Music filled the Broumov Monastery in late May, when young musicians from the Police Symphony Orchestra held a charity concert there to support the Agency for Development of the Broumov Region and orchestra members afflicted by Covid-19. Over $21,000 was raised through an online fundraising drive.
Our Living Communities program includes a “Fast Grants” section, where people can apply for quick funding to address urgent community issues. Groups of neighbors and associations are engaging in discussions about the future of their communities in various parts of the Czech Republic, as the cases below show. Some are saving places from demolition just in the nick of time, while others are influencing longer-term community development through land use planning processes.Read More
Before long, spring will turn into summer and we’ll be thankful to find shade under mature trees. Even now, some of our grantees are enhancing their communities with plantings. Preservation of urban vegetation and revitalization of parks as community places are two key themes in the new Living Communities projects, recently supported through the generosity of our donors.
When the Czech government imposed a protective face mask regulation in March, community groups across the country jumped into action and began sewing for the needy with lightening speed. We adapted our support just as quickly, opening a one-off grant call in collaboration with Česká spořitelna bank to enable the sewing teams to recoup some of their costs. We supported 24 projects and awarded a total of $8,000 (CZK 204,000).
The Czech Philharmonic organized a benefit concert for hospitals in Prague and Brno to help doctors, nurses and other staff care for coronavirus patients. Via Foundation held a public charity collection. Donors sent in CZK 7.3 million ($285,980) in just one week.
The Darujme.cz online fundraising tool offers organizations a way to raise funds during the coronavirus pandemic. Donors can support health care workers, non-profit organizations caring for seniors or homeless people, or their favorite theater or music club.
At the end of February, our selection committee awarded grants and technical support to three projects in the towns of Kunštát, Bílá Voda and Chudčice. Each project team will receive a grant of up to $20,000 (CZK 450,000), training workshops and extensive guidance from a community engagement professional. The jury also awarded technical support to a fourth project in Votice. During the ensuing two years, these teams in the selected towns will transform public spaces into community places.
