We are pleased to share the recent research of the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society(CUNY) summarized in this eye-opening report, “Sustaining Civil Society: Lessons from Five Pooled Funds in Eastern Europe”
After 1990, US and European foundations and government agencies invested in a series of Partnerships and Trusts to support civil society in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics, the Balkans and the Black Sea regions. Analyzing the long-term impact of these investments is crucial, especially as many politicians across these regions increase their anti-civil society rhetoric. Three long-time US foundation staff look back at the legacy and impact of this funding and derive a series of lessons for practitioners seeking to understand how best to sustain civil societies for the long term.
