04 NPOs: new realities — new solutions

4.1State and NPOs: expanding the field of social interaction

Over the past years, the Civic Chamber has registered the growing role of the third sector in the life of the Russian society. To date, a stable system of partnerships between the state and nonprofit organizations has been built up, and this system enables an effective search for new ways and forms of mutual support and consideration of interests.

In 2022, nonprofit organizations, along with volunteers and civil activists, immediately responded to the unleash of the special military operation, and engaged in providing assistance to refugees, implementing projects to provide targeted support to military units and fighters on the front line, as well as collecting humanitarian aid for a wide range of items. And this work was continued in 2023 as well.

Support for internal refugees from the area of the SMO by the Russian Red Cross¹⁹⁰

Since February 2022, assistance has been provided in a number of directions:

• Multi-purpose payments;
• Voucher support; handing over vouchers for clothing, medicines and food. More than 95 thousand people received vouchers;
• Humanitarian aid – more than 2,223 tons of humanitarian aid was collected and sent to targeted needs – 640,000 recepients; and
• Additional equipment of temporary accommodation centers and much more.

Since January 1, 2023, the Russian Red Cross has been implementing a project to search for family members.

14,035 requests for family reunification received 129 people reunited with their families

A new hot topic for Russian NPOs in 2023 is the training of volunteers to work in hospitals. The number of projects addressed to people with disabilities suffered after combat missions in the zone of the special military operation was also significantly expanded.¹⁹¹ At the same time, Russian NPOs have managed to strengthen their work in their traditional directions.

Today one of the most important directions in the work of nonprof it organizations is the promotion of physical culture, sports and a healthy lifestyle.

Throughout 2023, new sports public organizations have been actively developing, including associations of sports clubs, leagues of sports societies, specialized public organizations, and other associations independent of international sports structures.

And particularly it is important to highlight the active development of modern sports areas and areas of mass, or street, sports. To date the share of participation of public organizations is over 85%.

The set goal is to involve 70% of citizens of the Russian Federation in systematic sport activities by 2030,¹⁹² that is, making sports the norm of life for 93 million people of all ages and health groups. The public sector is assigned a leading role in promoting the values of physical culture, sports and a healthy lifestyle.

According to the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation, in various areas of street and modern sports registered over 700 nonprofit organizations, which is an surplus by 53% in relation to 2022, and by 62% compared to 2021.

 

According to open data from the Presidential Grants Foundation, the share of projects submitted within the first competition of 2024 “Protecting the health of citizens, promoting a healthy lifestyle” is 19% of the total number of projects.

The systematic activity of nonprof it organizations and the effectiveness of their work depend on many factors, the main one of which is state support.

In 2023, large-scale work was done to improve the legislation regulating the activities of nonprof it organizations.

Measures taken to support NPOs at the legislative level

The measures of information support that can be provided to SO NPOs by state authorities, public authorities of the federal territory and local governance have been expanded.

Among them:

• Services of computing power for the functioning of information systems of socially oriented nonprofit organizations and assistance in such services; and

• Assistance in the creation of official websites of such organizations on the Internet and ensuring their functioning by means of the Federal State Information System “Unified Portal of State And Municipal Services (Functions)”.¹⁹³

The law was a response to an appeal from a number of large socially oriented nonprofit organizations that were targeted by hacker attacks from abroad. These are mainly NPOs engaged in patriotic education or providing humanitarian assistance in the zone of the special military operation. And at the stage of preliminary hearings of the bill the Civic Chamber of Russia supported this initiative.¹⁹⁴

• Income in the form of grants, bonuses, prizes, gifts that are received as a result of participation in competitions, contests and other events, the list of which is approved by regional and local governance, shall be exempted from personal income tax.

The Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation supported the initiative, since grants play a huge role in supporting public ideas and developing civil society institutions.

Exemption of such income from taxation will contribute to the development of volunteering institutions in our country and the involvement of citizens in public life.¹⁹⁵ On November 14, 2023, the corresponding law was signed by the President of Russia. The amendments will take effect on January 1, 2024.¹⁹⁶

Support measures to reduce red tape burden on NPOs:

• On March 1, 2023, changes to the law “On Nonprof it Organizations” came into force. Now NPOs have the right to act according to a standard charter. And according to members of the Civic Chamber of thr Russian Federation, this reduces the legal burden on nonprof it organizations and stimulates the growth of the nonprof it sector;¹⁹⁷
• On July 11, the order of the Russian Ministry of Justice came into force to approve standard charters for organizational and legal forms, which are subject to a special procedure for state registration;¹⁹⁸
• A law to change the period during which nonprof it organizations shall report to the authorized body about changes in information contained in the Unif ied State Register of Legal Entities; thus this period was increased from three to seven days was adopted;¹⁹⁹
• On January 1, 2024 comes into force a law enabling NPOs to have a seal with the full name of the organization in the Russian language. These legal developments envisage a nonmandatory use of the seal unless it is additionally established by law.²⁰⁰

