a great difference between cities and the province. For example, the Center for Peace Studies tries to create a youth network, but it is a drop in the
sea. Nevertheless, it is still a drop more. We need ten organizations like that or like the Center for Civic Cooperation from Vinkovci. Every group is vulnerable;
there is heaviness and tiredness. We need to seek new people…."
Regarding regional imbalances, Munjin points out that, ironically, the most
developed regions in Croatia have the fewest civil initiatives, in particular Medjimurje, Zagorje, and Istria, due to economic migrations and focus on
business. At the same time, the area between Karlovac and Zadar is completely socially devastated and depopulated, with little external attention and internal
energy to organize civil society. Munjin recommends much greater attention be devoted to strengthening relationships and empowering individuals with concrete
ideas, especially young people, in all these neglected regions as well as throughout Croatia.
Indeed, there is a particular need to support youth activism and be sensitive to the
different interests and methodologies in which the youth are interested, in particular the combination of culture, environmentalism, and use of multimedia. There are
many NGOs that do not know how to attract and keep youth involved in their work. Such organizations need to be more in direct contact with youth
organizations, which could help them develop effective outreach to local youth.
Media
While the vigorous pre-election "get out the vote" campaigning by NGOs and the subsequent change of government have had a positive impact on the general
representation of NGOs in the now de-stigmatized state media, access and coverage of civil society initiatives remains low. That is due to several factors: (1)
most journalists in national and local media are not familiar with, or interested in, covering such initiatives; (2) the editorial policy of most Croatian media is still
greatly dominated by sensationalism and focuses on nationally relevant topics and political events; (3) civil initiatives have little media and public relations skills or
resources to pay for media coverage; (4) NGOs do not buy media space, such as paid advertising, nor do they attract journalists or media artists to cover their
activities through documentary films, special reports, or the like.
However, there have been positive developments. For example, there are now
several programs on national TV that regularly feature activists in the role of expert commentators on specific topics or present the work of specific initiatives.
Vjesnik, a national daily, is planning a periodic supplement on NGOs, due to the individual initiative of Nada Orsolic. NGOs have greater access to some local
radio stations and some local dailies. For example, radio stations in Rijeka (Radio Rijeka and Radio Svid) are covering NGOs on a regular basis. There is a great
need for educating editors and reporters on the role of civil society in political and social life at the local and national level, and of educating NGOs, particularly
smaller ones, on effective ways to present their work in the media.
Based on the survey findings, media representation was ranked as one of the
major problems for NGOs. Regarding the survey statement "NGOs present their work in media well," 6.5 percent NGOs thinks this is completely true, 11.8 percent
thinks this is true, 32.3 percent answered that is not true nor false, 35.5 percent that is not true, and 14 percent thinks that the statement is completely untrue.
When companies were asked the same question, none of the fifty surveyed companies answered positively. Thirty-seven percent answered that the statement
is neither true nor false, 41.3 percent that it is not true, and 21.7 percent that it is completely untrue.
At the March roundtable, one of the key problems discussed was the relationship
between media and civil society. Almost all participants have agreed that NGOs are insufficiently using both print and electronic media and that media lack
awareness about the problems related to civil society. Some participants have pointed out that CSOs also lack understanding of media operations. However,
both NGO and media representatives wanted to open a dialogue and overcome differences and obstacles.
Igor Bajok from GONG, Rijeka, expressed this problem as mutual for both
parties: "Journalists are not the only ones who are to blame; NGOs also don't know how to present themselves and how to reach media. There is a need for
having workshops for both sectors, as well as for citizens. Media can play a big role, but they don't have enough funding to educate some journalists in only one
sector, such as civil society."
Gordan Hosni-Ogi, the president of the Centar za Kreativni rad, Zagreb, thinks it is
not difficult to get a coverage on TV or radio. "It's in how you work with media. NGOs don't know how to work with them; they use a stereotypical approach,
which doesn't work." The Center is confident that because of their experience and exposure in working with media to promote their activities, they could provide training to other groups.
