Helping the Helpers

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The competition’s goal is to support backbone social NGOs working with most vulnerable groups in the society. In addition to providing vital institutional support in the period of crisis, the initiative will preserve and strengthen sustainability of the Russian non-profit sector in the long run.

The competition is open for leading non-profits whose activities have an impact on the quality of lives of people in the most vulnerable social groups, be it senior citizens, the poor, people with disabilities, people in difficult life situations, or children left without parental care. The New Dimension grant competition will help the winning organizations to successfully get through the period of instability, avoid downsizing their activities, and generally reboot in order to strengthen their potential for long-term development.

Maximum grant amount for one organization is 10 million rubles. These funds have to be used during a period of 12 months and may pay for retaining the core team and hiring additional staff, strengthening organizational and technical capacities, and training staff in new skills needed for being effective in the new reality. Grants will help non-profits to maintain the quality of their work and expand their activities both during the crisis and beyond. Finally, social NGOs interested in long-term financial sustainability will be able to form or replenish their endowments from the grant money.

Oksana Oracheva, General Director of the Vladimir Potanin Foundation:

“Today, in the middle of a crisis caused by the rapid spread of coronavirus, the pressure on non-profit sector only keeps growing. It is important that people who need our help continue to receive it. We strongly believe that our cooperation with social NGOs will make people who are in particular need for protection assured that they will not be left without help. Our second initiative, designed to support the sustainability of NGOs and their beneficiaries, is the New Dimension grant competition. It will allow organizations to grow their capacity for the future and receive assistance for their long-term development. We understand very well that today organizations need flexible tools, and for that reason our support is going to be institutional rather than project-based.”

New Dimension grant competition has two media partners, Takie Dela and Agency for Social Information.

PRINCIPLES AND GUIDELINES FOR PROVIDING “NEW DIMENSION” SUPPORT