Social Sector Situation Discussed at the GSEM UrFU Round Table

16:32, August 5, 2020

Experts from the Centre of Philanthropy Studies and Social Business Programmes analysed changes in the philanthropic sector caused by the pandemic

The round table discussion «Post-COVID-19: Donor Strategies and Social Investment» took place on July 28th at Ural Federal University. The discussion was moderated by Elena Chernyshkova, Head of GSEM UrFU Centre of Philanthropy Studies and Social Business Programmes, and Alexey Glazyrin, Head of the Umnaya Sreda charitable foundation.

Representatives of the leading charitable foundations of Russia and Germany, as well as expert from NGOs took part in the discussion. They examined a pressing issue of the social sector: how this sector is changing due to the pandemic, how donor’s strategies are transforming and how NGOs have reacted to this situation.

The first part of the round table featured a presentation by Volker Then, Director of the Center for Social Investment at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He made a case that social investment in crisis are more efficient than in «peaceful» times.

«For instance, there are many family foundations that made a strategic decision to direct all their portfolio investments into the social sector», — commented Volker Then.

During the second part of the round table, the participants discussed the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and new areas for NGOs and local communities support in Germany and Russia. Director of CAF Foundation Maria Chertok noted that despite all the efforts of private foundations and the state, the situation remains critical: about 30% of Russian NGOs are on the verge of closing down.

«In Russia we can see that a considerable number of organisations are at risk, they can cease to exist in case the crisis continues. Only joint efforts of completely different organisations and active communication among all the stakeholders can help improve our general prospects», — Elena Chernyshkova pointed out.