In addition, bill No. 418126-8 is under consideration. It aimed at providing advantages for nonprof it organizations when conducting public procurement. The Civic Chamber has supported this bill as well. And the Civic Chamber has repeatedly pointed out the need to extend to SO NPOs certain measures of support that small and medium- sized businesses now enjoy.²⁰¹

A significant event in 2023 was the formation, on the Civic Chamber’s initiative and in pursuance of the instructions of the President of Russia, of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Improving Legal Regulation in the Field of Activities of Nonprof it Organizations of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.²⁰² This group included representatives of the Ministry of Justice of Russia, the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation, as well as the Council for Human Rights, the Federal Tax Service, Rosstat, and nonprof it organizations.²⁰³

Issues canvassed at the first meeting of the interdepartmental working group:

• Harmonizing legislation on NPOs with the Civil Code of the Russian Federation; and

• Simplification of NPOs reporting.²⁰⁴

 

Following the results of the first meeting of the interdepartmental working group, the Civic Chamber submitted its proposals for improving legislation for further discussion.

Based on the results of the analysis of the received proposals, the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation prepared a bill on the possibility of withdrawal from the founders at the NPO’s initiative.

In addition to legislative support at the state level, socially oriented nonprofit organizations (SO NPOs) in 2023 traditionally received large-scale financial and grant support.

Throughout the year, competitions organized by the Presidential Grants Foundation, the Presidential Foundation for Cultural Initiatives and the Internet Development Institute took place.

Presidential Grants Foundation

Based on the results of the first²⁰⁵ and second²⁰⁶ competitions of the Presidential Grants Foundation in 2023, 3,349 projects and socially oriented NPOs received support totalling 7.8 billion rubles^{207.1, 207.2}

From September 1 to October 15, 2023, the first competition of the 2024 Presidential Grants Foundation called for applications.

10,827 initiatives were lodged by 9,458 nonprofit organizations from 88 regions.

Sent to experts 10,502 projects. (261 initiatives were quashed due to violation of the competition regulations.)

The winners of the competition will be announced in January 2024.

The most popular areas of competitions in 2023

“Protecting the Health of Citizens, Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle” 687 projects over 1.3 billion rubles

“Social Services, Social Support and Protection of Citizens” 622 projects over 1.5 billion rubles

“Support for Family, Motherhood, Fatherhood and Childhood” 464 projects over 1 billion rubles

The Institute of Internet Development

Since 2020, the Institute of Internet Development has been distributing government subsidies on a competitive basis for the creation and promotion of socially significant Internet content.

So far supported over 1,500 online-projects²⁰⁸

In 2023, the Institute of Internet Development distributed grants in the amount of 10.3 billion rubles for the implementation of 163 projects aimed at creating national content in the digital environment. Applications were received from February to March 2023. The competition saw more than 1,400 applications.²⁰⁹

 

Moreover, to date the largest NPOs, in cooperation with government authorities, are developing models aimed at increasing the role of NPOs in providing assistance and support to the citizens of the country.

The Russian Red Cross, together with the Association of Volunteer Centers and in cooperation with the Russian Ministry of Labor, has developed a model of public centers to help citizens in difficult life situations, which includes a set of measures and actions to provide support to those in need from NPOs, and routing citizens to receive public support measures.

Presently, work aimed at systematizing activities to improve the competencies of NPOs employees is underway. And this will be achieved by implementing the professional standard “NPO Manager”, which is being developed jointly with expert and professional communities.

Another incentive for the systematic development of competencies in the nonprofit sector will be the creation in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Region, Ugra, an All-Russian Competence Center for organizations of the nonprofit sector and volunteerism “Dobrino”.

In 2023 the work to expand the participation of NPOs in the provision of social services was also continued. According to the Russian Ministry of Labor, the number of NPOs providing social services increases every year, budget expenses for services compensation increase as well, and the number of recipients of NPOs services are going up. NPOs are actively involved in the provision of services within the long-term care system, which is currently implemented in 89 regions of Russia. This includes assisted living services for people with disabilities, services to families and children within family multifunctional centers, and the implementation of a pilot project for the comprehensive rehabilitation of children with disabilities.

NPOs are actively involved in piloting the mechanisms of state (municipal) social commissioning (S(M)SС), which is being tested in 38 regions of Russia in 2023.

