At the limit of possibilities

Several charitable organizations immediately announced the threat of closing and serious financial difficulties. Crisis is evident: large donors are leaving, ordinary people are poor, the state can help, but everything is difficult. “Such things” figured out what is happening and what to do funds at this difficult time

What's happened? Threat of ruin or temporary difficulties

The House of Mercy is a program for helping children from the zones of humanitarian disasters of the Fair Assistance of Dr. Lisa. The wards of the programs are evacuated children (mainly from the combat zone in the Donbass), who are being taken to Russia to treat. The fund provides housing, meals, pays for transportation costs, finances the survey and even treatment itself - in cases where the Ministry of Health recognizes the medical care necessary for the child not emergency, but planned. Donations entering the fund are no longer covering these expenses anymore - and the organization today has no confidence in the future.

“Some accumulations were due to donations made since the time of Lisa Glinka herself, directly under her personality. But after her death, the Fund was pretty impoverished, ”says Olga Demicheva, a member of the Board of the Fund, Endocrinologist Olga Demicheva. - What is the further prospect of the program, I do not understand yet. Because after a few months with such a speed of payments for planned treatment of children, the fund will simply go broke. ”

The abandonment of individual programs and the threat of closing - several charitable organizations at once admitted that their survival was in question

The lack of funds on his website of the Fund for Assistance to Children and Adults with severe forms of disability “Perspectives” reported on his website. The Center for Social Abbilitation for adults with autism “Anton here nearby” may stop working since January 2019. Charity Foundation "Live Now" , which helps people with side amyotrophic sclerosis (bass) , on the verge of closing.

Like “Live Now”, the Advita cancer patients fund was in a deep crisis due to the disappearance of a large donor-a company that covered most of the financial needs of a non-profit organization. This happened back in January, the administrative director of Advita Elena Gracheva told such matters: “Then there was a very difficult period, financing of many projects was sequvestigated. But since we always raised funds in a variety of ways and never depended on a single donor, we continue to work. Just every unsuccessful negotiations, each breakdown of agreements now has a greater price than before. ”

Even large charitable organizations, the most successful in fees, recognize: the receipt of funds has seriously reduced with the onset of the crisis (in 2014 the exchange rate began to grow, and international economic sanctions led to raising prices). Since then, the problem is only aggravated, says the president of the Vera Foundation, Julia Matveeva. Many funds had accumulations (income from commercial activity, some non-operating income, non-adordum donations for a long period of use)-the so-called “airbags”. They allowed to hold out for some time, but either they were depleted now, or will end in the near future.

Why now? Purchase crisis

The creator of the Help charity foundation Mitya Aleshkovsky is sure: the closure of part of the programs is only the beginning of the crisis. “The charity sector is narrowing consistently. Private donors begin to save, because everything around is gradually and noticeably rises. And corporate donors in the crisis first cover non -core and incomprehensible programs. Moreover, social responsibility in our country does not bring them anything: neither significant PR, nor positions in the market and in society, nor tax benefits, ”says Aleshkovsky.

Illustration: Rita Cherepanova for TD

Charity funds have been waiting for problems since the end of 2014, when the national currency fell, but a sharp fall in the fees did not occur. Three incomplete years have gone to the “economic adaptation” of ordinary citizens and business, explains the economist, program director of the Valdai International Discussion Club Yaroslav Lisovik: “As the real incomes of the population falls, the deterioration of the main economic parameters in the country, the situation changes from a behavioral point of view. When economic difficulties continue a fairly long period, this affects not only the structure of expenses of the population, but also on economic motives - including charity. ”

Savings of the population during this time also managed to be exhausted, adds an economist

And the depreciation of the ruble continues and eats what remains - there is no longer up to donations. The same factors affect business priorities. In conditions of constant recession, it is impossible to engage in long -term planning, the fox explains: “Companies have to concentrate more on their specialized articles of expenses. And besides, the tax burden on business has increased. ”

Mitya Aleshkovsky, referring to the sources close to power, says that you should not hope for reducing this burden. On the contrary: "There is a clear decision: tax benefits for philanthropists will not be introduced into the country."

