The Eurasia Foundation, which receives the bulk of its funds from USAID, has launched a campaign to establish a new foundation to carry on its work when its current grant from USAID expires in 2006. According to its President, Charles William Maynes, the first step will be a partnership between the Eurasia Foundation and the Open Society Institute to create a new foundation in Russia to support civil society.

According to current plans, OSI would contribute $5 million a year for three to five years and the Eurasia Foundation would contribute its current budget of roughly $10 million a year. The two partners are talking to other donors in Europe, Russia and the US about joining this effort to create a Russian institution to support civil society over the longer run. They hope to announce the establishment of the new institution in May 2003.

OSI’s participation in this effort is part of a general restructuring of OSI’s Russian programmes. The result of this restructuring will be the creation of seven new Russian institutions carrying out OSI’s current range of programmes, according to Stewart J Paperin, Executive Vice President of OSI.

For more information
http://www.eurasia.org