Profile of the rural NGO

Rural NGOs are located in every corner of Ukraine and cover a broad spectrum of interests and activities. Of the nearly 660 rural NGOs in existence, we gathered infor-mation from NGOs across Ukraine, to achieve comprehensive geographical coverage.

We divided Ukraine into the following five oblasts and conducted the survey in these regions:

1. Western oblasts: Lvivska, Zakarpatska, Ivano-Frankivska, Khmelnytska, Ter-nopilska, Rivnenska, Chernivetska.

2. Eastern oblasts: Zaporizka, Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska, Luhanska, Donet-ska.

3. Northern oblasts: Kyivska, Sumska, Chernihivska, Zhytomyrska.

4. Southern oblasts: Odeska, Mykolayivska, Crimea, Khersonska.

5. Central oblasts: Vinnytska, Cherkaska, Kirovogradska, Poltavska.

From our survey data, of the 62 NGO respondents, 79 percent are legally classified as “Citizens’ Associations,” while 16 percent are categorized as “Charitable Organiza-tions.” The areas of interest that predominate include:

• social issues, such as health, invalid/veteran care, and education (42 percent);

• youth issues, such as HIV/AIDS, employment, sports and political activities, MDG monitoring, and community development (29 percent);

• human rights issues, such as minority rights, gender issues, indigenous peoples, and election procedures (26 percent);

• community development issues, such as agricultural development, local eco-nomic development, special community events, and citizen participation events (21 percent).

Target groups for these activities are primarily children, youth, the disabled and women. Based on this information, it appears as though there is a strong local community element in the work of rural NGOs, rather than a broader, national scope.

Our results indicated that nearly 60 percent of all rural NGOs are located in western Ukraine and are very active, particularly in the Lvivska and Zakarpatska oblasts.

Furthermore, organizations from these regions are most likely to seek out and acquire donor support. These findings are not at all surprising, given the long-stand-ing tradition of independence, community development, and active participation in volunteer activities.

Rural NGOs’ location is both a blessing and a curse in that the organization is highly accessible to the immediate community yet extremely isolated from the center, and other rural NGOs. Their isolation hampers the ability of these organizations to communicate with one another, form partnerships, share information, and learn “best practices.”

Community developm.

Economics Environmental issues Social issues Youth issues Health Research Education Culture and arts Human rights issues Politics Philanthropy Religion

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Figure 1.

Targets for Rural NGO Activities (%)

Figure 2.

NGO Target Groups (%)

Other Small business Veterans Natl./ethnic minorities Disabled Women Children Youth

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Figure 3.

Rural NGO Location (%)

Being close to constituents allows these organizations to cultivate strong collabora-tive relationships with their local communities and to build trust, once they’ve received training in the dissemination information and how to build their membership base.

The chances for NGO development, efficacy, and prospects for rural NGO sustain-ability are all closely linked to the portrait of rural life as illustrated above. For example, it is impossible to collect high membership fees from a population with severe income restrictions. Therefore, the annual budgets of rural NGOs must remain very low, with the majority being less than UAH 2,500 (USD 470). This statistic alone has had a seri-ous impact on the way in which an NGO operates. The groups typically have between one and three part- and full-time paid employees, if any at all, and very few organiza-tions are able to rent their own office space—virtually none own an office. Instead, many NGOs must accept donated rooms in government office buildings. The ability of a nongovernmental organization to achieve independence and non-alignment are jeopardized in such circumstances.

Box 2: Youth in Action

In Bila Tserkva (Kyiv oblast), youth have become active participants in com-munity life. The League of Ukrainian Youth (NGO) has been working since 1999 with favorable results. Thousands of young people have participated in training programs and other activities. As a result almost all members of the organization have good, stable jobs and a clearly defined vision of their place within the community. Furthermore, this NGO has strengthened the sense of national identity among young people, increased their awareness of political and social issues, and prompted communication with the various stakeholders.

Source: Gurt Resource Centre. 2003.

For the Sake of the Community. Kyiv. p. 16.

West East North South Centre

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Small working budgets also seriously impede an organization’s ability to improve their existing management structures while remaining current with developments in the field. Rural NGOs are not only physically removed from Kyiv and other major centers where international donors and government offices are located, but they are further isolated as a result of limited office space, and a lack of communications and information technologies, particularly Internet access. Forty percent of NGOs operate without even a single phone line and 73 percent do not have access to the Internet. This type of inaccessibility to information prevents these vulnerable yet essential community organizations from seeking out new funding opportunities or obtaining much-needed financial or legal counsel that is largely impossible to access in rural regions. For exam-ple, many rural NGOs consult local newspapers and friends with regards to potential funding opportunities.

However, there are a few key areas that give cause for optimism. Firstly, our data indicates that, while rural NGOs’ operating budgets are very small, most of them are not accessing what little funding is available from major international donor agencies.

In fact, 68 percent receive no donor support whatsoever. While this might simply be because they are unaware of donor opportunities or lack the skills with which to create an effective proposal, these organizations are more prepared than their counterparts in other CEE countries for what is becoming a “post-donor environment.” With improved capacity building and skills training, rural Ukrainian NGOs could bypass these prob-lems and reach a level of self-sufficiency through new partnerships with local SMEs and other NGO organizations.

