Reference: EU0010000190
CNF

Cooperating Netherlands Foundations for Central and Eastern Europe (CNF)

The CNF was established in 1991 by a co-operation of four private donor-organisations collecting funds through fund-raising activities within the Netherlands, namely The Foundation for Children's Welfare Stamps Netherlands (SKN), the Queen Juliana Foundation, the Foundation Katholieke Noden and the Foundation 'Het R.C. Maagdenhuis'.

The CNF supports the social transition process in the post-communist societies in Central Europe supporting citizens to create a civil society and to improve the social situation of disadvantaged groups, strengthening social welfare, health care and education. The CNF co-ordinates their granting and consulting activities in nine countries: Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine.

The CNF supports projects to encourage private initiative through grass-roots, non-governmental organisations (NGOs). To that end, legal entities (only registered NGOs) from countries in Eastern Europe, may apply for financing or co-financing. The applicant must be administered by a legal entity like a foundation, an association, a federation, a union or caritas/diaconia.

Project support is targeted at the following categories: young people; the elderly; minorities; handicapped; unemployed; community building; the addicted; sick people and public health; education and regional development. Projects must have a solid social support; an open structure and be preferably innovative; voluntary work must be promoted; be geared to enlarging know-how and co-financing must be indicated.

Support is provided to involve investment costs in construction or reconstruction work or equipment, or training expenses. Covering operating expenses cannot be applied for, though one-time exceptions can be made for starting expenses, provided there are prospects of continued financing from other sources. CNF gives one-time grants only.

Application forms and information on deadlines can be obtained from the project co-ordinators in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. For Romania and Poland applications have to be send to the Foundation for Children's Welfare Stamps (SKN) in the Netherlands.

The four private donor organisations are each responsible for the support and final evaluation of applications for particular countries. There is no fixed rate for the size of the grant, each application will be evaluated on the basis of its budget.

For a full list of contact details, have a look at: http://www.cooperatingnetherlandsfoundations.nl/html/applications/contacts.html
 
> Key documents
• Co-operating Netherlands Foundations for Central and Eastern Europe - Homepage
internet: http://www.cooperatingnetherlandsfoundations.nl/index.htm
 
> Contacts
• Foundation for Children's Welfare Stamps (SKN)
Schipholweg 73 / 75
NL-2316 ZL LEIDEN
phone: +31-71-525 9800
fax: +31-71-513 0147
email: mteeffelen@skn.nl
internet: http://www.cooperatingnetherlandsfoundations.nl/index.htm