Relations and functioning of coordinative/institutional mechanisms as support to civil society in Croatia are mainly described in fallowing documents: Regulation on Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs, Decision on the Establishment of the Council for Civil Society Development and the Appointment of its Chairperson and Members and its Amendments, Rules of Procedure of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Act on National Foundation for Civil Society Development. Base for relationship of institutional mechanisms for civil society with Government/Ministries was set up in Programme of cooperation between the Croatian government and the non-governmental, non-profit sector in Croatia, 2000/2001.
One of the Objectives of National Strategy for the Creation of an Enabling Environment for Civil Society Development from 2006 to 2011 was to define the tasks and relations between the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs, the Council for the Development of Civil Society, and the National Foundation for Civil Society Development and Regulation on Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs (responsible for implementation of the Strategy) took the lead in that process. According to the Regulation on Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs, the task of the Office is to coordinate the work of ministries, central state offices, Croatian Government offices and state administrative organizations, as well as administrative bodies at local level in connection with monitoring and improving the cooperation with the non-governmental, non-profit sector in the Republic of Croatia. In the implementation of the mentioned tasks, the Office closely cooperates with the Council for the Development of Civil Society to which it, at the same time, offers technical, administrative, professional and financial support in its work. In its mandate it has also coordination of work of Government/Ministries in relation to civil society. National Foundation for Civil Society Development cooperates with Regulation on Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs on the way described in its Statute. Since 2007 coordination of mentioned institutional mechanisms has improved significantly.
Funding of the mechanisms/bodies
Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs is regularly funded from the state, with the public budget (from the individual budget line planned for the Office).
Council for Civil Society Development is financially supported by the Government Office for Cooperation with NGOs (and its funds coming from the state, public budget).
National Foundation for Civil Society Development is funded from the state-public budget (from the individual budget line planned for the National Foundation) and from part of the income from State Lottery and Games on Chance (thanks to the favorable changes in the Law on Lottery and Games on Chance, in 2002).