What National Foundation for Civil Society Development does

The National Foundation for Civil Society Development (Nacionalna zaklada za razvoj civilnoga društva) is a Croatian public institution established in 2003 as the leading national body for cooperation, networking, and financing of civil society organizations. Headquartered in Zagreb with 32 professional staff and an additional operational site at the IMPACT Euro-Mediterranean Centre in Zadar, it is governed by a Management Board and led by Foundation Administrator Cvjetana Plavša-Matić. The foundation is financed by the Croatian state budget, European Union programmes (including ESF+), EGP/Norway Grants, and international partners; it does not generate commercial revenue and operates as a non-profit grant-maker.

Its core 'products' are programmatic rather than technological: competitive grant schemes (Financijske podrške), multi-year Institutional Support, the Regional Development Program delivered through a network of 5 specialized partner organizations covering all Croatian macro-regions, the 'Potencijali zajednice' intergenerational community program, the iM:PACT Mediterranean innovation program under the MED9 initiative, the 'Činimo dobro Otiskom srca' sustainable-education program (Croatian adaptation of sCOOLFOOD), the new Croatian Centre for Social Entrepreneurship Support (established under the 3P4SSE Interreg project), the €22.5M ESF+ STEM promotion call funding 76 organizations, a network of 10 Knowledge Centers, and management of EU/international programmes including EGP/Norway, Interreg, CERV, and Anna Lindh Foundation cooperation across 42 countries. Its underlying technology is administrative: a dedicated digital platform (financijskepodrske.hr) for application submission, financial reporting, and monitoring, supplemented by standard web/social media channels.

The business model is event- and grant-cycle driven: the foundation reaches CSOs exclusively through publicly advertised calls for proposals (natječaji) and calls for expressions of interest (poziv za iskaz interesa) published on its website. As Posredničko tijelo razine 2 (Intermediate Body Level 2) under the European Social Fund, it prepares, verifies, monitors, and conducts field controls for ESF co-financed projects. Distribution is domestic and segment-spanning — NGOs in democratization and social development, disability associations, county-level retiree associations, schools, social enterprises, and youth/elderly community initiatives — with an international layer of Euro-Mediterranean and cross-border philanthropic cooperation.

Name

National Foundation for Civil Society Development

Legal name

Nacionalna zaklada za razvoj civilnoga društva

Website

https://zaklada.civilnodrustvo.hr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The National Foundation for Civil Society Development, established in 2003 in Croatia, is the leading public institution for financing, networking, and capacity-building of civil society organizations through state budget and EU grant programmes, a five-region training network, and Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Civil society development
• Grant making foundation
• Nonprofit funding programs
• EU fund administration
• Philanthropy foundations

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public funding and government appropriations: Nacionalna zaklada operates as a public institution funded by the Republic of Croatia's state budget. It functions as a grant-making foundation that distributes public funds to civil society organizations through competitive calls for proposals, institutional support grants, and EU program co-financing. The foundation does not generate commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

National Foundation for Civil Society Development is a Croatian public, non-profit institution that provides systemic financial and programmatic support to civil society organisations. It distributes grants and institutional support through competitive public calls for proposals, co-finances EU projects as Intermediate Body Level 2 under the European Social Fund, and manages international programmes including Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, EGP/Norwegian Funds, and Interreg. Its offerings span financial grants, capacity-building training across five Croatian regions, specialised programs for STEM promotion, social entrepreneurship, intergenerational community cooperation, and Euro-Mediterranean cross-sector collaboration.

Product overview

The National Foundation for Civil Society Development operates as a public institution providing systemic support for civil society development in Croatia, functioning as a unified grant-making and program management organization rather than a commercial product company. The Foundation offers multiple interconnected programs including: Financial Supports (competitive grants), Institutional Support (multi-year organizational support), the Regional Development Program (capacity building), the Potencijali zajednice Program (intergenerational community cooperation), iM:PACT (Mediterranean innovation), the Činimo dobro Otiskom srca Program (sustainable education using sCOOLFOOD modules), the Croatian Center for Social Entrepreneurship Support, IMPACT Euro-Mediterranean Center, STEM promotion programs, Knowledge Centers network, EU and international programs, and strategic partnerships. The Foundation also coordinates the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation through the Anna Lindh Foundation and manages EU funding programs. While not a commercial technology product, the Foundation does maintain digital platforms including financijskepodrske.hr for grant management and DoGood People for the educational program, and has contributed to establishing the IMPACT center as a physical/digital cooperation hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IMPACT – Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Cross-Sector Cooperation for Sustainable Development: IMPACT is the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Cross-Sector Cooperation for Sustainable Development, hosted by Nacionalna zaklada in Zadar, serving as a platform for cross-sector collaboration across the Euro-Mediterranean region.
• Hrvatski centar podrške društvenom poduzetništvu
• Činimo dobro Otiskom srca
• Potencijali zajednice
• i3.0 Strateško partnerstvo – inovacije za snažnije i otpornije lokalne zajednice

Products and services

• Financijske podrške (Financial Supports)