To assess how effective the measures to support and develop the nonprofit sector in the country are, the Civic Chamber applies “Region-NPO” rating project. The rating study of the nonprofit sector has been published since 2020 and shows strong and weak points of its development in each individual region.

The rating uses 21 sources of objective information to evaluate the nonprofit sector in the regions according to nine rating factors, 58 indicators and 164 metrics (initial values).

Rating model

Results of the regional rating of the third sector “Region-NPO” (2023)²¹⁰

Experts from the Civic Chamber note that the rating has helped to reasonably assess the real level of regional imbalances in the development of the third sector. In addition, it has become an effective tool for a change at both the federal and regional levels. Moreover, largely due to these transformations, the level of disparities is falling down. For example since 2020, it has decreased from 28.6 to 27.7%.

The problem of regional disproportions identified within the framework of the “NPO Region” rating has been included in the current agenda of state policy in the development of the nonprofit sector.

4.2Culture of volunteerism and charity

Despite the sanctions pressure in 2023, life in the charitable sector has not stopped. New charitable foundations and programs continued to pop up, and socially significant projects were implemented. Charitable foundations managed to focus and mobilize all their forces in order to continue their work in the face of a shortage of financial resources.²¹¹ The support of the citizens of our country, who continue to donate funds to charity and actively participate in volunteer projects, has become no less important.

To date, significant efforts of charitable foundations are aimed at helping refugees, the special military operations participants and members of their families, as well as those who suffered from military acts. At the same time, assistance programs are adapting due to changes in categories and requests of beneficiaries.²¹²

Charity traditions in action

79% of Russians with experience in volunteering are more inclined to donate money.

54% of more than half of Russians make charitable donations and give money to strangers in need.

Every fourth Russian participates in the activities of certain NPOs or civil initiatives.

62% are the most active Russians aged 25–34 (62% have donated money, including 54% more than once).

41% of Russians would like to continue their current activities in NPOs or begin to participate in them.

Almost every tenth Russian aged 18–24 would like to become head of an NPO.

Source: National Research University Higher School of Economics // Information and analytical bulletin on the development of civil society /

Areas of support for charitable activities:²¹³

• Citizens are more willing to support organizations that help children with disabilities and those in need of treatment (39% of those who donated to organizations), as well as homeless animals (24%);
• The close attention of philanthropists in 2023 was also directed to helping the Russian military, the SMO volunteers and members of their families (18%).

An important force that has become one of the most visible and active social movements in the country in recent years is volunteerism, and which enjoys great interest from people of all ages. Volunteers face a variety of socially signifi cant tasks: From interaction with the SMO participants and supporting their families to local intra-university activities.²¹⁴

Over the past 10 years, the number of volunteers in Russia has grown 9 times

The development of volunteerism in our country is facilitated by the active support of volunteers from government authorities, the nonprofit sector, and business.

In December 2021, the largest community of volunteer organizations – the Association of Volunteer Centers – launched a social franchise called centers of social development “Dobro.Centers”, which are engaged in the development of social and civil initiatives in Russian regions.

At the beginning of 2023 and after the support and corresponding instructions of the President of Russia, the network of public development centers “Dobro. Center” will appear in most municipalities of the country.²¹⁶ The senior officials of the regions of Russia, Rosmolodezh and the Association of Volunteer Centers became responsible for the implementation of this task. Anyone who wants to implement a franchise will be able to receive support, resources for their own projects, as well as ready-made tools and mechanics for its development.

“Dobro.Centers” are aggregators of useful practices in resolving difficult situations volunteering is being faced with.

Such centers will appear by the end of 2023 in 400 municipalities.²¹⁷

In total, by the end of 2024 over 1,117 “Dobro.Centers” will appear in all cities of Russia.

 

A large-scale support for various categories of citizens, primarily those affected during the special military operation, is provided within the framework of the “#WEARETOGETHER” project. The “Humanitarian Missions #WEARETOGETHER” program is aimed at supporting volunteer activities, as well as providing assistance to residents and socially significant organizations of the new regions.

In 2023, the network of organizations that provide humanitarian assistance under the aegis of “#WEARETOGETHER” mission was expanded. For example new directions have appeared. And one of them is a long-term support for families of military personnel “#WEARETOGETHER.CARE”. As part of this project, the business community also joined the volunteer movement. The Civic Chamber provides full support to the “#WEARETOGETHER” project as well.

The Civic Chamber and the “Community” forums discussed the effective mechanisms of the project in the field of providing humanitarian assistance and volunteer activities in general.²¹⁸

The development of volunteerism and charity in our country is also facilitated by state support for these areas at the legislative level.

Russia is the only country in the world that has enshrined support for volunteerism in the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Humanitarian missions #WEARETOGETHER

Since the set-up of the program in 2022, 289 offsite humanitarian missions, 164 of which were organized in 2023.