Goran Susic, director of EKO Centar Caput Insulae-Beli, one of the controversial and most covered NGOs in media, also leading NGO in environment and
volunteerism, remarked, "People think that because you are always in the media you are getting lots of funding, which is a wrong perception."
Cvjetana Plavsa-Matic, head of the National Office for NGOs, thinks that NGOs lack skills on interactions with the media. "There is a question whether NGOs are
ready to invest their own resources and time in education on media skills," Plavsa-Matic remarked.
At the discussion of more than twenty representatives of local CBOs and NGOs in
Osijek, participants agreed that there was a need for a much more vigorous approach to the media, which are still suspicious and ignorant to NGO work, often
due to lack of knowledge or disinterested editorial politics. In addition to getting the journalists to cover their work and organizing education on media skills for
NGO activists, participants have recommended funding for electronic media outlets owned by civil initiatives, such as community radio or TV station.
Vanja Nikolic, from the net club mama, is hopeful about the creativity and enthusiasm of the young generation of activists, who are much more innovative and
open to connecting cultural with political activism. These include Radio Student, Natasa Govedic's interest in the theater of the oppressed, cooperation between
B.a.b.e and students of the Academy of Film, net club mama's initiative to organize a network of community net radio stations throughout Croatia. Nikolic
recommends that much greater donor attention be focused on supporting such innovative projects, which combine activism, media, IT, and arts and strongly
resonate with the young generation, which is less preoccupied with war-related issues and frustrations.
Bojan Munjin from HHO assesses that most NGOs have not managed to allocate
adequate human resources into media strategy development. He does not deem it impossible that an NGO signs an agreement with a national daily to publish a
weekly column about civil society. According to Munjin, a prominent Croatian journalist was about to sign such a contract with a leading Croatian NGO, but due
to a loss of energy in negotiations, the initiative failed. It is possible to arrange such cooperation, according to Munjin: "We need to understand that media are caught
up in their own process of transition, they are shifting loyalties and now their mouths are full of civil society. Civil society needs to be much more proactive; press
conferences are a worn-out format and represent only 5 percent of all that can be achieved regarding media representation. We need to take advantage of various opportunities."
It is of a critical importance to strengthen the interaction between NGOs and CBOs and media in order to familiarize media with the role civil society initiatives
play in local and national development; build skill and confidence of NGOs and CBOs for effective interactions with the media; and forge effective, innovative new
projects and partnerships between media and NGOs.
This kind of interaction and cooperation could be done through a series of
well-developed activities such as workshops conducted by trainers from the NGO community and Croatian journalists and editors. These workshops could build
upon existing media workshops conducted by local NGOs. In order to maximize existing programs and resources, the initial step should be the assessment of
existing media. A simple set of activities could be also designed and integrated into existing educational programs for journalists—daily newspaper journalist schools,
faculty of journalism, professional development workshops, and the like.
It is also important to foster young people's interest in the NGO sector. This could
be done through internships for students of journalism and media arts (directing, video arts, even visual arts such as design and exhibitions) who could be placed in
NGOs around the country to write articles, shoot documentaries, prepare public exhibitions, and design public outreach materials. Institutional support for the
program on part of universities and other organizations that could present students' work (galleries, media) could be negotiated, with the help of the National Office for
NGOs, which has launched a national campaign for the promotion of volunteerism.
Local Philanthropy
Local philanthropy in Croatia is barely developed. There are only about forty foundations, while the current tax law restricts individual and corporate
sponsorship. There are only a couple of strong companies that have a systematic approach to charity. However, companies do sponsor local activities sporadically
by in-kind contributions upon individual requests, often based on personal relationships. With few exceptions, there are no direct mailing or individual
household targeting donation drives by NGOs, and there are very few membership-based organizations that use membership fees as revenue. At the
same time, most NGOs covered by this assessment recognize the need to diversify their funding to include resources from local communities and national businesses,
even though they are aware of the obstacles posed by weak economy and lack of philanthropic traditions. There is also a growing interest among sectoral anchor
organizations to contribute to the development of local foundations. The National Office for NGOs is also interested in this option. Municipal authorities are less
familiar with the foundation model, although the assessment indicates they could be mobilized around such programs and that their advocacy for the model might be crucial in attracting local businesses.