Rural NGOs have been reporting relatively high levels of volunteerism and mem-bership. In many cases the number of volunteers is ten to 20 times greater than the number of employees. These figures give the impression that the interest in NGOs and their work is growing, as is their capacity to integrate into the local social fabric and make meaningful contributions to village life. For example, in Borispyl (Kyiv oblast), the NGO “God’s Gift” has attracted more than 70 volunteers, from 14 to 65 years of age.

Most of these volunteers are members of the local church and are working together to resolve social issues. They visit the local children’s hospital to present theatre entertain-ment and holiday celebrations, organize humanitarian aid for orphans, and coordinate sports events for school children. These types of church-based volunteer activities are on the rise in Ukraine and have significantly strengthened social capital at a local level.

Unfortunately, the negative aspects clearly outweigh the positive. While many rural NGOs have been registered for more than five years (1996 and earlier), their level of expertise does not seem to have grown. Human resources, including volunteers, are plentiful, yet they do no possess all the skills needed to achieve long-term sustainabil-ity and success. This problem exists across Ukraine; many individuals cite their lack of competence, and their lack of knowledge as to how to help, as major obstacles to their participation in NGO activities.¹² Our survey respondents, who were mostly directors

of rural NGOs, said that less than 35 percent of their staff posses program monitoring, project proposal writing, and fundraising skills, which are all essential in promoting the growth of an organization. Furthermore, strategic planning and program evaluations are practiced only sporadically, at best. This situation is clearly untenable, and basic yet vital skills must be developed in order to ensure sustainability. It is time for rural NGOs to access the variety of training opportunities that exist in Ukraine, and time for centrally based Ukrainian trainers to turn their attention towards their rural counterparts.

2.2 NGO Sustainability: Legal Sustainability

The welfare of NGOs in Ukraine, as elsewhere, is dependent upon a legal environment that defines, regulates, and protects the interests of civil society. Ukraine’s Constitution, ratified in 1996, guarantees the basic democratic rights of association and freedom of speech essential to ensuring a democratic society. In addition, the state is party to inter-national conventions that further reinforce this legal environment, with some exceptions (see Box 3).¹³ Despite these provisions, changes to the legal procedures endured by Ukraine’s NGOs still lag behind those taking place elsewhere in the region and are not at all comparable to the situation in the western democracies. In fact, the current legal framework often inhibits the growth and effectiveness of the NGO sector. As NGOs grapple with the stresses of fundraising, membership drives, strategic planning, and all the other details involved in establishing a successful NGO, it is of critical importance that the legal procedures be made clear, efficient, and effective.¹⁴

Box 3: The International Rights of Agricultural Trade Unions are not Ratified

A key sector of rural civil society—trade unions—is in need of advocacy. Ukraine has not yet ratified the ILO’s “Rural Workers Organisations Convention,”

(1975), that expands the definition of “rural workers” to include farmers; it also clarifies the rights and freedoms of association. The states that ratify this Convention must encourage the development of rural worker organizations.

It is important that Ukrainian rural stakeholders lobby the government to provide this fundamental international legal right for all rural workers.

Source: Ludmila Shanghina (ed.). 2001. “The Trade Union Movement in Ukraine.” National Security and Defence. No. 8. p. 24.

The unnecessarily complex legal environment creates another obstacle for NGOs seeking to achieve sustainability. Faced with multiple and contradicting laws, and unclear

definitions of terms, it is not surprising that Ukrainian society and state authorities do not have a clear understanding of the role of foundations and associations. Between legal complications and the country’s overly complex and ambiguous tax environment, NGOs in Ukraine are suffering. Taking measures to improve the legislative environment must become a long-term focus of rural NGO advocacy initiatives throughout Ukraine.

Given the problems stated above, what is the actual situation for rural Ukrainian NGOs? Our research, which is similar to other surveys conducted by international projects working in the rural sector, has revealed some alarming results. Rural NGOs are not satisfied with the current legal standards regulating their work. They identify the contradictions and legal uncertainties as problematic and difficult to comprehend. Yet nearly 70 percent of respondents rely on the press for updated legal information, because they live in remote communities without easy access to professional legal advice. Only 18 percent have the resources to consult lawyers to keep them abreast of the legal issues that affect their work. When in need of legal advice, the vast majority of rural NGOs depend upon local or executive government officials, whereas nearly 30 percent receive no help whatsoever. Respondents also confirmed that the current legislation impedes NGO development, particularly tax legislation, which nearly 75 percent felt was an issue that must be resolved if their work is to continue.

It is difficult to imagine how rural NGOs can sustain themselves without sufficient access to information or support from readily available advisory networks. This has been identified as a pressing issue for those working in the sector; they have expressed an urgent need for direct access to advisors who assist them with development concerns.¹⁵ However, even with Internet access, NGO legal advisory services are slow in posting up-to-date information, highlighting any changes, and providing analysis on new legislation.¹⁶