What Nadace BLÍŽKSOBĚ does

Nadace BLÍŽKSOBĚ is a privately established Czech charitable foundation founded in 2017 by entrepreneurs Martin Vohánka, Hana Hradská, and Petr Husák. It provides general operating support grants and strategic assistance to public benefit projects and organizations working across four thematic pillars: protection of freedom and democracy, cultural heritage preservation, quality education for all children, and social solidarity. The foundation practices Trust-Based Philanthropy, favoring flexible, multi-year commitments (typically three years) over project-restricted funding, and supports 37+ organizations.

Its resource base is derived from the founders' accumulated entrepreneurial wealth, supplemented by pooled donor contributions through co-founded initiatives such as the Alliance for a Modern State and the Independent Journalism Foundation. Operating from Prague, the foundation employs a professional team of approximately 11 people, including an executive director, program directors for democracy and education, a financial director, and operations, communications, and grants coordination functions.

The foundation runs six flagship co-founded initiatives that extend its reach beyond grantmaking into convening, policy engagement, and ecosystem coordination. It partners with governmental bodies including the Ministry of Education, the Czech School Inspection, and the National Pedagogical Institute on systemic education reform (Měníme osnovy / Changing the Curriculum), and assembles over 40 senior business ambassadors under the Second Economic Transformation platform. Distribution is primarily invitation-based and proactive rather than open-application-driven. Revenue and grant outflow figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Nadace BLÍŽKSOBĚ

Legal name

Nadace BLÍŽKSOBĚ

Website

https://blizksobe.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Nadace BLÍŽKSOBĚ is a Czech charitable foundation founded in 2017 that provides multi-year operating grants and strategic support to 37+ civil society organizations across democracy, cultural heritage, education, and social solidarity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grant funding
• Trust-based philanthropy
• Civil society support
• Educational reform funding
• Democratic society funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Prague

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants from Founders: The foundation draws on material resources, experience, and knowledge accumulated during its founders' entrepreneurial careers. The founders established the foundation as a tool to support projects, organizations, and individual activities that bring people together and improve quality of life.
2. Donor Contributions: The foundation receives support from donors and partners, operating as a pooled fund with other Czech philanthropists for specific initiatives like independent journalism and modern state reform.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nadace BLÍŽKSOBĚ is a privately endowed Czech charitable foundation that provides multi-year (typically three-year) unrestricted general operating grants, strategic support, and non-financial assistance (networking, mentoring, education) to public-benefit civil society organizations working in four focus areas: Protection of Freedom and Democracy, Cultural Heritage, Quality Education for All Children, and Social Solidarity. It practices Trust-Based Philanthropy, proactively identifying partners rather than relying on open calls, and co-founds flagship cross-sector initiatives such as the Alliance for a Modern State, Second Economic Transformation, Czechs in Europe, Changing the Curriculum, Good Morning Czechia, and the Independent Journalism Foundation.