Private donations. Alms and system charity

For the majority of the population of our country, participation in charitable programs is just a luxury, people hardly make ends meet, according to the sociologist of the Levada Center Denis Volkov. But this is not the only problem. More than half of the population does not know anything about the work of charitable projects at all.

People believe that giving ten rubles a beggar at the metro is mercy and philanthropy

“More active donors in large cities, this is the middle and advanced middle class. But here, the expectations of people from participating in projects are changing, ”says Volkov. - To many, it is not enough for many to regret the dying man and participate in an emergency gathering for treatment - many have been fed with such stories. People will be much more willing to raise funds for funds promising systemic changes, the solution of real social problems . ”

Therefore, for example, the Vera Hospice Fund is so greatly successful and popular: its leadership successfully lobbies changes in legislation, facilitating the fate of severe patients and their loved ones (the issuance of narcotic painkillers, tolerates of patients of patients and so on). Sacrifice to such funds, people implement the need to change the social situation peacefully, the sociologist explains.

Large donations. Less and less

However, the Vera fund today has become more difficult to find sources of financing, says its President Julia Matveeva: “We also have our own“ airbag ”. We are guided by such a principle of using funds in which we always control how close to this “pillow”, directing money to a particular program. ” It is necessary to revise budgets and costs almost every day-due to a reduction in the donations of legal entities: “It became problematic to remove money from the turnover and direct it to financing charitable projects. Now the task of the business is to survive yourself. And we are rebuilding under changing conditions, looking for new tools to attract funds, we try to be more mobile. ”

Olga Demicheva, a member of the board of the Fair Assistance Foundation, says that now companies - legal entities - more often provide one -time rather than regular assistance. “For example, a trading network is taken within a month to supply products to us to the“ House of Mercy ”. For such participation in charity, a legal entity can report, get some benefits, but you can not always count on continuing cooperation with him, ”says Demichev.

Illustration: Rita Cherepanova for TD

Elena Alshanskaya, head of the Volunteers to help orphans to help children-organs, says that the organization has no strong outflow of donations, but large amounts received for many years from business and private philanthropists began to decrease. “We see this trend and understand that we need to rebuild our strategies - try to increase the number of new donations,” said Alshanskaya. - The crisis has not gone anywhere, and taking into account the ongoing sanctions, it is clear that it will have long -playing consequences. The commercial companies that this situation hit will probably continue to reduce charitable budgets. But, on the other hand, it seems to me that you can count on expanding the number of participants in this process, since more and more companies are trying to be socially responsible. ”

Business position. Surviving and anonymous

Companies who managed to maintain budgets for charity willingly discuss the importance of social responsibility. “The company“ Takeda ”pays great attention to the development of social and charitable projects, since the patient is always in the center of our attention,” said Anastasia Paul, director for corporate, digital and brand-communications. “Takoyed” supports medical students as part of the Golden Personnel of Medicine program, and helps the orbi stroke fund. This year, the company launched a new project with orbi (opening an ergomed -room in hospitals) and began to cooperate with the Old Age Fund.

Irina Lavrova, director of the communications and connections department with state and public organizations of Bayer, says that their strategy has not changed in recent years: “We have been actively developing a corporate volunteering program, and among the initiatives there are many projects proposed by the employees themselves. For example, the modernization of cardiimation in the Main Military Hospital named after Burdenko, repairs of the game room in the boarding house of the RDKB, a project for the social support of adults who are in difficult life situations, and many others. ” Among the long -standing partners of the company are the Life Foundation and the Russian Red Cross.

But not everyone manages to stay afloat

The head of the company, which was the only large sponsor of one of the charitable programs, on the condition of anonymity, said that he “held to the last”-but still stopped funding: “This has been going on for a long time, but for a long time I was not ready to refuse to support. The moment has come when the social partner himself already told me: “Come on, this will not be at your personal account when you already have to tear off funds from your own children.” Charity should still be from excessive resources, and not at the limit of opportunities. ”

What to do? "The funding process is endless"

Maria Chertok, Director of the Foundation and Development of the Filanthropy “Kaf”, does not argue that the country is not in the most favorable economic situation in the country, but I do not agree that it has radically changed for the worst. “It is clear that non -profit organizations will never be unconditionally stable and will always depend on donors and a common conjuncture,” says Chertok. “Therefore, it is more likely to diversify the sources of income and a constant desire for stability.” To achieve this stability, it is necessary to reduce the risks of dependence on one source. And - the most important and most difficult thing is to adhere to this strategy not only in the crisis, but also in the most “obese” years, the devil emphasizes: “The fundraising process is endless, and even if there is one, the most beautiful, large donor must look into the future and look for new sources of financing.”

