Web Portal www.csogeorgia.org

Within the framework of the Civil Society Development Program, the Civil Society Institute implements the project, which aims at creating favorable environment for exchange of information, communication, sharing of resources and coordination among the civil society organizations.

To achieve this objective, for the first time in the history of Georgian civil society organizations, the integrated communication and informative resource portal www.csogeorgia.org of the civil society organizations will be set up. By spending minimum amount of time and energy, this virtual space will enable the civil society organizations to obtain the required and useful information.

• Information on various possibilities available in the field;
• To upload information on their own organization and activities;
• To share resources and experience with each other;
• To receive free of charge legal and tax consultations.

Supporting SCO Development Effectiveness in Georgia

Within the framework of Civil Society Development Program, since 1 October 2011 Civil Society Institute implements the project titled Supporting SCO Development Effectiveness in Georgia. The overarching goal of the Project is supporting eradication of poverty, inequality, and marginalization in Georgia. Project aims to ensure the growth of CSO development effectiveness in Georgia throw facilitation of enabling environment, focusing on final results, increasing accountability and transparency, and promotion the improvement of the relations between SCOs, donors and authorities.

Specific project activities are as follows:

• Round tables will be held with SCOs, donors and the authorities;
• Involvement of SCOs in the activities of self-government will be ensured;
• Cycle of trainings in result-based management;
• Development of uniform and shared strategy of accountability and transparency;
• Establishing national platform of SCOs and participation in the activities of Open Forum for development effectiveness.

Improving the Civil Society Enabling Environment in Georgia

The aim of the Project is to improve the enabling legal environment so that it better supports the financial sustainability of civil society organizations; and improves communication between civil society organizations and the government. to achieve this aim, Civil Society Institute will analyze tax regulations affecting CSOs in Georgia; identify key problematic regulations and develop solutions, provide expert consultations to advocacy efforts of other civil society organizations and businesses dedicated to addressing these issues, develop and publish a guidebook on taxation for civil society organizations, provide legal consultations to civil society organizations and taxation issues, and assist EWMI G-PAC in identifying new priorities for the upcoming years in this area. Civil Society Institute is carrying out these activities in close partnership with EWMI G-PAC and its partner, International Center for Not-for-profit Law (ICNL). The project is implemented through the Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development in Georgia (G-PAC) program of East-West Management Institute (EWMI). This program was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Improving enabling environment for CSO and raising their effectiveness

Within a framework of the Civil Society Development Program, since 1 April 2011 the Civil Society Institute implements the project "Improving Enabling Environment for CSOs and Raising their Effectiveness". The project aims to foster the effectiveness of development-oriented CSOs, so that they better promote overcoming of inequality, marginalization and poverty in the country. To this end, the project foresees resolving the following tasks:

• Improvement of legal environment
  Implementation of the project will improve legal environment, which will enable CSO operations to be better and much more effective.
• Promotion of civil participation
  Project will lead to institutionalization of relations between self-government and the public, which will ensure more effective and transparent self-government. Public recognition and image of CSOs will improve, and their role in public life will be empowered, which in itself will stimulate public participation and civil activities.
• Promotion of cooperation among CSOs to improve communication, coordination and partnership among them
  A strong union (platform) of CSOs will be set up within a project framework, which will form the sector's coherent vision and standards and ensure involvement in international processes and advocacy and lobbying of CSO interests. Overall this will have a huge impact on the CSO development effectiveness and largely facilitate the improvement of local CSO activities.
• Enhancing capacities of CSOs through the introduction of results-oriented management system
  Local CSOs will be able to enhance their skills, so that their activities are at maximum oriented on final results and they ensure sustainable positive changes to overcome inequality, marginalization and poverty in the country.