Product overview

Nadace BLÍŽKSOBĚ is a charitable foundation that provides grant funding and strategic support to public benefit projects and organizations in the Czech Republic. The foundation focuses on four main areas: Protection of Freedom and Democracy, Cultural Heritage, Quality Education for All Children, and Social Solidarity. It does not offer a technology product or software platform; its 'offerings' are grant programs, general operating support for partner organizations, and collaborative initiatives. The foundation operates on the principles of Trust-Based Philanthropy, providing multi-year funding commitments and support beyond financial assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multi-year Unrestricted Operating Grants Flexible, general operating support grants (typically committed for three years) provided proactively to vetted Czech civil society organizations working on systemic change, rather than project-restricted funding.
• Protection of Freedom and Democracy Program Grantmaking and partnership program supporting organizations focused on democratic institutions, civic participation, independent journalism, and democratic education in the Czech Republic.
• Cultural Heritage Program Grantmaking and partnership program supporting Czech organizations that preserve and care for cultural heritage, including the legacy of past generations.
• Quality Education for All Children Program Grantmaking and partnership program funding systemic improvements to Czech public education, including teacher training, curriculum reform, and leadership development for schools.
• Social Solidarity Program Grantmaking and partnership program funding Czech organizations that systematically support people in vulnerable life situations through social services and outreach.
• Non-Financial Grantee Support (Networking, Mentoring, Education) Trust-Based Philanthropy service beyond grant money, offering grantees networking, mentoring, and educational opportunities to strengthen organizational capacity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 37+ organizations supported across four focus areas
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AshokacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal fellowship supporting social entrepreneurs. Ashoka identifies and supports leading social entrepreneurs who are implementing system-changing solutions to social problems.
• Člověk v tísni (People in Need)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the largest humanitarian and development NGOs in Central Europe, providing assistance in crisis zones and promoting human rights and democratic values.
• Nadace Open Society FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation supporting open society, human rights, and democratic values in Czech Republic, part of the Open Society Foundations network.
• Nadace Forum 2000coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation dedicated to supporting democratic culture, civil society development, and dialogue on freedom and human rights.
• Evropské hodnoty (European Values)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThink-tank focused on protection of democracy, rule of law, and European values in Czech Republic.
• Aliance pro moderní stát (Alliance for a Modern State)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared fund of leading Czech foundations and philanthropists focused on improving the functioning of the Czech state. Supports organizations and projects working for quality public services, good public finance management, and resistance to external threats.
• Češi v Evropě (Czechs in Europe)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term platform providing information about the role and position of Czechia in Europe, combining data and research with media partnerships.
• Dobré ráno, Česko (Good Morning, Czechia)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative of seven state agencies and top Czech business representatives seeking to find a better national narrative. BLÍŽKSOBĚ collaborates on participatory aspects involving broad societal dialogue.
• Druhá ekonomická transformace (Second Economic Transformation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform of over 40 ambassadors from highest levels of Czech business focused on moving Czech economy back to the top and transforming toward the economy of the future.
• Měníme osnovy (Changing the Curriculum)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject supporting ground-up revision of Czech public school curriculum involving key competencies. Involves cooperation between organizations and state institutions to communicate changes and engage teachers and parents.
• Nadační fond nezávislé žurnalistiky (Independent Journalism Foundation)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerShared fund of Czech philanthropists for supporting independent and courageous journalism, a necessary condition for free democratic society.
• NPI (Národní pedagogický institut)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Pedagogical Institute of Czech Republic - governmental institution supporting educational development.
• ČŠI (Česká školní inspekce)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCzech School Inspection - governmental body evaluating and supporting quality in education.
• MŠMT (Ministerstvo školství, mládeže a tělovýchovy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMinistry of Education, Youth and Sports of Czech Republic.
• DZS (Dům zahraniční spolupráce)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHouse of Foreign Services - national agency supporting international cooperation in education.
• DFMG (Differential Games and Management)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic/research partner in management and economics.
• CoCreativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative agency or consultancy partner.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Nadace Via: Czech private foundation funding community development, civic engagement, and environmental initiatives. Operates as a domestic grantmaker with multi-year, trust-based support models analogous to BLÍŽKSOBĚ.
• Nadace Open Society Fund Praha: Czech foundation of the Open Society network supporting open society, human rights, and democratic values in Czechia. Highly comparable in mission (democracy and civic society grantmaking), geography, and operating model to BLÍŽKSOBĚ.
• Nadace Forum 2000: Czech foundation supporting democratic culture, civil society dialogue, and human rights. Structurally a peer grantmaking organization focused on Czech democracy, even though it is also a grantee partner of BLÍŽKSOBĚ.
• Nadace Partnerství: One of the largest Czech private foundations, funding community and environmental projects nationwide. Comparable as a Czech private grantmaking foundation supporting civil society, though with stronger environmental orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: Global philanthropic network supporting democratic governance, independent media, and civil society worldwide. Overlaps heavily with BLÍŽKSOBĚ's mission and Czech programming through the Open Society Fund Praha.

Regional players

• Velux Foundations: Danish-based European foundation funding democracy, sustainability, and cultural projects. Comparable as a European private foundation with thematic overlap in democracy and cultural heritage programming.
• Stiftung Mercator: German foundation with European-wide programs including Central and Eastern Europe. Comparable as a major European private foundation applying long-term, systemic-change grantmaking approaches.
• ERSTE Foundation: Austrian foundation focused on strengthening civil society in Central and Eastern Europe. Directly comparable as a regional European grantmaker with overlapping CEE geography and democracy/civic society mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nadace-bl%C3%AD%C5%BEksob%C4%9B
• Instagraminstagram.com/nadaceblizksobe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nadace BLÍŽKSOBĚ