The non -profit sector needs a market approach, otherwise not to survive, Mitya Aleshkovsky agrees: “Today in the NPO sector there are many good, caring people, but few professionals. There are practically no fundraiseers at all. ”

“And strategists who can form and fulfill the financial plan for at least a year, once, have been admitted”

An example of a calculated fundraising strategy and attracting not only monetary donations is cited by Olga Goldman, director of the oncological patients with the oncological patients. “We experienced this crisis a few years ago, when a very large sponsor, on which almost everything depended, lost the opportunity to support us,” she says. - Then we calculated three options for the development of events and, accordingly, three types of existence of the organization. Including embryonic: when one person remains with the phone and continues to respond to the calls of the “hot line”. Fortunately, we managed to survive and even improve our financial situation. But today we are no longer dependent on one single donor. Moreover, sponsorship is not always expressed in money. It is sometimes easier for companies to help, providing some things or services free of charge. ”

Illustration: Rita Cherepanova for TD

Once in a crisis situation, the “clear morning” appreciated its large expenses and turned to those companies that had to be paid on accounts - with a request to take them into their charity programs. This worked, for example, in the case of the owner of the federal number on which the hot line worked. It turned out to save the number and find a free shelter in one of the call centers-the fund could no longer pay for the rent for employees of the hotline.

“We are very grateful to the people who saved us then,” says Olga Goldman. -But today, as the head of the organization, I plan its work for at least six months a year in advance. For me, a non -profit organization is not only assistance to the wards, but also social responsibility to employees who should regularly receive salaries. We have private donations, but we strategically decided that we should not consider them as the main source of income. Therefore, we participate in all state competitions on subsidies, prepare, report. This, of course, also cannot be considered as a constant income, but, nevertheless, while it turns out to feel more or less stable. ”

This path is advised to go to Maria Chertok from Kaf: there is a real opportunity to receive quite significant funds from the Presidential Grants Fund, the expert says. Of course, we must write applications, be able to apply with this money, but you can master this science.

Hope for the state, but

To begin with, it would be good to divide the areas of responsibility, Olga Demicheva says: “Abroad, charity funds of the type of ours are engaged in the support of seriously ill children from the position of fulfilling their desires, organizing some interesting events for them. Specifically, we replace the state by coordinating and paying for the treatment of these children, ”says Demicheva. “If the“ House of Mercy ”was specially created by order of the President, children arrive on the territory of Russia by the sides of the Ministry of Emergencies, then by logic and medical care for them in full should be financed at the expense of the state, and not a charity fund.”

Perhaps the current situation will become an occasion to increase state participation in the public sphere, Elena Alshanskaya hopes. “Talk about the need to include NPOs in the provision of social services has been going on for a long time, but so far the state support is limited only to presidential grants for the whole country,” she says. - There are few regions in which understandable rules are established and the support of the authorities is felt. But more often this is either not at all, or for NGOs they put unrealistic conditions: serious rules for inclusion in the register of suppliers, very difficult reports and at the same time so scanty rates (such as 136 rubles per hour of consulting a psychologist), for which it is simply pointless to do all this additional work. ”

The main hope of charitable organizations is still ordinary people, those who are not indifferent to the problems of society. Maybe welfare and falls, but there are more caring people.

According to Yulia Matveeva, the Vera Foundation increased the number of donations from individuals. This is the result, including the changed policy of the fund, which, responding to the financial situation, is more focused on private donors. “It seems to me that this is a good trend. The more people participate in charity, the more likely it is that the culture of attitude to charity as a whole will change. The help of the weak will become an integral part of our life, ”the director of the fund hopes.

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The material uses links to publications of social networks Instagram and Facebook, as well as their names are mentioned. These web resources belong to Meta Platforms Inc. - It is recognized in Russia as an extremist organization and is prohibited.

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