NROS was founded in spring of 1993 as a Czech legal entity. Since the beginning of its activities, it has been administering parts of the EU’s „Programme of Community aid to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe“ (PHARE) in the Czech Republic - financed by the European Union. In 2005, the two PHARE programmes run by NROS were finalized since, in 2007, PHARE as a whole would be terminated and substituted by a new programme. The projects supported were above all of long-term character, introducing new forms of services and focussing on hitherto neglected groups of citizens which they actively included in the solution of problems. During its first years, the foundation supported a broad spectrum of activities of non-profit organizations. The aim was not only to support specific publicly beneficial projects in the given spheres, but above all to reinforce and develop the non-profit sector in the Czech Republic. For this reason NROS focussed its attention on the support of information activities and the training of employees and volunteers in the non-profit sector. Besides its grant-giving activities, NROS developed several of its own projects regarding e.g. research into non-profit organisations, training, and publication activities.