Presevo, Bujanovac, Medvedja – As part of the Project for Improving the Framework for Granting, which is funded by the USAID, and implemented by the Coalition for Charity led by the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation, and which also includes the Trag Foundation, the Catalyst Balkans organization, the SMART Kolektiv, the Serbian Philanthropic Forum, the Forum for Responsible Business and the Chamber of Commerce of Serbia, one of the activities is the introduction and development of unique tools for fundraising – community cards. The introduction of community card is an innovative and sustainable model of community development, which is completely unique in Serbia.

Community Card is a type of loyalty card with all its features and benefits for the customer, but in this case it is a way for raising funds for the local community. Namely, each time the cardholder purchases something in craft shops, stores, boutiques and in the places of other legal entities that are involved in the program, the percentage of the bill goes to the community fund, while a certain percentage, as a reward or discount, is given back to the customer. The community  fund will be set up in each of the five selected municipalities/cities, while the card owners will use the cards to donate at no additional costs.  Projects for the improvement of local communities will be supported by the funds collected in this way during the year, making it possible for each cardholder to directly participate in the improvement of their environments. All cardholders will be able to take participate in the selection of the most important projects in their community through direct voting. 

For the purpose of successfully implementing this model in local communities, the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation issued a call for the participation of five civil society organizations in the program. The selected organizations will be local partners and project holders in their community and will also be responsible for establishing partnerships with local businesses, promoting cards at the local level, coordinating the selection of projects that will be supported with the funds collected through the use of the card and administering the implementation of those projects, as well as for all other activities relating to the functioning of the card in the local community.  

Eligible to apply are registered citizens' associations and foundations that have been active for at least two years and that have the experience in working in the local community, as well as in administering small grants.

The deadline for submitting applications is December 17, 2017, at midnight.

The selection criteria are as follows:

• The capacities and experience in similar projects in the work in the local community and the administration of small grants; 
• Cooperation with the relevant local stakeholders (local businesses, local self-governments, associations, citizens);  
• Community resources (the number of companies, associations, citizens and their purchasing power).

Participation in the program includes:

• Trainings for the use of community cards. The trainings will be held by March 2019 and will be carried out by the Odorheiu Secuiesc Community Foundation, which implements the program of community cards in Romania;
• The entire infrastructure and logistic and technical support for the implementation of the program for selected partner organizations;
• The possibility of a sustainable and long-term operation of the association and the provision of funds for undertaking activities at the local level.

Signing-up is done by sending the application documents (filled-in application form and additional documents) via the on-line form that is available on www.divac.com/communitykartica.

Additional documentation may consist of letters of recommendation issued by the local self-government, local businesses, donors, the media and the like. 

Short-listed associations and foundations will be interviewed. For more information, please contact Jelena Rakić or Zeljko Mitkovska by dialing 011/3341755 or by sending an e-mail to jelena.rakic@divac.com  or zelјko.mitkovski@divac.com

Source: Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation and Coordination Body