- Program Civil Society
- Program Area Strengthening Civic Space
- Grant Amount $150,000
- Grant Period January 1, 2005–December 31, 2007
- Location Budapest, Hungary
- Geographic Focus Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia
About this grant
This grant will enable the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) to support the creation of a sound legal framework for civil society in Europe. During the past decade, ECNL’s parent organization, the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law, was the leading regional organization addressing non-governmental organization (NGO) legislative issues in Central/Eastern Europe (CEE) and Russia. However, ongoing legal and fiscal challenges specific to CEE highlight the need for continued engagement.Multiyear funding will enable ECNL to convene key stakeholders, facilitate cross-sector and cross-border dialogue, and provide professional assistance on legal issues affecting the nonprofit sector, with a primary focus on CEE. Specific objectives include offering technical assistance and capacity-building services to local partners in Southeast Europe – Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro – and the European Union – Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia; encouraging the exchange of information and communication among nonprofit sector stakeholders throughout the region; engaging in research and educational activities; and providing consultations on civil society law throughout the region as needed.ECNL, was established in 2003 to provide legal assistance to NGOs in CEE.