Considering the fact that most donors whose mandates were related to post-war relief and reconstruction efforts will decrease the scope or close down their
operations over the next five years, it is prime time to coordinate donor efforts that would support the development of local foundations and attract foreign and
domestic private partnerships and investments. In addition, local NGOs need to be coached in expanding their outreach to local private sector and individual donors.
Grantmaking competency will need to be developed both by potential grantmakers of future private foundations and state administrators. In order to maximize synergy
of local resources, it is important to establish relationships, which will enable the future development of matching programs and coordination between government
and local foundations' funds and programs.
Developing local philanthropy requires special attention. There are different
approaches to the development of local philanthropy and community foundations. One school of thought argues that it is necessary to have a gradual and systematic
approach, initially, educating all sectors about the importance of giving, and then slowly supporting the establishment of local foundations. The other argues that
theory and discussions do not build the skills of potential grantmakers, nor do they build the trust in the community like the actual work does. Media will also rather
promote best practices, top donors, and concrete examples than meetings and roundtables.
Local Foundations
Community foundations have proved to be the most effective mechanisms for identifying and mobilizing local support for civil society organizations. As many
examples from countries in Africa, Latin America, or Central and Eastern Europe illustrate, it is possible to develop a local foundation even in the most economically deprived areas.
In Croatia, as in other countries that are transitioning to democracy, the role of nonprofit organizations is becoming increasingly important. Neither local
government nor the private sector can respond adequately to meet local needs that were previously the responsibility of the central government. Although there are
local resources that could be identified, domestic fundraising is not easy in a society undergoing challenging economic and political transition, where the legal
environment does not stimulate charitable giving, and society lacks mutual trust. Building conditions for developing local foundations, means first of all spending
many hours on educating all sectors about local philanthropy, and second, identifying those resources that are readily available (according to the assessment
on civil society, 7-8 percent of companies give to NGOs and have a positive opinion about NGOs). There is no question that local foundations can stimulate
efforts in local settings, advance partnerships among local government with the business and nonprofit sectors, provide an avenue for individual and institutional
giving, and address specific local needs, such as poor urban housing, neglected public spaces, industrial pollution, or women's programs, thus relieving the local
government from its role as a primary funder of NGOs and CBOs.
Jasminka Ledic, a prominent civil society expert and the professor at the University
of Philosophy, believes that local foundations are the way to diversify resources. She is interested in the idea of developing local foundations, but thinks that they
should be formed in a carefully chosen communities where community organizing is developed. She agrees that this is also the way of involving corporations to
become more socially responsible. Likewise, Mirela Despotovic, director of the Center for Civic Initiatives, Zagreb, considers community foundations crucial for
sustainable community development throughout Croatia and strongly endorses creating opportunities for exchanges around this issue between Croatian community
organizers and NGO activists and their much more knowledgeable counterparts in other countries.
During the group interview with a dozen of Zagreb-based national NGO leaders
organized as part of this research, several leaders suggested that support programs for the development of local foundations would be extremely welcome if they were
implemented in a condensed time-frame and with adequate information on the best practices from other countries and possible foreign partners. They were worried
about too lengthy processes where donor agency's presence and control could overshadow the local initiative, and where training would be overwhelming and
would also represent a form of control over the local initiatives.
Activists from CESI, Zagreb, have described their gradual process of accessing
sponsorship from the private sector in Croatia: "Our associate Ana Lapevic, a doctor who organizes our public health discussions throughout Croatia, was
extremely patient and did not give up knocking on many doors for sponsorship. So it started with several pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies, like Libresse,
which covered some of our costs in exchange for promotion of their products. Then Livera contacted us on their own, with a proposal to cooperate with us on the
production of a reproductive health brochure, which they would distribute with their products. These companies also distribute sample hygienic pads and condoms for
free at our presentations. We know it is necessary to have a common interest. Now it happens that a company's marketing person visits our public presentation
and then decides whether to sponsor us."
