The database and Directory include all essential information that an NGO seeking funding will require including details on the kinds of environmental projects funded, the availability of operational support for rent, equipment, and salaries, and other forms of assistance offered by foundations such as education and training, technical assistance and even fellowships. It includes key contact information, a brief description of the organization, and details on the procedures involved in applying for funding.
Data is arranged in the Directory version in a simple matrix table that lists the target country against the kinds of projects funded and the form of assistance/operational support offered. This leads the user to the Funding Institution Profiles section which contains all the data collected during the REC's survey. The online version can be searched by foundation name, target country, specific environmental projects, and the forms of operational support and additional assistance available.
If, for example, you are interested in finding out which foundations are funding sustainable agriculture projects in Romania, or those which are supporting environmental education activities in Estonia, the database can be searched by selecting the country from the CEE country menu and by combining with either "sustainable agriculture" or "environmental education" from the menu of 15 different environmental project areas. In seconds a list of the the foundations funding projects in these areas will be presented. Selecting one of these will result in a full online profile. In the hardcopy Directory, use the matrix table to search by country and by project area to identify the active foundations and obtain full information in the Funding Institution Profiles section.
Similar searches can be made for foundations offering different forms of operational support; rent, salaries, office equipment or travel for example. Select from the "Operational Support" menu (or from the matrix table in the Directory), and highlight the country of interest. Several other categories included in this menu are in-house consultancy/technical assistance, fellowships, and training and education. The database can also be used for checking contact information by entering a Foundation's english or local-language name in the "name" field.
A limited number of the NGO Environmental Funders Directory are available from the Regional Environmental Center. Contact Jerome Simpson at the REC Head Office or e-mail to: Jerome@rec.org. For those with Internet access, the database can be searched online at http://www.rec.org/REC/Databases/funders/
