To foster good governance in Southeast Europe and enable region-wide political, social, and economic development, USAID, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Government of Greece established the Balkan Trust for Democracy, a $27 million grant-making initiative. The Trust, headquartered in Belgrade, awards grants to institutions that are working to strengthen democracy -- indigenous civic groups, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), local and national governments, educational institutions, and the media. Proposals are accepted on a rolling basis and decisions are made monthly, with most grants falling between $10,000 and $25,000. Grant-making guidelines and application procedures are available online at www.gmfus.org.

Concentrating on Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia and Montenegro (including Kosovo), the alliance provides grants focused on two principal programs:

• Improving citizen engagement in government to promote accountability and an open society through the Linking Citizens to Government program.
• Promoting cross-border and trans-Balkan collaboration and understanding through the Cooperation and Collaboration program.

Partners:  Governments: Greece and the United States of America (U.S. Agency for International Development).  Civil Society: The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Partnership Targets:

• Promote domestic good governance in Southeast Europe.
• Foster cross-border and trans-Balkan collaboration and understanding.
• Provide grants ranging in value from $1,000 to $75,000, and up to approximately $2 million annually (though some will be awarded in comparable Euros).
• Build networks and support democratic processes that will help accelerate the region?s integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions.

Progress Toward Targets:

The Balkan Trust for Democracy has already had a significant impact on the strengthening of democracy in Southeast Europe. The Balkan Trust office, which opened in Belgrade in June 2003, has awarded a total of 44 grants from a field of approximately 400 proposals. To date, the Trust has made 18 grants under the Cooperation and Collaboration program, disbursing a total of $559,445. The Trust has also disbursed $774,843 in 26 grants in support of the Linking Citizens with Government program. Though the projects selected vary in size, they all address the partnership targets. Democratic development requires a participatory process that provides a sustained means for all citizens to debate and resolve differences. Active civic engagement lays the foundation for strong social programs that meet citizen needs. Similarly, the quality of governance determines the effectiveness of society response to political, social, and economic challenges. In post-conflict southeastern Europe, where societies have been divided and new democratic nations created, the Balkan Trust for Democracy supports several national and regional efforts to develop democratic processes and institutions and focus on increasing civic participation. Four grants indicative of Balkan Trust assistance are described below (please visit the Balkan Trust website for a complete listing of current grants):

• Promote domestic good governance in Southeast Europe:
  • A $28,520 grant was given to the Europe House Zagreb to hold a series of workshops and seminars throughout Croatia that will raise youth and policymakers? awareness of the role of youth organizations in civil society. Mobilizing youth to take part in politics is a critical task for every democracy. In Southeast Europe, it is especially important because an active, involved populace will be crucial in maintaining a peaceful, democratic society in the years to come.
  • A $25,000 grant to the Center for Anti-War Action in Belgrade is being used to organize two regional seminars designed to bring together young civil activists and public officials from different ethnic backgrounds. Positive experiences in reconciliation and public management of diverse communities in Bosnia, Macedonia, and Serbia will be shared, resulting in both activists and officials having a better grasp of how to keep peace between the region?s numerous ethnicities.

• Foster cross-border and trans-Balkan collaboration and understanding:
  • A $50,000 grant to the NGO Development Foundation in Sarajevo is working to develop an organizational network in the Western Balkans dedicated to increasing the civic participation of marginalized groups. Bringing marginalized groups into the political fold encourages the region?s governments to think more openly and weigh the good of all citizens when formulating policy.
  • A $25,000 grant was awarded to the Morave-Pcinja-Struma Euroregion Group in Kjustendil, Bulgaria to support an initiative to increase the socio-economic ties between the cross-border areas of Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Serbia by bringing stakeholders together to create a strategic development plan for the Euroregion. By devising a strategy together, the countries are opening themselves to further trans-European collaboration and stand a better chance of fulfilling democratic goals.

Next Steps:

The Trust will increasingly support initiatives that involve a process and follow-up plan and aim to have an impact even after the period of the grant activity. In this way, it will continue to facilitate the growth of Southeast Europe?s fledgling democracies. The Trust has been structured so that it can continue operations after the initial 10-year grant period, ending in 2013, and receive funding from other organizations that would like to contribute to the alliance. Regardless what direction the Trust takes, the institutions formed and the links created between the people and their governments will remain.

Resources:

The alliance will provide $27 million in funding over 10years. To date, the partnership has provided approximately $1.3 million. USAID has committed approximately $12.3 million to this initiative and the Government of Greece has pledged approximately $920,000 over a 3-year period. The German Marshall Fund of the United States contributed an initial $10 million with an additional pledge of $2 million to underwrite the Trust?s administrative expenses, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation provided $5 million to the initiative. The Balkan Trust for Democracy is also exploring other avenues of cooperation.

USG Primary Points of Contact: U.S. Agency for International Development: Heather Goldman (E-mail: hgoldman@usaid.gov).