The Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation is an organisation registered for public benefit in 2001, according to the Law on Non-Profit Legal Entities. The idea for its establishment came after four years of work on the program of the English organisation Charity Know How – “Knowledge, Success, Change”. The team involved in implementing the program in Bulgaria decided to create a Bulgarian organisation through which to build on the results achieved and develop new opportunities for working with civil society organisations in the country. The main goal of the founders was to create a strong and effective platform that would support the development of organisational capacity in small, independent organisations and informal groups across the country, as well as encourage cooperation among them.
Mission
WCIF encourages various communities to take responsibility and actively work towards social development by making full use of local resources. These communities can be geographical, professional, or formed around shared interests.
Values
The core values that underpin WCIF’s work are: participation; communities having their own resources; openness to dialogue; respect for diversity; responsible management of invested funds; transparency; and accountability.
Vision
WCIF’s long-term vision is to be a source of local and independent funding for civic initiatives related to social change, community development, and the growth of civil society organisations in Bulgaria.
We achieve our mission through:
- Collaboration between non-governmental organisations, local authorities, and business organisations, as joint work is the best means of building public welfare.
- Development of non-governmental organisations, as they play a key role in the building and development of civil society.
- Development of philanthropy, as neither civil society nor its organisations can exist without the active support of socially responsible individuals, businesses, or institutions.
WCIF was the first in Bulgaria to:
- It started training small organisations to raise funds from private donors;
- It created the only training package for civil society organisations to date;
- It supports local philanthropy;
- It invests in the next generation of young philanthropists;
- It introduced the profession of fundraiser;
- It manages the first corporate fund in the country.
Results
After more than 22 years of work, WCIF has achieved significant results. Some of the quantitative measures of these are:
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Funds raised from local donors to support projects
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Organisations with enhanced knowledge and skills
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Funded organisations
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Supported individuals
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Direct beneficiaries
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People, influenced by the funding
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Allocated for project funding
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Funded projects