Sustaining Civil Society: Lessons from Five Pooled Funds in Eastern Europe

After 1990, US and European foundations and government agencies invested in a series of Partnerships and Trusts to support civil society in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics, the Balkans and the Black Sea regions. Analyzing the long-term impact of these investments is crucial, especially as many politicians across these regions increase their anti-civil society rhetoric. Three long-time US foundation staff look back at the legacy and impact of this funding and derive a series of lessons for practitioners seeking to understand how best to sustain civil societies for the long term. 

The full report written by Barry Gaberman, Merrill Sovner, and William Moody is available here, the executive summary here.