VIA Foundation and organizational development of NGOs

1
VIA Foundation and organizational development of
NGOs

• Jana Zahradnícková
• VIA Foundation, Prague
• Trends in Consulting in V4 Countries
  Conference, Bratislava, November 25th 2004

2
VIA support to NGO development

• Since its founding in 1997, VIA runs grant-making
  and TA programs to support NGO organizational
  development
• Since 2002, under CEET program
• more funds
• higher number of supported NGOs
• wider spectrum of supported NGOs

3
CEET components which include elements of NGO
org. development

• institutional development of key players in
  non-profit sector
• strengthening regional foundations
• small grants to support specific tasks in
  organizational development
• increasing individual fundraising

4
Tools used in specific programs

• organizational development plans
• grants
• challenge grants
• training programs
• grants to cover costs with consultations

5
Context of CEET

• timing
• big change in financing of NGOs
• many NGOs are at crossroads
• organizational development as a challenge
• inadequate experience of NGOs
• insufficient funding

6
General observations on grants supporting
organizational development

• might become a catalysts
• impact is not in direct proportion to size of the
  grant
• involving external consultants is not viewed as
  common

7
Specific examples of processes in organizational
development

• re-shaping activist NGO into a professional
  organization
• spining-off of a daughter NGO
• clarifying the role of coordination centres of
  NGO networks
• threatened by success?

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Trends and challenges

• Lets take care also of ourselves
• NGO viewed as a more complex entity
• organization vs. its activities
• seeking balance between interests of different
  groups of stakeholders
• growing number of consultants vs. uneven coverage
  of specific expertise