Quantifiable outcome

• 646 new jobs created and 478 organizations supported in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• AshokamajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Ashoka partnered with Nacionalna zaklada to offer 3 full scholarships (valued at €10,000 each) for Croatian participants in the Ashoka Visionary Program 2025-2026, held in Vienna from October 2025 to June 2026. The program targets social entrepreneurs and change-makers from civil society, public, and private sectors.
• European Social Fund (ESF) / Europski socijalni fondcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNacionalna zaklada serves as Posredničko tijelo razine 2 (PT2 — Intermediate Body Level 2) within the European Social Fund. It prepares and administratively verifies project proposals, cooperates with Level 1 intermediate bodies, monitors project implementation, and conducts field controls for ESF co-financed projects.
• Anna Lindh Foundation (ALF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNacionalna zaklada coordinates the Croatian Network for Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation (Hrvatska mreža za suradnju na Euro-Mediteranu) under the Anna Lindh Foundation, which spans 43 countries. The foundation participates in ALForum events, coordinates national network activities, and implements joint programs including the 'More riječi' short story competition.
• Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNacionalna zaklada is a member of Philea, a network of more than 7,500 foundations. It participated in Philea Forum 2023 in Šibenik (hosting) and Philea Forum 2025 in Lisbon. Philea published a report on European foundations covering 34 countries including Croatia.
• Interreg Središnja Europa — 3P4SSE Project PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject 3P4SSE — Javno-privatno partnerstvo za društvenu i solidarnu ekonomiju (Public-Private Partnership for Social and Solidarity Economy) involves 13 partners from Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, and Poland. Lead partner: Autonomous Province of Trento. Croatian partners: Nacionalna zaklada and Splitsko-dalmatinska županija. The project aims to establish a Croatian Centre for Social Enterprise Support.
• Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di SienamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership with Fondazione Monte dei Paschi di Siena for the implementation of the Croatian version of the sCOOLFOOD module within the 'Činimo dobro Otiskom srca' Program. The Italian foundation originally developed the sCOOLFOOD program in Siena in 2016. Nacionalna zaklada began its Croatian implementation in 2022.
• Ured za udruge Vlade Republike Hrvatske (Office for Associations of the Government of Croatia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Office for Associations co-organizes the 'Jačanje kapaciteta organizacija civilnoga društva za promociju STEM-a' call (€22.5M, 85% ESF+ co-financed) with 76 beneficiary organizations. Also co-organizes Days of Open Doors of Associations (Dani otvorenih vrata udruga) and other joint initiatives.
• Philea (Philantropy Europe Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilea published a publication on integrating climate dimensions into philanthropic programs, which is relevant to Nacionalna zaklada's environmental and sustainability programming.
• MED9 Initiative (9 EU Mediterranean Member States)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2025 (30th anniversary of the Barcelona Process / Union for the Mediterranean), Nacionalna zaklada prepared a range of activities in Croatia and within the MED9 initiative covering 9 EU Mediterranean member states, including the iMPACT document on innovations for the Mediterranean presented at a working lunch hosted by the Slovenian Ambassador.
• WINGS (World Initiative for Nonprofit Excellence)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in the partnerships and memberships section of the website.
• Friends of EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization listed in the partnerships and memberships section of the website.
• ALDA+ (European Association for Local Democracy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the Interreg 3P4SSE project. Listed among the 13 international project partners.
• Splitsko-dalmatinska županija (Split-Dalmatia County)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner in the 3P4SSE Interreg project and co-host of the IMPACT center in Zadar. Collaborates on the establishment of the Croatian Centre for Social Enterprise Support. County prefect Blaženko Boban participates in joint events and meetings.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• European Cultural Foundation: Amsterdam-based European grantmaker supporting culture, civil society, and cross-border cooperation; comparable as an EU/Europe-wide grantmaking foundation with multiple thematic programs, international networks, and convening role similar to Nacionalna zaklada's Euro-Mediterranean coordination.
• Anna Lindh Foundation: Euro-Mediterranean intergovernmental foundation coordinating 43 national networks for civil society cooperation; directly comparable as a partner and parallel grantmaking/coordinating institution, with Nacionalna zaklada serving as the Croatian network coordinator.
• Fondation de France: France's largest grantmaking foundation, distributing funds across civil society, research, environment, and social innovation; comparable as a national multi-purpose grantmaker with decentralized distribution networks and institutional support programs similar to Nacionalna zaklada's portfolio.
• King Baudouin Foundation: Belgian public-utility foundation that channels funding and capacity-building support to civil society and philanthropic initiatives; closely comparable as a national-level public-purpose grantmaking institution in an EU member state with multi-program portfolios and EU program involvement.
• Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation: Portuguese national foundation running grantmaking, arts, education, and international cooperation programs; comparable as a single-country public-purpose foundation combining domestic grants with international partnerships (e.g., Euro-Mediterranean, similar to Nacionalna zaklada's Philea and Anna Lindh roles).
• Civitates - Philanthropy for Democracy: European pooled-fund initiative by private foundations supporting civil society and independent public interest organizations across Europe; comparable as a multi-funder grantmaking vehicle for civil society strengthening, though led by private rather than public funders.
• Active Citizens Fund (EEA/Norway Grants): EEA/Norway Grants civil society funding mechanism active across EU candidate and member states including Croatia; directly comparable as a parallel civil society grantmaking vehicle that Nacionalna zaklada engages with through EGP/Norwegian Funds programming.

Broad incumbents

• Open Society Foundations: Large global grantmaking organization funding civil society, democracy, and human rights; comparable mission focus on civil society strengthening, though operating at a vastly larger scale and with private endowment rather than public budget.
• European Endowment for Democracy: EU-funded grantmaker supporting civil society, independent media, and democracy actors in the European neighbourhood; comparable as a Brussels/EU-level grantmaking institution with similar thematic focus on civil society development but operating at a supranational scale.

Regional players

• Slovenian Foundation for Civil Society Development: Slovenian counterpart institution for civil society development support; highly comparable as a directly analogous national foundation in a neighboring country with similar mandate, EU program intermediation role, and grantmaking programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nzrcd
• Facebookfacebook.com/nzrcd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nzrcd
• Instagraminstagram.com/nzrcd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Foundation for Civil Society Development