Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation

The Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation (Hungarian: Ökotárs Alapítvány) is a Hungarian non-profit organization founded in 1994 as the legal successor to the Partnership Program, an initiative launched by three American philanthropic foundations—the German Marshall Fund, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund—to support emerging green movements in the Visegrád countries during the democratic transition. Its first director was Zsuzsa Foltányi. Since its inception, Ökotárs has focused on effective, flexible, fast, and reliable grantmaking to strengthen Hungarian civil and environmental movements, supporting their programs, campaigns, and actions. Over its history, it has managed funding programs on behalf of private foundations, corporations, governments, and international organizations. Beyond financial support, Ökotárs organizes study tours, trainings, and organizational development courses, and provides expert assistance to civil organizations. In the 1990s these efforts were carried out under the Comprehensive Organizational Development program; today they operate through programs such as KÖZ-SZER-VEZ (Community-Organizing-Management) and Civil Térkép (Civil Map), which strengthen local citizen groups. The foundation contributed to the development of internal cooperation mechanisms within the green movement: between 1996 and 2005 it organized monthly movement meetings and facilitated better communication between the movement and public administration. Since the turn of the millennium, its focus has increasingly shifted toward strengthening and developing the entire civil sector. In 2003 it launched the Civil-Társ program to contribute to a civil-friendly legal environment through expert and advocacy work. Ökotárs has played an active role in the birth of the Hungarian green movement. Since its founding, the organization has supported nearly 3,000 applications with a total value of about 8 billion forints. Many civil organizations received their first grant from Ökotárs. Through the Norwegian and Swiss Civil Funds, the organization became a primary independent supporter of civil society in a broader sense. Supported projects cover many areas, including democracy and human rights, social participation, integration, community development and organizing, and climate protection. Current programs include: Közös Értékeink (Our Common Values), launched in late 2022 with about €3.4 million over three years through three open calls, supported by the EU's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values program; Reclaim Our Civil Space!, started in 2019 with 10 civil organizations from 8 countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, and Norway as expert partner) to counter shrinking civic space; KÖZ-SZER-VEZ, operating since 2016 to support cohesive communities through training, mentoring, and networking, reaching about 50 local citizen groups and community organizers, mainly in smaller rural settlements; Civil Térkép, since 2018 providing small grants, workshops, and mentoring for local and regional civil networks, primarily in Central and Northern Hungary; Civil Társ, which monitors and analyzes the domestic civil sector and provides legal advice; and Az Év Fája (Tree of the Year), organized since 2010, where the public votes online for trees that matter to their communities. The initiative originated in the Czech Republic in 2002.

