1. The conjecture that the Russian commercial sector represents a large potential source of financing for third sector development proved to be correct. Nearly two-thirds of the large-scale and financially stable respondent firms are now engaged in some type of charitable activity.

2. Russian businesspeople have an ever growing distrust of specialized charitable organizations engaged in redistributing donations. This augurs the gradual decline of the Soviet-era foundation and an increasing tendency of third sector actors to cluster in pursuit of funding around businesses themselves. The lack of trust is a major stumbling block for the new law on charity, since the law in its present incarnation seeks to grant tax and other t)rivileges to charitable organizations, which are now widely discredited by society and donors alike. The new law should thus have measures to ensure the "financial transparency" of charitable organizations and should establish tight control over moneys entrusted to such organizations. Also, the law should require verification of a charitable organization's spending patterns and compliance with its stated goals before tax and other privileges are granted. It should also contain provisions on fines and bankruptcy of charitable organizations.

3. The survey found that businesspeople are dissatisfied with the attitude of society and charity recipients towards donors. They believe society is "not ready" to accept assistance with dignity and gratitude, or to use this assistance effectively. To foster mutual confidence, the law must lay down a specific set of state responsibilities in the social sphere and a minimum subsistence level guaranteed by the state. Also, public and private resources must be kept separate.

This summary has only highlighted some of the survey's results. The Interlegal Foundation is planning on publishing the whole text of the survey results, including interviews (on the condition of anonymity). Interlegal will also engage in further research in this area and welcomes all inquiries.

Sponsored by:
Center for Civil Society International

Return to the Civil Society Research and Opinion Home Page
This document is accessible from the CCSI's home page at: http://www.friends-partners.org/~ccsi/

Document written: 1995
Last updated: 3/13/97
Center for Civil Society International
For more information contact: [email protected]