In order to decrease Croatian NGO dependence on foreign or government
assistance, diversify funding, and create partnerships among community leaders, private companies, local government, and NGOs, it is essential to encourage the
emergence of local and regional sources of funding for the sector through the development of philanthropy and corporate giving. Specifically, it is important to
increase awareness in all sectors about the importance and best practices of local philanthropy; to stimulate the practice of giving in Croatian society; and to provide
consultations to potential donors and nonprofit organizations on the best giving plans (for donors) and fundraising strategy (for NGOs and CBOs).
In addition, because local companies lack of support and involvement in civil society development, it is important to first of all strengthen the concept of social
responsibility and social marketing to local businesses; introduce the concept of social entrepreneurship; strengthen cooperation between businesses and NGOs at
the local and national levels; and also lay foundations for the development of local corporate and community foundations.
Regarding the development of local foundations, it is important to emphasize that this process is long and requires a systematic and multi-year approach with clear
steps and coordination among donors, NGOs, government, and corporations. Any premature activity will prove unsustainable and imposed from donors, and has a
great potential for failure. For example, in Russia, it took four years to launch community foundations. The initiative has to come naturally from local groups that
have skills in community development, have earned trust from the community, strengthened their grantmaking and fundraising skills, and established strong partnerships with other sectors.
Based on conversations with international private foundations, local foundations in CEE, local groups, private companies, and government officials, World Learning is
supporting a program that will include a systematic and coordinated approach to the development of community foundations and local philanthropy with built-in
approaches for the start-up of local foundations as they emerge from the NGOs and CBOs.
NGO Management/Organizational Capacity
Currently in Croatia there is a great diversity in the capacity of local NGOs. The discrepancy is particularly apparent between city-based NGOs and smaller civil
initiatives. Even among the most developed organizations, there are numerous organizational processes that need improvement. Primarily, most of them still
greatly rely on strong leaders and founders, whose vision and leadership capacity ensure the organization's competency in terms of fundraising and public support.
There is a need for a stronger managerial and organizational capacity, which would go beyond development of strong individual managers. For that reason,
introducing Croatian anchor organizations to different organizational structures which differentiate between everyday management and long-term planning and
which secure a greater level of organization's accountability to stakeholders, such as Boards of directors or trustees, is especially relevant. Stronger NGOs also face
the dilemma of balancing the professionalization staff, which enables more efficient and effective operations, with constituency development, which ensures greater
accountability and a sustainable, local pool of human and financial resources. In addition, most professionalized NGOs are still not capable of creating meaningful
space for volunteer work, which is a reflection of still inadequately developed task definition and planning.
Considering the fact that the majority of NGOs were formed by activists with a
strong focus on programming and little experience in management, as well as the funding orientation to international donors, it is not surprising that financial
management remains the most problematic are in most organizations. Financial strategic planning, annual and multi-year organizational budget development,
tracking spending, and linking financial and programmatic planning are areas where most organizations need additional education and capable human resources input.
This area is closely linked with capacity in diversifying funding sources and in negotiating funding which is in line with long-term development of organizations
(multi-year grants; coverage of operating expenses and not only projects etc.)
Community-based organizations typically have low of strategic planning capacity;
since most of them cannot offer paid positions, they rely on the small number of enthusiasts with little experience in team development and delegation, which in turn
has a negative effect on broadening the base of active membership. CBOs mostly rely on local government funding and sporadic sponsorships from local businesses
and only ask for membership fees. Their capacity to attract international donors and write proposals for larger projects is limited by the assistance from stronger sympathetic NGOs.
