Innovative Program in Bulgaria Leaves Sustainable Legacy
The USAID Community Fund and Social Enterprise Program celebrated its successful completion on September 20 at the Radisson Hotel in Sofia. Over the past five years, USAID assistance has strengthened sustainable community development and established strong partnerships at the local level to promote civil society and philanthropic practices in Bulgaria. While USAID funding is phasing out, Community Fund and Social Enterprise models have taken strong root in Bulgarian communities. Ten community funds and 28 social enterprises established under the program already serve as models for local development not only within Bulgaria, but for the broader Eastern Europe and Eurasia region.
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| Oleg Stoilov, Deputy Chair of the Board of the Stara Zagora
Community Fund at the ceremony |
In five years, the ten community funds, which cover 18 percent of the country’s population, have raised more than a half-million U.S. dollars from local sources. These funds sponsored initiatives that directly responded to community needs. The program also pioneered the concept of social enterprises in Bulgaria. Social enterprises are a vehicle for social inclusion of disadvantaged people such as people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and children-at-risk, through access to employment and skills development.
The new social contracting model implemented in 13 Bulgarian municipalities is another noteworthy achievement of the program, allowing local governments to contract out social services to NGOs and businesses.
As Bulgaria prepares to enter the European Union, community funds and social enterprises are sources of local expertise and capacity that will contribute to more accountable and responsive government, better positioning Bulgaria to meet EU requirements.
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