To enjoy long-term success, NGOs and social enterprises need stable support structures. The Schöpflin Foundation wants to strengthen, network and establish initiatives and organizations that take a cross-thematic approach and advocate for the interests of civil society organizations. It would then like to strengthen these organizations structurally.
As key players in civil society, social enterprises and NGOs have a certain responsibility for developing innovative solutions to societal and social challenges. We are convinced that we can only meet the major challenges of our time if - instead of focusing on individual organizations - we work together on solutions. But organizations in the nonprofit sector usually lack the resources to invest in collaborations or in organized, strong information and outreach work. What is needed is targeted support for civil society infrastructure organizations.
Through its "Backbone & Relations" Program, the Schöpflin Foundation will support so-called backbone organizations. Essentially, we distinguish here between two areas:
Network organizations which, in the sense of "lobbying for good," provide targeted information and public relations work that supports civil society players. The aim is to pool resources in order to strengthen public awareness of and give greater weight – including as part of the political debate - to the work of social enterprises and NGOs. We are looking for initiatives that focus on good relations work within and between civil society players. We are also looking for initiatives that strengthen cohesion, both within and between sectors as well as within society as a whole. We are convinced that good relations and good quality human interaction are key building blocks for the stable foundation of an active civil society.
Resilient Structures – in organizations, and among people, are the very essence of what organizations and their commitment stand for. We are looking for and will support initiatives that create offerings specifically for this sector and support them in building sustainable organizational structures. This could be with their financial, personnel or strategic work. It is only by having stable and resilient internal structures that an organization’s external activities can be fully effective. Here, we pay particular attention to the issue of people’s wellbeing: we firmly believe that an individual’s inner wellbeing can, in and of itself, nurture and develop a radiant power that can shine through into an organization and even across an entire sector, thus promoting effective social change.
Sometimes it doesn’t take much to bring about positive change. Through its »Rapid Response Grants« the Schöpflin Foundation provides organisations and projects with straightforward and rapid financial support - enabling them to implement their innovative and sustainable ideas, projects and initiatives. The maximum grant is 25.000 € per project, no applications can be submitted.
SchlaU-Werkstatt für Migrationspädagogik gGmbH | Kompetenznetzwerk Chancengerechtigkeit: The alliance of the organizations SchlaU-Werkstatt für Migrationspädagogik, Bildung für alle e.V., Kindersprachbrücke Jena e.V. and the Department of Education and Integration of the Cottbus city administration, which has existed since 2019, has set itself the goal of achieving equal opportunities for all people in an open and welcoming society and making the German educational landscape more inclusive.
If you have questions concerning our Backbone & Relations program please contact katharina.kuenzel-giacobini@schoepflin-stiftung.de
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