Collaboration is important in order to establish credibility and raise more funds

Since its first day of establishment, the Bulgarian Fund for Women board and staff have evaluated as very important the collaboration with different country institutions in order for the Fund to receive popularity and credibility with its work and later on – raised opportunities for fundraising from local donors in the country.

Collaboration was executed by different means depending on the specific institution, as for example with:

Government

The main common activities have recently been connected with the elaboration of the National Program against Domestic Violence. The President & CEO Stoila Bongalova was invited and took part in 3 meetings of the Working group set up by the Ministry of Interior with the task to elaborate the National Program for 2011 year. There were representatives of other Ministries and NGOs actively involved in actions and policies against domestic violence.

The Board Chair Stanimira Hadjimitova actively participates in the work of the National Council on Gender Equality to the Council of Ministries. Nevertheless the NGO representatives have a consultative status to this body, this is the only official structural instrument for influencing the State policy in the field.

Business

BFW is a member of the Bulgarian Donors Forum where a special Club of Business Donors exists. This is a real space for meeting different decision makers in the field of business, where BFW can present the specific problems women and girls in the country face and thus argue for financial support of programs that are focusing on overcoming of such problems. Stanimira Hadjimitova is a member of the BDF Board and her position gives her additional options in favour of the Bulgarian women. For example, in April the BFW and the BDF will organize the first Conference “Women and Philanthropy”, where by promoting good donor practices Bulgarian women will be encouraged and motivated to participate in achieving socially important causes through voluntary work and expertise and financial support.

On the other side, during the years, BFW organized numerous events focused on business representatives trying to train and make them more sensitive towards the existing gender discrimination in practice.

Universities

BFW used its “Youth Program” to contact the Sofia University and its Faculty on Sociology in the year 2009, when both organizations held a survey among young people in 10 Bulgarian towns that BFW run the Program on the youth sensitivity about gender discrimination and presented the results at a national Round table discussion. 

Last but not least, BFW is using all modern means to reach its collaborators, like its Internet web site, the social network Facebook, and the Blog.

The only challenges are connected with the small staff number and the need of much more regular contacts with the different stakeholders.

Stanimira Hadjimitova, Board Chair

Bulgarian Fund for Women

Sofia, Bulgaria

Women's Funding Network member since 2005