Belarusian National Non-Governmental Organization "United - - PDF document

Belarusian National Non-Governmental Organization "United Way"

Belarusian National Non-Governmental Organization “United Way” (UWB) was registered on April 18, 1995.

Background of the Organization:

It started as the first National NGO Development and Support Centre that provided non-profit initiatives mainly with technical and information support. Since then, UWB has developed into the Informational and Analytical Centre for Belarusian NGOs with a multitude of services, including consultations, information, trainings, outreach, publications, volunteer services, etc. Today UWB is one of the leading organizations which sees its role in fostering the development

• f the Belarusian third sector, considering existing challenges and, hence, creating multiple
• pportunities for the development, coalition building networking, raising effectiveness and

gaining public support, and as a result, involvement of the community in identification and solution of vital problems of any nature. UWB has experience of implementation of partnership projects, such as:

Some of previous international projects:

• Promoting Efficient Organizational Development and Public Awareness of NGO Activity

(supported by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation);

• Strengthening Organizational Efficiency of Belarusian NGO's (supported by Charles

Stewart Mott Foundation);

• Promoting Efficient Organizational Development of UNCHR NGO Partners in Belarus

(supported by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees);

• NGO Networking for Refugees' Needs (supported by United Nations High Commissioner

for Refugees);

• “United Community House” (supported by Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Embassy
• f the Federal Republic of Germany, United Way International);
• “Find your Way”. Increase of the role of Belarusian NGOs in social stability (supported

by European Commission TACIS Program);

• Program for Support to Partnership and Civil Society Development (UNDP Office in

Belarus and Partnership for Culture of Swedish Institute).

WWW.NGO.BY Internet Portal

Since 2003, UWB has developed and maintains www.ngo.by Portal. This is a web-based resource with thoroughly selected well-structured grouped information on all aspects of NGOs’ work. The Portal today is a means of training, information sharing, consulting, search of partners, and even a means of execution of administrative procedures and promotion of NGOs. The substantial number of users (from 28000 to 32000 per month in the 4th quarter 2015) evidences of its high demand. The Portal means:

• News feed (home page)
• Database of Belarusian NGOs
• Database of Donors
• Database of press monitoring (contains NGO-related information published in 30 central and

regional, state-owned and independent Belarusian newspapers)

• Projects of NGOs section contains information on active projects implemented by the

Belarusian non-profit organizations

• Programs, Application calls, Training section contains information on open calls for

applications where the Belarusian NGOs may participate

• Nonprofit Law Module (contains well-structured regularly updated information on legal

regulation of Belarusian NGOs)

Database of Belarusian NGOs Contains more than 5000 Belarusian non-governmental organizations, split by the lines of

• activities. Among them there are 344 NGOs engaged in culture and arts.

As the Informational and Analytical Centre for Belarusian NGOs, UWB works also in the sector

• f voluntary arts and culture;, planning of curricula and courses;, culture surveys and reporting,

information services and wide scale dissemination. It is connected by partnership ties with many cultural NGOs. UWB is an informational partner of the Republican Center of National Cultures.

Legal help to Belarusian NGOs

1) Nonprofit Law Module

• Legislative news
• Regulatory legal information
• Typical form of documents (for registration, reorganization, liquidation of an

NGO, etc.)

• Useful references
• Ministry of Justice informs

2) Non-profit law school – information on alumni of virtual school organized for lawyers, students of jurisprudence department of universities, who wished to specialize in non- profit law and render advice to NGOs. Today the alumni successfully work for their

• rganizations and also render help to external clients.

3) Document Generation System GUIDE.NGO.BY

The System means:

• Simple fulfillment of formal procedures required for registration of new NGOs,

liquidation of NGOs, changes in the constituent documents, registration of logos, etc.

• Quick filling in the necessary set of electronic forms (with the possibility to browse the

examples, preview and correct own information, save the filled in forms in order to continue later)

• Printing out the set of documents made in accordance with the requirements of the

Belarusian legislation and the registering body Subsequently, the System will be replenished with such topics as liquidation of an NGO, registration of NGO symbolism, obtaining an approval for use of a foreign gratuitous aid, etc.

Creation of multiple opportunities for coalition building and networking

UWB makes all efforts to mobilize its informational and intellectual resources, integration capabilities, technical facilities in order to support and intensify the process of integration, coalition building, networking of NGOs, as well as raise public awareness of the third sector role in Belarus. Universal Platform for Searching Partners, Volunteers, Scholarships covers the entire spectrum of customer needs within the integration processes. The platform is intended for NGOs, grassroots initiatives, other civil society structures, which have experience of implementation of international projects; and also for NGOs which wish to establish partnership relations with another NGO or other structure. The Platform means:

• Opportunity to find a partner from Belarus and abroad for partner projects
• Opportunity to apply for scholarship or internship
• Opportunity to place information on a partner project or scholarship
• Opportunity to join the volunteers project or offer one’s voluntary services

By filling in a simple form, one can place information on partnership projects, volunteers projects, services, or scholarships

Address Database (E-Mailing System)

So that to quickly distribute urgent information to a large quantity of users or to selected groups

• f users UWB has created and maintains its E-Mailing System with more than 18000 e-addresses

(Belarusian and foreign NGOs, universities, mass media, government bodies, businesses, etc.). This improved facility ensures quick search and grouping of information by several criteria. Temporary or special groups of subscribers can be easily formed.