The predecessor of Ökotárs, the Partnership Program, was established at the initiative of three American philanthropic foundations—the German Marshall Fund, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund—in the Visegrád countries to support the emerging green movements during the democratic transition. After the success of the program's first three-year cycle, the Ökotárs Alapítvány was created in 1994 as a Hungarian legal entity, with Zsuzsa Foltányi as its first director. Since the beginning, the foundation's main activity has been effective, flexible, fast, and reliable grantmaking to strengthen domestic civil and environmental movements, their programs, campaigns, and actions. Throughout its operation, it has also participated in administering support programs of private foundations, corporations, governments, and international organizations. In addition to financial support, Ökotárs organizes study tours, trainings, and organizational development courses, and mediates expert assistance to civil organizations. In the 1990s these were carried out under the Comprehensive Organizational Development program; today they are realized under the auspices of the KÖZ-SZER-VEZ and Civil Térkép programs, which strengthen local citizen groups. The foundation contributed to the development of internal cooperation mechanisms of the green movement: between 1996 and 2005 it organized the movement's monthly meetings and effectively facilitated better communication between the movement and public administration. Since the turn of the millennium, its focus has increasingly been on strengthening and developing the entire civil sector. In this spirit, the foundation's Civil-Társ program was launched in 2003 to contribute, through the organization's expert and advocacy activities, to the creation of a civil-friendly legal environment supporting the operation of the civil sector. Ökotárs has played an active role in the birth of the Hungarian green movement through its grants and expert assistance. Since its existence, the organization has supported nearly 3,000 applications worth about 8 billion forints. Many civil organizations received their first grant from Ökotárs. With Ökotárs's support, numerous successful civil initiatives have been realized, won broad recognition from local society, and became defining in their regions. Through the Norwegian and Swiss Civil Funds, the organization became a primary independent supporter of civil society in a broader sense. Supported projects cover many areas, such as democracy and human rights, social participation, integration, community development and organizing, and climate protection. Current programs include: Közös Értékeink Program, launched at the end of 2022, aims to support domestic civil organizations whose work helps everyone enjoy the rights guaranteed in the European Union. The calls aim for winners to contribute to the protection, strengthening, and promotion of European values—human dignity, freedom, equality, democracy, the rule of law, and human rights. The program is implemented over three years through three open calls worth about €3.4 million with the support of the European Union's Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values program. Reclaim Our Civil Space! started in 2019 in cooperation with 10 civil organizations from 8 countries (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, and Norway as expert partner), in response to Europe-wide trends such as restricting civic space and weakening democratic institutions. The program aims to expand opportunities for Central European civil society and initiate EU-level action to recognize and protect the importance of civil society. Activities include strengthening local civil organizations' capacities and building cross-border connections among participating civil society actors through trainings and workshops. Implementing organizations develop international professional materials and proposals for a comprehensive EU civil strategy to counter the shrinking civic space. KÖZ-SZER-VEZ, operating since 2016, supports the creation of cohesive communities through training, mentoring, and networking, enabling them to effectively and efficiently shape local public affairs and public life. Since the program's start, about 50 local citizen groups and community organizers, mainly in smaller rural settlements, have received support. Civil Térkép, since 2018, supports the creation of local and regional civil networks with small grants, workshops, and mentoring. Recently, the program has been primarily active in Central and Northern Hungary. Civil Társ: Ökotárs continuously monitors and analyzes the domestic situation of the civil sector, prepares analyses and reports, and provides legal advice on civil matters to those who turn to it. Az Év Fája (Tree of the Year): The Tree of the Year competition has been organized by Ökotárs Alapítvány since 2010. Participants can nominate trees that mean a lot to the community and for whose protection locals actively act. The winner is chosen by the public via online voting. The initiative started in the Czech Republic in 2002, organized there by Nadace P...

• 2022

  Közös Értékeink Program launched at the end of the year.

• 2019

  Reclaim Our Civil Space! program launched with partners from 8 countries.

• 2018

  Civil Térkép program started.

• 2016

  KÖZ-SZER-VEZ program started.

• 2010

  First organized the Tree of the Year (Az Év Fája) competition.

• 2003

  Launched the Civil-Társ program to promote a civil-friendly legal environment.

• 1996

  Began organizing monthly meetings of the green movement, continuing until 2005.

• 1994

  Ökotárs Alapítvány founded as a Hungarian legal entity, succeeding the Partnership Program.

Independent grantmaker and capacity builder for Hungarian civil society and environmental movements.

• Közös Értékeink Program

  Grant program launched in late 2022 to support civil organizations promoting EU values, with about €3.4 million over three years.

• Reclaim Our Civil Space!

  Program started in 2019 with 10 civil organizations from 8 countries to counter shrinking civic space.

• KÖZ-SZER-VEZ

  Community organizing and management program since 2016, supporting about 50 local citizen groups.

• Civil Térkép

  Program since 2018 providing small grants, workshops, and mentoring for local civil networks.

• Civil Társ

  Program monitoring and analyzing the civil sector and providing legal advice.

• Az Év Fája (Tree of the Year)

  Annual competition since 2010 where the public votes for trees important to communities.

1. 1Ökotárs | Ökotárs Alapítványokotars.hu
2. 2Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Ökotárs Alapítvány - Wikipediahu.wikipedia.org