November 26, 2009 - Goodhearted people are used to contributing several Euro into money-boxes or sending a donation text message during a charity TV show. Nevertheless, many of them would like to know, whether their donation was used according to their wish. The program Great Country, recently launched by the Pontis Foundation, offers such a transparency.
Great Country brings not only transparency, but also good projects. “Why do I support Great Country? Because it corresponds with my aphorism – Let´s live life in such a way that others feel good in it as well. By the way, I dedicated this aphorism to Julo Satinský, because this was exactly his way of life,” said a member of our Board, writer and aphorist Tomáš Janovic.
Great Country is a donor program, which offers individual donors a possibility to support NGO projects. The program was officially launched on November 17, 2009 at the Concert for the Aware, where individual NGOs presented themselves, great news were sent from the Great Country and gingerbreads were exchanged for wishes.
Wide range of projects
“For me the greatest advantage of this project is the fact that it is simple, direct and targeting. It includes a wide range of projects and everybody, who wants to help improve the face of Slovakia, will certainly find “the right one” for him or herself. Great Country gives us a possibility to replace words by deeds and prove that we are not indifferent to what is going on around us,” stressed Peter Socha, Financial Director of AXA SR.
Currently there are 51 projects in the Great Country program striving to make Slovakia a nicer, more educated, human, cultural and active country.
Everyone can become a great citizen
“All you need to do is register on www.dobrakrajina.sk, create your own profile and select a project. You can support a project directly through the web portal by sending it money. Donors can also donate their time, skills or material gifts,” says Lenka Surotchak, Director of the Pontis Foundation, when explaining the various possibilities one can take part in the program Great Country.
“For 1 Euro you can, for example, buy your favorite magazine, or for the same amount of money a homeless person can have three breakfasts. For 5 Euro you can watch a movie in the cinema, or use this money to help Roma children prepare for school, or teenagers in the streets of Petržalka legally learn the art of graffiti. Your 10 Euro will buy you a ticket to an aqua park, but for the same amount of money 6 to 8 children can spend a month experiencing adventures with their peers, or a web portal, through which citizens can inform their mayors about problems in their neighborhood can be created,” says Monika Smolová, the program’s coordinator.
The donor has full control over his contribution. In his profile, he sees the exact amount donated, how many and what types of projects he supports and he can also see the projects his friends support. Donors can support projects via online payment, by one-off payments or standing orders from their bank account, via a donation text message or by paying cash.
The will to donate does not reflect wealth
In Great Country donors are not only wealthy individuals or well-paid managers, but it is also the general public who donates. Great Country makes philanthropists out of “ordinary” people and inspires them to do good deeds. “Great Country is characterized by many already completed good projects and good people, who care about where and how they live,” says on behalf of all members of the Board Táňa Pauhofová, actress of the Slovak National Theatre.
print version
recommend page
sitemap
notification