Global Grant

Since its accession to the European Union, the EU’s Structural Funds are available for the Czech Republic. Global Grants are part of the European Social Fund. They are aimed at supporting non-governmental non-profit organizations working in the social field. In the Czech Republic, both Global Grants – the first one supporting projects realized in Prague, the second one covering all the regions of the Czech Republic except the capital - are administered by NROS, who supported 131 projects with 77,1 mln CZK (2,7 mln €) in the first call for proposals. The implementation of these projects started in summer 2005. In the second call for proposals, 104 projects with 59,97 mil. CZK (2,1 mln €) were supported.

Transition Facility

Transition facility is designed by EU for new member states and is planned for a period of 2004 – 2006. It covers fields which cannot be financed from EU structural funds. Since 2004, NROS was appointed to administer four programmes and to distribute among NGOs a total volume of 6,432 mln €. „Improving Efficiency of Civil Society Organizations in Consumer Protection“ supports the performance of „the acquis“, a set of EU’s legal regulations, in consumer protection. „Strengthening the Role of Advocacy and Monitoring Civil Society Organizations“ focuses on corruption, discrimination, and environment. Both programs, therefore, continue in 2006, when the third programme is launched under the name „Strengthening the Role of Civil Society Organisations in Implementation of the Antidiscrimination Act an Antidiscrimination Acquis“. The fourth and last programme under the Transition Facility will be launched in 2007 and it will be devoted to “Promoting Roma Children & Youth Education in „Out-of-School“ Activities by CSOs“.

Block Grants

In May 2004, the three non-EU members of the European Economic Area (EEA) - Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway - established the EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism to support social and economic cohesion within the enlarged EEA. In total, the financial mechanisms will make available 1.17 bln € over the five-year period (2004-2009), supporting projects in a wide range of priority sectors such as protection of the environment, conservation of the European cultural heritage, health and childcare, development of human resources. 110,9 mln € will be allocated in the Czech Republic (48.5 mln € from the EEA Financial Mechanism and 62.4 mln € from the Norwegian Financial Mechanism). In addition to these mechanisms, the three donor states have launched special NGO funds with a total value of about 70 mln €. The first approved NGO Fund under the EEA Grants was the Block Grant for NGOs in total value of 10 M€, launched 14 June 2006. It will focus its support on three main areas: human rights and a multicultural society, disadvantaged children and youth, and protection of the environment. The fund will make grant support available to NGO applicants through three calls for proposals over the next three years. NROS will administer the fund, including organizing the calls for proposals and the evaluation of applications.

Pomozte dětem! – The Help the Children!- Collection project

Help the Children! collection project was inspired by the well-known and successful BBC Children in Need appeal. Nowadays, Help the Children!, which is organized together with the national television station Czech TV, is the best-known and one of the largest charity campaigns in the Czech Republic. Help the Children! is also known as a project which is providing maximum information about collected and distributed donations. In eight years the project raised and reallocated almost 85 mln CZK, and has assisted 115 000 children via 717 projects of NGO’s throughout the whole Czech Republic. In comparison to other charitable projects and collections running in the Czech Republic, it is aiming at the widest and most complex target group. 2006 was the most successful year for the campaign, with 15 061 659 CZK (547 696 €) collected, and 106 supported grants. For the first time in history, the project has gained the substantial support of a business partner – Schneider Electric. Safety Belt – Circle of Help the Children Friends, is a new project of the Foundation trying to engage, in particular, socially responsible companies.

