Building a Stronger Civil Society

In 1995, ISC launched what would become a ten-year program to help develop a critical mass of nonprofit organizations in Macedonia that could address real and significant problems in society and effectively serve and represent ordinary citizens. We also worked with citizens themselves and local communities to help them play a stronger role in addressing their own problems.

At the time, Macedonia was just emerging from nearly 50 years of socialist rule, where the government had provided for many social services. Most nonprofits were less than five years old, and many operated out of people's homes. But as the new government grappled with a faltering economy and an unstable political situation, nonprofit organizations played a critical role—stepping in to provide real and needed services to the country's people.

We began by working with fledgling nonprofits and local communities, providing training, mentoring, and grants to help them engage people in addressing a wide range of environmental, economic, and social issues.

Today, recognizing that most international donors will soon be leaving the country, we are working with a core group of nonprofits to help them lead and provide support to the nonprofit sector, develop innovate ways of supporting themselves over the long term, and advocate for legislation critical to their survival, such as tax laws and laws on volunteerism.

Ultimately, our goal is to help Macedonia's third sector-on behalf of ordinary citizens-earn a permanent seat at the table alongside government and business in shaping the country's future. Here are some examples of how we've helped nonprofits make a difference:

• When a study showed that 95% of the spouses of recovering alcoholics had suffered from domestic abuse, we helped the Association of Clubs of Reformed Alcoholics establish Macedonia's first hotline for victims. The number of calls ballooned from 187 to 512 in six months. Some women who suffered silently for years in fear of stigma are now public advocates. The Association was also instrumental in the passage of legislation addressing violence against women.
• With ISC's support, the Youth Council Prilep held a youth forum that lead a national coalition of 30 youth-serving nonprofits called SEGA, which made a series of recommendations in cooperation with the Agency for Youth and Sports. The resulting National Youth Strategy is a milestone document addressing four prority issues concerning young people, including social development, social integration, the active participation of youth in public life and decision-making processes on the local and national levels, and quality of life.
• In November 2006, the Association for Emancipation, Solidarity, and Equality of Women (ESE) launched Macedonia's first-ever direct mailing campaign. As it is unsafe to send money or checks by mail, ESE included a bank deposit slip with its letter. The campaign also included donation boxes, a donation hotline, and a board of director's campaign. The all-out effort raised critical funding for ESE, which used to receive 70% of its funding from an international donor that has since pulled out of Macedonia.