P R O F I L E

  Civil Society Development Foundation (CSDF) was established in 1994 as a train-the-trainer program in Hungary and Poland for the purpose of enhancing the growth of civil organizations by providing non-profit management and development assistance.

  CSDF offers a diverse range of services covering different segments of organizational life. The services include:

• nonprofit management training programs;
• consultancy support for individuals and organizations;
• publishing informative literature within the Publication Program about non-profit sector and NGO management;
• and organizing formal and informal forums with the aim of expanding the cooperation between the non-profit sector and business and government based on mutual benefits.

  As a result of their experience with an intensive training period, the CSDF staff developed training programs adapted to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Two modes of training are recognized:

• prescheduled ("proactive") public training;
• training on request ("reactive") for individual NGOs, tailored to the specific needs of an organization.

  Participants of CSDF training programs gain benefits on three levels:

• theoretical background to non-profit management topics;
• practical skills acquired through exercises and case studies;
• networking opportunities with other training participants.

  The training sessions are organized in a variety of formats, including one-day training sessions, serialized training sessions in and outside the city of Budapest, several-day consulting courses and intensive Winter and Summer Training Courses (which also include boarding).

  According to the CSDF, in 1997 a total of 1,100 people participated in their training programs. Of those, 7 percent belonged to an environmental protection organization. More than 70 foundations or associations were involved in these training programs, including 43 organizations from Budapest and 30 from outside the capital. The trainers found that members of various green movements always worked well together on joint tasks. Many of these members are still collaborating in different fields of CSDF activities. Presently, there are mutual, systematic contacts with the following organizations: Air Workgroup, Green Spider Foundation, Fauna Association and Foundation, Ecoservice and Ecopartner.

  In addition to the CDSF's regularly scheduled training programs, they participate in several other programs to assist in the enhancement of contacts and the exchange of experiences, such as Winter and Summer Training Courses, the Mészöly Street Workshop and the special Civil Café events.

  In the near future, the CSDF will organize two events:

• A Winter Training Course will be held from March 2-5. Its topic includes the exploration of conditions for collaboration between NGOs and local bodies of authority, a statement of common interests, task assignments, exploring possibilities for financing the tasks and inclusion of the business sphere.
• From May 6-9, the Center is organizing a regional conference under the title "Sustainability of the Third Sector in Central and Eastern Europe: Realities and Challenges for NGOs, Businesses and Governments."

  The Center welcomes anyone who may be interested.