This site is for you if
- You have chosen to support Bulgarian children as part of your long term philanthropic strategy
- You would like to make a one-off donation for Bulgarian children without parents
- You have come across a media publication and would like to contribute to the cause described
- Your company is willing to choose Bulgarian children as a long term public benefit cause
- You would like to help but you don’t know how
Should you want to have more detailed information, or would like to receive an individual consultation (a tailor-made consultation) on your giving, please contact the Bulgarian Donors’ Forum.
Bulgarian Donors’ Forum would like to thank OAK Foundation, Save the Children/UK, ARK Foundation and Tulip Foundation for advising and supporting www.givingforchildren.bg.
Experts advise
Children currently living in institutions and children without parents are the No 1 philanthropic cause in Bulgaria. Each year campaigns and individual donations for this total nearly 8 million BGN (4 million EUR). More than 60% of the companies working in Bulgaria have made more then one financial donation to children in institutions.
When donating for children in institutions, there is unfortunately often a risk of the donation not reaching its beneficiaries or duplicating the efforts already made by others. At worst there are cases of frauds, causing more harm than good.
The Bulgarian government is keen to support strategic, sustainable giving and we strongly recommend that you make an informed decision about your philanthropic giving for children in Bulgaria, including its longer-term impact.
Mukkades Nalbant, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Education and Science
“In compliance with the Ministry’s policy for de-institutionalization and development of alternative services for children, the effort must be focused towards improvement of child welfare and achieving accelerated and efficient professional realization and social integration of the young persons raised in the institutions.”
Ivanka Hristova, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labour and Social Policy
“The data gathered at the Child Protection State Agency shows that over the last years private donations account for some of the budget of the specialized institutions for children. For 2005 that part is 11.72% of the budget of the institutions for children aged 3-10 (Homes for raising children deprived of parental care), 4.13% for the institutions for children aged 0-3 (Homes for medical and social care), and 10.34 % for the institutions for children with mental disabilities.”
Executive Director, Agency for Social Assistance
“I would recommend that donors consider supporting certain institutions after consulting the competent state institutions who have information on the actual situation and needs throughout the country.”
Adelina Balkandjiiska, Secretary in Chief, State Agency for Child Protection
“On the other hand the analysis of the data shows that sometimes donors target and support institutions which indeed are in very bad condition but are subject to closing. This creates unrealistic expectations in the institutions’ staff that the donation would keep the institution existing. In such cases the philanthropy is not efficient because its not in the interest of the children.”