Open democratic society characterizes developed “third” sector. Today hundreds of different NGOs function in Azerbaijan both registered, as well as non-registered ones. Starting from the beginning of 90-s our country faced rapid growth and strengthening of the role of non-governmental organization sector in all spheres of social life. To support this process various financial aid agencies from the USA and Western Europe assist local NGOs. The problem is that almost all local NGOs practically are not acquainted with the rules that are used in West for financing. Very few people have experience of applying to the funds on the level of western professional standards. According to American and Western European professional grant writers, to succeed in the search of financial support it is necessary to orient in the process of applying for grants; find and analyze suitable financial sources; with the help of professionally composed application for persuading the fund that they need to finance you. The search of financial means has become one of the important duties of non-commercial organizations. Constantly financial aid search – fundraising – turns into a special professional governing sphere and becomes one of the main elements of non-commercial sector development. Measures taken on the search of financial means by local NGO’s, are usually held without any relations to system with marketing program and are based on intuition rather than on concrete knowledge about the procedure and methods of fundraising.

“Caspian – Partnership for the Future” Public Union held several trainings on grant writing and fundraising. The main aim of those kinds of trainings is to help local NGOs in the settlement of concrete problems that they face when writing grants, analyzing possible financial sources and negotiations with the fund representatives.

The next training was held on December 28th 2005, at the office of “Caspian – Partnership for the Future” Public Union. Main idea behind the training was to present the volunteers of our organization, representatives of local NGOs and students the opportunity to learn more about the methods and techniques of writing grant projects and programs, and also about the main instruments of contemporary fundraising.

The training was held by Executive Director of Public Union Shahin Jamalov where he told about the role of non-governmental sector in the development of modern democracy and also presented short information on the projects of our organization. Expert of the Public Union Farid Aliyev told about the rules on filling grant applications. Trainer at the “Caspian” Human Rights School Project, expert of the Public Union Aysel Mammadova gave information on the main instruments of modern fundraising.

The volunteers of our organization, students of Baku State University and representatives of local NGOs participated in the training.