Within the framework of the program, volunteer vacancies were responded by: over 8.6 ths. people and 3.6 thousand volunteers have already completed their participation in humanitarian missions; 950 thousand residents of the Donetsk People’s Republic, Lugansk People’s Republic, Zaporozhye region, and Kherson region have received volunteer support.

Cumulative, volunteers spent over 316 ths. hours for help and good deeds.²²¹

According to Rosmolodezh, members of the mission are predominantly young people aged 20–35, while the oldest member of the program is 72.²²²

Directions of humanitarian missions:

• Humanitarian aid;

• Emergency rescue work;

• Education and culture; and

• Medical and psychological assistance.

 

In November 2023, the State Duma adopted amendments to the Federal Law “On Charitable Activities and Volunteering” aimed at improving the legal regulation of volunteer activities.²²³ The adopted amendments not only constituted everything that had been done in recent years, but also added new opportunities for volunteers and organizers, namely:²²⁴

• Commercial companies engaged in corporate volunteering will receive the status of organizer and appropriate support measures from the state;
• Authorities will be required to post support measures on DOBRO.RF, that is, in the “Dobro.Navigator” service;
• To be approved uniform requirements for volunteers;
• The goals of volunteer and charitable activities will include an item on carrying out events of perpetuating the memory of those killed in defense of the Fatherland.

4.3“Circle of Kindness” Foundation in 2023: problems and solutions

The change in the charitable fabric of the country was significantly influenced by the “Circle of Kindness” Foundation established in 2021 with the aim to support of children with severe life-threatening and chronic diseases, including rare (orphan) diseases. The Foundation has committed itself to providing treatment for children with serious and orphan diseases, providing other organizations that previously performed this task with the opportunity to direct their funds and efforts to other forms of activity: organizing leisure time for children and parents, various types of training for specialists, assistance in rehabilitation, and much more.

In 2023, “Circle of Kindness” continued cooperation with nonprof it organizations and patient communities, f inding new directions and effective formats of interaction. And an example of such cooperation demonstrated an interaction with the Charitable Foundation “BELA. Butterfly Children”. Thus, the foundations are running a joint project aimed at increasing the level of knowledge of doctors in the regions about rare diseases, including epidermolysis bullosa, ichthyosis and other forms of genetic dermatoses. The implementation of this project has managed to significantly increase the level of detection of this type of disease in children.

In 2023, the “Circle of Kindness” focused its efforts on establishing systematic interaction with the regions. For example, to provide assistance to sick children 23 cooperation agreements were signed. The agreements have become a clear sign that the topic of drug provision for children with serious illnesses is a priority for the regional governancnes and is under the personal control of senior officials of the regions of Russia.²²⁵

On June 1, 2023, Children’s Day, the President of Russia discussed with the head of the “Circle of Kindness” Foundation, Chairman of the Commission of the Civic Chamber on Social Partnership, Custody, and Inclusive Practices, Alexander Tkachenko, another important task of the foundation to support innovative methods in treatment. The solution to this problem is facilitated by the expansion of cooperation between the Foundation and Russian doctors, scientific and medical institutes of the country.²²⁶

To date, in accordance with the previously given instructions of the President of Russia, the Foundation also continues to develop additional types and volumes of rehabilitation, working on systematic approaches to its implementation in cooperation with the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.²²⁷

“Circle of Kindness” Foundation

In the united list of the Foundation – 89 diseases

Out of which: 75 diseases are in the Foundation’s List of Diseases, 14 diseases listed in the “14 high-cost nosologies” program (cystic fibrosis with various drugs is in both lists).

For more than 23 ths. patients more than 100 types of expensive medicines, medical devices and rehabilitation equipment are purchased.

Of the drugs that the Foundation purchases, 10 are unique drugs for cancer patients.²²⁸

Since 2021, it has been allocated for these purposes 205 billion rubles (Contracts and agreements for medical care, purchase of medicines and medical products have been concluded.)

The Foundation encompasses 85 regions of Russia. During 2023, the Foundation also embraced the new regions of Russia.²²⁹

The list of types of medical care provided in 2023 increased exactly by two times, and up to eight types in relation to medical care.²³⁰

 

All-Russian scientific and diagnostic program PROS

In 2023, the “Circle of Kindness” Foundation, jointly with the leading institution in the field of medical genetics of the country – the Medical Genetic Research Center named after Academician N.P. Bochkov – launched an all-Russian scientific diagnostic program PROS (PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum) aimed at identifying patients with this severe genetic disease. The PROS and the drugs for its treatment were also included in the list of the “Circle of Kindness” Foundation.