Make a Connection

Make a Connection – Připoj se is a part of a global initiative of Nokia and the International Youth Foundation (IYF) supporting positive development of young people in more than twenty countries all over the world. NROS (as IYF´s partner in the Czech Republic) together with NOKIA Czech is responsible for the implementation of the program on the national level. Furthermore, NROS is cooperating with five regional partner NGO’s and a chain of children’s homes in the Czech Republic. The primary aim of MaC is to engage young Czechs aged between 16 and 24 in civic projects, thereby promoting civic engagement in participating youth themselves as well as in other young people and adults. Secondary aims are identifying and addressing real community needs, increasing the life skills of the participating young people and creating conditions to sustain youth civic engagement in the targeted regions. The programme supports groups of young people who design, implement, and manage their own projects that will benefit their communities. They receive up to 50 000 CZK (1800 €) per project as well as training sessions, technical assistance and other aid they need. Surveys made throughout the programme have shown that the programme has a very positive effect on young people’s disposition to engage in voluntary work and to get involved in their communities.

klub-net

Klub-net has two main aims: the first is to give young people opportunities to spend their free time in self-organised activities in their local environment, and the second is to facilitate an intercultural exchange between the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. This is done by building up
a network of school clubs in which students can get actively involved, implement their very own ideas and follow their interests. These school clubs meet regularly on the national and international level so that the young people can talk about their experiences, the difficulties and successes of their clubs, and learn how to improve their work in an enjoyable, motivating way. Additionally, international meetings serve as an opportunity to find partners for bi- or transactional projects, of which every club should carry out at least one per year. The international projects are both highly motivating and instructive for the participants. By working together with students from abroad, they learn about other cultures, get exposed to another view of their own culture, train their language skills and learn to work in a team of people who were formerly strangers. This has an excellent effect on their organisational and social skills. The programme is financed by the Robert Bosch Foundation and carried out with the
cooperation of NROS, the German Children and Youth Foundation and the Polish Children and Youth Foundation. These three help clubs in their respective land both financially and organisationally during the preparation phase and for the three years that follow. NROS has thus far distributed a total of 9 mln CZK (310 000 €) for foundations of clubs, support of their daily work, seminars and international projects. Altogether, 59 clubs are involved, and 62 international projects have now been supported by klub-net.

VPOHO

VPOHO is a grant-making program aimed at "low-threshold facilities" and projects focused on young people from all over the Czech Republic. The goals of the program are to face boredom and provide a safe environment for self-expression of young people. Therefore, VPOHO provides support for low-threshold youth clubs that seek to minimize the risks associated with youth street life. For 2006, the Vodafone Group Foundation, in conjunction with the Vodafone Czech Republic Foundation, has initially allocated €320 000 (an equivalent of CZK 9.1 million) for this platform; this will go to grants and programs mostly managed by their non-profit partners, NROS and ČAS (Česká Asociace Streetwork – the Czech Streetwork Assosiation). Clubs defined as "low-threshold" are meant to be accessible to all. Their purpose is to minimize the risks to young people when not at school or with their parents. The clubs provide a safe environment and space for self-fulfilment for children and young people in need. These clubs differ from each other in facilities and activities that range from sport, games, music, dance and trips, to psychological and social counselling. In several aspects, the activity of low-threshold clubs meets 'streetwork' (social work) - club staff regularly venture out to meet street kids in their environment and offer them alternative ways to spend their free time. There are currently almost 100 low threshold clubs in the Czech Republic.

Čerych Villa and Čerych Fund

In May 2001, NROS received the Čerych Villa, an old listed building in Česká Skalice, as
a donation from the Čerych brothers. According to their will and NROS’ mission, the villa now serves as a centre for information, training, education and culture. The project is
a reaction to the growing need for professionalisation in the NGO sector against the background of international cooperation within the EU while supporting the regions and partnership amongst various sectors, including the local level of education. So the working field is wide and the aims are high. The foundation’s partner has been, since 2003, Česká Skalice Development Centre, which sits in the villa and coordinates training and education programs for the region of Hradec Králové. In addition, further programs, particularly various educational events, take place there. Except for the villa, Ladislav Čerych set NROS in charge of the Čerych Fund, which was formed in 2005 with an initial contribution of 3 mln CZK, (103 430 €), and which has become an integral part of NROS. The fund supports the development of the Czech civil society and non-profit sector, European cooperation (esp. cooperation of border regions), active participation in local and regional development and activities aiming at the development of democracy and human rights protection.