Soliciting Individual Contributions by Russian Community Foundations

Oleg Stakhanov, Emerging Leader, International Fellows Program ~ 2000

Abstract

Stakhanov's study identifies fundraising techniques to help Russian community foundations attract individual donations. Coming ten years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the study links the growth of philanthropy in general, and the community foundation model in particular, with strengthening civil society and democratic forms of governance. However, many believe that NGOs misuse funds. Overcoming this negative perception is a great challenge to community foundations and the other 250,000 nonprofits in Russia. In closing, Stakhanov recommends that all fundraising efforts should exploit the “psychological need to give” and a multiple of market-based techniques. He further suggests that community foundations should consider separate campaigns: one for the general public and a second for the wealthy/elite who are more likely to give after long-term solicitation and relationship building.

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