Program of Cooperation between Government and the

Non -Profit Sector

Croatia

Specifics (who, when, what?)

Civil society organisations with Government office for cooperation with NGOs,

Approved by the Croatian Parliament in December 2000,

Strategic document that states a framework for co-operation in developing and implementing public policies and building up the civic society.

Coordination

Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs.

Monitoring of implementation Board for the civil society development

Important external factor in cooperation

Further work influenced by key people leaving the Government’s Office for Co-operation with CSO’s

Government appoints new person to head the Government’s Office end of 2004

Founding of National Foundation for Civil Society Development( public foundation founded by the Republic of Croatia by a special act passed by the Croatian Parliament on 16 October 2003).

Activity plan 2000-2002

Review of the legal framework (Law on associations)

Decentralizations

Transparency

Creation of models for financial assistance for NGO programs with commonly accepted criteria, and models for evaluation

Promoting philanthropy

Law on associations

A wide participative consultation process, lasting a year resulted innew, less restrictive Law on associations, October 2001

provides for voluntarily registration of associations;  requires at least three natural or legal persons to

establish an association; places on equal footing domestic and foreign persons as

founders; streamlines the conditions for registration of foreign

NGOs; and reduces the government's intrusion in issues related to

the  internal government of an association. 

Law on volunteering

National board for development of volunteering in Croatia (working groups)

Working groups (legislative, education, promotion and information, cooperation with different sectors)

1st reading in the Parliament

General determinants of the law

Defines volunteer and volunteering, user and volunteer organiser

Volunteer agreementVolunteers rights and obligationsOutsourced with Labour Law, Law on

health and retirement etc.Leans on Recommendations and

conclusions of legal issues affecting volunteers-

Involvement

Founding of regional Foundations for Civil Society Development

Creating database of regional CSOsImplementing national and four regional

seminars "Development of Civil Society in Croatia - Models of Cooperation between the State, Local Authorities and NGOs”

Financing

Different Government Ministries give yearly financial support (source: State Budget and the State lottery money)

The Foundation offers expert and financial support to programs which encourage the sustainability of the not-for-profit sector, inter-sector cooperation, civil initiatives, philanthropy, voluntary work, and which improve the democratic institutions of society and other programs

From 2005 Regulatory act on CSO’s being free of paying tax on foreign donations has been changed

Statistics

Register of nonprofit organisations

Lack information on economic units and general societal impact

Hard to obtain information on the county level about the register

Civic education and promotion

Support centers and training organisations – projects (education elements, round tables, publications)

Masters degree in “Non-profit Management”

Promotion of voluntarism (1st National Conference on Volunteering)

Think tank organisation (research)

Web portal (Government Foundation)

Newsletters (electronic and paper)

The support structure

Founding of regional Foundations for Civil Society Development

Foundation invited all interested CSO’s to participate in the curriculum development

Developing education curriculum for the public sector

Founded Regional Center for Intersector Cooperation in Zadar (Dalmatia) – it will offer education for intersector cooperation for Croatia and abroad

Contacts

www.zaklada.civilnodrustvo.hrwww.uzuvrh.hrwww.centar-za-mir.hr/program_potpora.php

www.udruga-mi.hr/info.phpwww.zoe-centar.hr/o_nama_eng.htmwww.smart.hr