It is the second time that the Conference gathers representatives of NCOs and business-community from different regions of Russia and becomes a ground for experience exchange and partnering.

Present-day economic challenges can easily become challenges in the sphere of business and non-commercial sectors cooperation. Therefore the issue of interaction is especially important today. It is essential that the long-standing connections remain constant, and new opportunities of collaborative work have perspectives of realization. The necessities of privatization of public services, development of business competition in the social sphere are being communicated at the federal level, and social entrepreneurship is being discussed. All these issues at least mean active experience and best practices exchange, search for ways of cooperation between business and NCOs.Some probably lack knowledge of the problem, others – pragmatic approach to its solution. On this basis it is possible to build long-lasting mutually profitable relations.

The welcoming speech on behalf of organizers of the conference was delivered by Elena Malitskaya, President of the Interregional public foundation "Siberian Civic Initiatives Support Center" (Novosibirsk).

Plenary discussion on “Charity in the regions: time challenge. View of the regions and of the center” was launched by Elena Topoleva, Director of ANCO “Agency of Social Information”.  She reported that the country has an outlined trend for charity, despite shifting economic and political conditions.

Presently all donor organizations and public authorities face serious problems with solving social tasks during the crisis. The funding of numerous social projects is decreasing both on the part of business and on the part of the state. What is being changed in approaches to charity development in the regions, what measures are being taken in this situation? How are the relations between NCOs and business-structures, center and regions, public authorities, business and NCO built? What happened to the strategy of solving social problems in the past year?

Elena Yasinskaya, representing the Ministry of Economic Development of RF, told that the events in Khakassia during the past weeks showed that not only NCOs from Khakassia but from other regions as well answered a request for help, they helped themselves, without the interference of the state. Elena Vishnyakova, Deputy Director of the Department of Public Relations – Press-Secretary of “RusHydro” OJSC, reported that the crisis became a growing-point for many projects and not stagnation. Donor-organizations do not reduce charity, despite the crisis.

Ekaterina Levshina, manager for work with public organizations of “Philip Morris Sales and Marketing” LLC, shared names of projects, whose expenditures are not being decreased: this is a program of support to a Vocational School in Leningrad region, program of teachers re-training in the same region and many others. Irina Menshenina, Executive Director of the Fundraisers’ Association, Director for Development of “Downside Up” charity foundation, emphasized in her speech that the distinctions between metropolitan and regional (provincial) fundraising are being eliminated.

Further the plenary discussion was participated by speakers representing the regional level: Alla Balashova, Director for Development of Nizhniy Novgorod Association “Sluzhenie” (“Allegiance”) (Nizhniy Novgorod); Margarita Semikova, Executive Director of a charity foundation “Sozvezdie Serdec” (“Constellation of Hearts”) (Novosibirsk); Olga Epifanova, Deputy of the State Duma of RF, owner of trade network “Chic”, founder of name fund “Lyudi Severa” (“People of the North”) (Arkhangelsk); Anna Lygina, Lead specialist for interaction with public authorities, stakeholders and public relations of “Sakhalin Energy” company (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk).

Then the Conference functioned in sections in view of provincial charity stories together with business-partners.  The presentations during section were delivered by winners of contest of best practices in leading charity programs with business and regional NCOs.

The most successful projects in the regions were:

•  «Status-on-line» program (joint project of «Samarskaya Guberniya» (“Samara Province”) charity foundation and “Philip Morris Sales and Marketing” LLC (Samara region)
• Project of Samara region - «Serebryany Vozrast» (“Silver Age”) (implementation of programs aimed at resocialization of aged people), the project accomplished by «Samarskaya Guberniya» charity foundation together with «Raiffeisenbank» JV
• Project «Uyutnaya komnata» (“Cozy room”) of the foundation for support and development of traditional family values “Mama, papa, ya” (“Mother, father, me”) and individual entrepreneur Serop Ovsepyan (Nefteyugansk, Tyumen region).
• "Program of unlocking the creative potential of disabled children” (Arkhangelsk), project implemented by Pomorskiy regional charity foundation «Vremya Dobra» (“Time of the Good”) and “Presto” company (pizzeria network in the city).