BCSDN is proud to present the donor maps developed as part of a research on the donors strategies and practices in civil society development (CSDev) conducted in 2011. This research aim was to identify main donors, trends and ways of support to civil society in the Balkans. As a part of this research, a database of donor maps was created by Queen Mary University of London and BCSDN. These maps present a dissection of civil society support in 6 countries per donors and sector of support in the period 2010-2011 as reported by donor representatives interviewed or discerned from official information on their websites. The publication and the final database  will be published  in the following weeks. You can find the preliminary maps here: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. To find out more on the methodology used to create the maps please click here. The analysis of the maps and other related research-material can be found here.

At a time, when major (foreign) donors are largely exited/exiting the region, the Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) deems it strategically important to review the past and current state of affairs, identify gaps and present lessons-learned and recommendations for effective and locally-owned models for sustainable civil society development. For this reason, the School of Politics and International Relations, Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) has prepared a survey aimed at local CSOs that will provide information on the effects of the different types of funding (i.e. core funding, domestic, international funding) has had on development of CSOs and the sector as well as experiences and perceptions on donor-CSOs relations. The deadline for submission of the survey is 22 July, 2011. A similar survey is being administered also to the major civil society-related donors.

In 2011, when the region is celebrating 20 years of transition, there is little reason for citizens and civil society in the region being jubilant. The already problematic economic development aggravated by the global economic and financial crisis has brought about a sharp decline in foreign donor support in a situation of extreme poverty, unemployment and apathy among the citizens.

While there has been many efforts launched in evaluating the impact of donor assistance and its better coordination on the part of Governments and foreign donors (e.g. establishment of donor coordination forums, establishment of donor databases), there has been little or no access by local stakeholders, esp. local CSOs to improve synergies, decisions on funding priorities and needs etc. in support to civil society development. At a time, when major (foreign) donors are largely exiting the region, it is strategically important to review the past and current state of affairs, identify gaps and present lessons-learned and recommendations for effective, sustainable and locally-owned transition to civil society funded by local sources. Moreover, the EC this year is starting with developing the new post-IPA regulation, which will include future EU support to civil society development in pre- and accession countries.