Slovakia and the Czech Republic

Czech and Slovak philanthropy is only just beginning to develop and as yet there has been minimal discussion of the gender dimension.

There are however several broad positive trends worth mentioning. Research by the Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic and Czech Donors’ Forum finds that the value of individual donations has doubled in recent years, from 670m CZK in 2000 to 1,250m CZK (£30m) in 2006, and the number of philanthropists has also almost doubled in the same time period. Meanwhile, corporate donations have tripled from 746m CZK in 2000 to 2,045m CZK (£50m) in 2006.

Another trend is that both individual and corporate donors are supporting a broader range of people and causes, and two women have become well known for giving not just their money but also their resources and attention to topics that tend to be overlooked. Juliana Gyenesová, who died last summer, bequeathed all her possessions to the Oncology Unit of the Children Hospital in Banská Bystrica; this was the first major charitable legacy in Slovakia. In the Czech Republic, Mathilda Nostitz received a VIA Bona award for her long-term support to The Union of the Blind and Weak-sighted People.

The Slovak-Czech Women’s Fund does not yet play a major role in terms of funding, but it does represent an important grant-making organisation, as it is the only one supporting women’s and girls’ initiatives in the two countries. The Fund’s mission is to provide resources to support the promotion of women’s rights in society and to implement the principle of gender equality.

The Fund aims to contribute to the development of socially responsible philanthropy in Slovakia and in the Czech Republic. Its ambition is to change the traditional donor-grantee relationship to a partnership among supporters, donors, women’s initiatives and women and girls.

Alena Králíková is development manager of the Slovak-Czech Women’s Fund.