Amidst preparations for drafting the Framework Strategy on Cooperation between Civil Society and Kosovo Public Authorities, the Working Group on “Financial Support for Civil Society Organizations” held its first meeting on 24 March 2011.
The conclusions from this meeting can be summarized to the following points:
• Lack of standard forms for the distribution of governmental grants to civil society, enabling only a small number and mostly the same organizations to benefit from these funds;
• In order for the distribution of funds be allocated depending on the needs and priorities of community, it is critical to put a public fund collection mechanism in place;
• The experience from the countries in the region shows that building of cooperation mechanisms between the civil society and public authorities was not an easy exercise and it took quite a lot of time.
At the end of meeting there was a consensual distribution of duties and responsibilities for each and every organization present at the meeting:
• SOS Kinderdorf and Down Syndrome Kosova – shall make a short analysis of the establishment of public funds and their management based on the experience from the countries in the region;
• Kosovar Civil Society Foundation – (KCSF) shall made an analysis on the best method for the distribution of public funds to civil society organizations.
The meeting was attended by five (5) representatives of civil society organizations.