CCSG Projects > NGO/NGO Network Capacity Building
SUPPORT FOR CROATIA'S NONGOVERMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (CRONGO)
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As Croatia prepared for the 2007 EU accession, a vibrant democracy, active citizenry, and sustainable NGO sector were vital to a successful bid. AED's Support for Croatia's NGO program (CroNGO) promoted this effort by increasing the ability of Croatia's civil society to contribute to democratic, economic, and community development.

The program focused on improving NGOs' capacity and legitimacy and on activating citizens to advocate for and effect changes which improved their quality of life by providing grants, training, and technical assistance to NGOs and citizen groups countrywide to address issues related to advocacy, domestic funding, voluntarism, transparency and professionalism, community mobilization, public perception, cross-sectoral cooperation, and the legal environment.

Project accomplishments include:

• 221 Small Grants (up to $25,000) disbursed to NGOs in every county, mobilizing over 60,000 citizens. All projects included a minimum 10% community contribution and most had significant support from local government and businesses. A wide variety of projects have been supported: participatory decision-making, community-based economic development, public education, renovation of public spaces, preservation of cultural heritage and natural environment, and service provision for at-risk and marginalized community members.
  
• Skills in transparent grant making enhanced through 3 regionally-based NGOs which work with AED to implement the Small Grants program around the country. These organizations also serve as community and NGO resources in the regions they represent.


• 9 well-established NGOs representing 8 different sub-sectors completed two-year projects to enhance the viability and sustainability of the NGO sector and strengthen their own organizational capacity. These organizations undertook projects to improve public perception of NGOs; strengthen linkages among NGOs; build partnerships with other sectors of society; and train NGOs and citizens in organizational management, advocacy, community mobilization and other issues.


• NGO management trainers' capacity has been increased through a series of five advanced-level training-of-trainer workshops, and trainers are regularly exchanging information through a Trainers' Forum. The first major output of this Forum has been a Trainers Code of Ethics, which has been signed by over 40 Croatian trainers from around the country.


• A Croatian NGO Quality Assurance Tool has been developed to allow NGOs to conduct a thorough self-assessment and make necessary improvements to their organizations.

CroNGO was a six-year, US$12.7 million program, running from 2001 to 2007, and was funded by the United States Agency for International Development. The project has been designed and implemented by AED's Center for Civil Society and Governance. AED also designed and implemented the Croatia NGO Development Program, which ran from 1998-2001.

For additional information on this project please contact us at ccsg@aed.org.