Infographics: State funding for Civil Society Organization in 2021

State support for civil society organizations (CSOs) is a key element in ensuring the financial sustainability of civil society. In developed democracies, financial support for CSOs is predominantly provided through direct state budget funding. In North Macedonia, despite the Government’s declarative commitment to supporting the civil sector, there is a practical lack of political will to provide such support and sustainability.

Below are infographics related to the revenue of civil society organizations from central-level state funding and the highest and lowest grants awarded from central state funding in 2021.

Infographic: Revenue of civil society organizations from central-level state funding in 2021

Only 4% of the revenue of civil society organizations in 2021 came from the state, specifically the central budget. State funding dropped by 1% compared to 2020, amounting to 5.02 million euros. By budget beneficiaries, a significant decrease was noted in the funds allocated by the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy.

As a reminder, in the Action Plan for implementing the Strategy for Cooperation and Development of the Civil Society Sector 2022-2024, the Government committed to increasing the share of state funding in CSOs’ revenues to 20% in 2022, 25% in 2023, and 30% in 2024.

Infographic: Highest and lowest grants awarded from central state funding in 2021

In 2021, the lowest grant awarded to a CSO from the central budget was only 13,760 MKD, granted by the Ministry of Culture. Meanwhile, the highest grant amounted to 12,180,000 MKD, awarded by the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy to the National Union of the Blind.

In North Macedonia, there is unfortunately a lack of substantial financial support for the development of civil associations registered under the Law on Associations and Foundations. The disparity in funding allocated to civil associations versus federations and national unions highlights this situation.

We Advocate for Reform in State Funding for Civil Society Organizations!