Finally, the entire NGO sector in Croatia is acknowledged to generally lack horizontal information exchanges and cooperation. There are examples of
suspicion between organizations of similar size and profile that operate in the same regions—their alliances are strategic and focused on shared political interests (e.g.
regarding pre-election campaigning or lobbying the state) while in their everyday operations they tend to behave somewhat cautiously with their peers.
Community-based organizations or those NGOs that are displaced into the province are the most negatively affected by competition among stronger NGOs
because they can be denied access to information if they are perceived as either potential competitors or allied with a rival NGO. Communication between
sub-sectors (environmental, health, humanitarian, peace and human rights, disabilities, etc.) at the local and national levels is another area where significant
improvement would be most beneficial to the entire sector's organizational capacity.
Nearly 15 percent of NGOs estimates that civil society in Croatia is poorly
developed, 37.2 percent estimates that civil society in Croatia is somewhat developed, 44.7 percent thinks that civil society is well developed, and 3.2 percent
thinks that civil society is very well developed. Regarding NGO work quality, 14 percent of NGOs thinks that NGO work is of very poor quality, 23.7 percent
estimates that NGO work is poor, 52.7 percent thinks that NGO work is average in quality, 7.5 percent estimates that it is very good, and 2.2 percent believes that
NGOs do excellent work. Box 4 reveals other attitudes about NGOs.
Box 4. The Best and the Worst Sides of NGOs Work (150 NGOs and CBOs surveyed)
What NGOs do best:
Help with problems where state cannot: 28.1%
Protect human and minority rights: 25%
Inform and warn public about problems: 15.6%
Solve problems efficiently: 9.4%
Provide personal education and self-actualization: 9.4%
Promote personal interests: 9.4%
(118 respondents)
What NGOs do worst:
Present their work: 48.2%
Cooperate among themselves: 33.9%
Organize themselves: 17.9%
(112 respondents)
Ranking the most active areas of work:
1. sports and recreation
2. human and minority rights
3. culture and art
4. care for persons with special needs
5. ecology
6. youth organizations
7. education and science
8. humanitarian organizations
9. health protection and prevention
10. animal rights
11. children and youth care
12. consumer rights
13. public protection, crime and delinquency prevention
14. public safety, help and protection in extreme situations
Ranking areas of work where more activity is needed:
1. education and science
2. children and youth care
3. public protection, crime and delinquency prevention
4. culture and art
5. consumer rights
6. humanitarian organizations
7. ecology
8. health protection and prevention
9. care for persons with special needs
10. public safety, help and protection in extreme situations
11. youth organizations
12. human and minority rights
13. animal rights
14. sports and recreation
According to Hela Liveric, STRIBOR, Rijeka, there is an increase in activities to
protect the environment, although activities related to domestic violence, women, and the rights of disables people still prevail. On the local level, the most active
NGOs are sport and humanitarian organizations, as well as citizens active in protecting environment. The so-called alternative scene is also very active—bio-farming, homeopathy, yoga, and meditation.
According to Cvjetana Plavsa-Matic, Head of the Government Office for NGOs, the office has launched a campaign on volunteerism, in cooperation with NGOs, for
the 2001 International year of Volunteerism. A preparation advisory board was formed, including representatives from the ministries, municipal authorities (Rijeka,
Osijek, Split, Zagreb), and NGOs. The Ministry of Education was not ready to participate, while municipal authorities were very eager. The objective of the
campaign is to change societal systems and institutional structures to motivate citizens to volunteer in local communities. Examples of policy changes include
school credits for volunteering and use of retired senior advisors in ministries of the judiciary. There is a big issue of providing opportunities for civil service to 2,000
young men who applied and were granted such status. NGOs are still not included on the list of organizations where civil service could be served (currently, only
humanitarian organizations are acceptable hosts). That creates high level of dissatisfaction on part of NGOs. The government faces the issue of financing civil
service volunteers. According to Plavsa Matic, "This year should not be the time to celebrate but the time for a lot of hard work aimed at systemic shifts."
