Director, Foundation ZAMAH, Zagreb, Croatia, E-mail: zamah@zamah.hr

Your experience with the CFs and your professional relevance to the theme of CFs:

Much of my experience from the last 10 to 15 years linked me to the development of foundations in Croatia. The majority of my experience and knowledge about functioning and development of local community foundations was gained trough my work in the Open Society Institute and several international relief organizations such as UNICEF, IRC and CRS, I am one of the founders of the regional foundation ZAMAH, founded in 2006. Besides that, I’m one of the initiators of establishing Croatian Foundation Network (established in 2013). Currently, as a director of Foundation ZAMAH for more than 6 years I am responsible for the financial and for development of programmatic activities of the Foundation.

Key characteristics and information about the CFs and community philanthropy in your country:

According to the latest official gazette there are nearly to 196 foundations registered in Croatia. Regardless that next year Croatia will likely become an EU member, and we still lack a modern law on foundations,. The majority of foundations are engaged in the area of supporting solving problems in health and education, different types of students’ stipends, and social care. In recent years, state officials (on local, regional and national level) established several public foundations with the purposes to fulfill different gaps such as support independent cultural institution at national level or to provide support locally, mainly stipends and social care assistances. Also, in recent period, two corporate foundations have been registered and support different areas of interests. We can estimate that there are no more than 10 foundations such as CF-s.

Area of your particular interest in the CF development/ CF management/ practice (please specify if this is a theme where you are interested to learn more, bring your own expertise or both)

• I am particularly interested in creating a public fundraising campaign that promotes values of philanthropy programs and strengthen foundation capacities. In addition, I would like to learn how to use marketing techniques, development of marketing plan and how to increase better communication with the business sector and citizens.
• How to increase the membership that supports long-term operation of the local community foundation.