Surveys were administered to all municipalities and counties, asking about their plans to organize in relation to the International Year of Volunteerism. There was a
50 percent response rate. There is a need for the laws to change so that different state institutions can host volunteers. In addition, there is a need to change labor
law so that employees are motivated to volunteers. There is an initiative to stimulate businesses not only to give donations for local development programs but
also to enable their employees to have eight hours of paid work per month, which they can spend volunteering in their local communities. Through such actions,
businesses will be recognized as socially responsible members of their communities and their public image will improve. The national TV senior advisor and some
other journalists already agreed to provide full coverage of the International day of Volunteerism (December 5, 2001). Special stimulating measures will also include
special meddles and certificates for volunteers, which will be handed by the president of the state, deputy prime minister, and another high official. Certificates
will be awarded also at the municipal and county levels. "It will help affirm values that were distorted by the war and quick money making, which has dominated our
society over the past decade."
In order to preserve and promote the diversity of the sector, both in terms of
organizational approaches and missions, it is important to provide support to further development of a greater number of anchor organizations in all key regions of
Croatia. For that reason, it is important to identify a broader range of organizations, including those who do not explicitly identify as resource and support centers for
other organizations, but in reality function as resource organizations, due to their cooperative approach and activities.
In addition, potential anchor organizations should be identified and supported on a more incremental basis during the life of the program. Considering the prevalent
problem of inadequate synergy of local organizational resources, effectiveness will depend on horizontal networking and coordination between such organizations,
especially those that operate within the same region or within the same issue area. Therefore, careful and ongoing monitoring of the interactions between
community-based organizations and anchor organizations in each Croatian region should be integral to the process of identification and subsequent support of potential anchor organizations.
Improved capacity of anchor organizations is a function of improved organizational capacity, improved capacity to support other groups, and improved cooperation
between anchor organizations. Organizational capacity includes developed organizational structures, especially managerial ones (executive bodies; boards of
directors or trustees); developed membership bases, including opportunities for volunteering; developed cooperative relationships with other organizations;
diversified funding sources; improved relations with the private sector as a prerequisite, and improved capacity to act in public space, that is, improved media relations and citizen outreach.
In order to strengthen CBOs, it is essential to focus on different means of support such as training (both group and individualized), technical assistance, follow-up
training, and grant programs that could be provided by either anchor organizations or international partners. Specifically the grant program could a) strengthen CBOs
and civil initiatives, particularly in those regions of Croatia where international support for civil society has been minor; b) build public support for CBOs in
general, and particularly at the community level; c) promote active citizenship, especially in the areas of local social service delivery and community mobilization;
and d) encourage social innovation at the local community level, in cross-thematic and cross-sectoral projects.
Sandra Bistricic from the Ri-centar, an official support center for NGOs and CBOs
in Rijeka, identified challenges for this young organization that is currently also working on establishing a volunteer center : "It is difficult to get information about
NGOs, especially those groups that work from home or don't have enough resources to work all day. There are only two of us at the Center, and it is difficult
to cover the entire territory to collect data. We also offer consultations to NGOs but we do need more coordinators and volunteers. One of the problems is also in
lack of diversified sources, too much reliance on the city and the county, and no other donors in this region."
On the problems related to NGO capacity, Hela Liveric of STRIBOR said, "We think that local and national government contributed to the NGO problems because
they do not take civil society seriously enough. Big problems are also foreign foundations, which are influencing the direction of NGOs' work. There are many
cases where NGOs are completely switching to different activities and are changing missions in order to receive funding. With this approach, you are diminishing the
true initiatives that are developed on the basis of real needs and are recognized by NGOs as such. Donors also change the direction of an initiative, which then loses its spontaneity."
Mladen Majetic, ZAMIR Zagreb, says, "We need support for organizations that are experienced and committed to cooperating with other organizations. Why not
to be more innovative and organize resource buses with information technology and resource persons that could travel throughout Croatia and visit smaller, marginalized groups?"
