Fair Share is a unit of the School of Government at the University of the Western Cape that focuses on building the capacity of ordinary citizens to understand and influence local budgeting processes. It also works with municipalities across South Africa sensitizing them to the needs of local communities and enhancing their ability to involve citizens in planning processes. Past support assisted Fair Share to implement three training programs that strengthened the leadership of community, service, and labor organizations. The training programs also enhanced the participation of these leaders in economic policy formulation, implementation, and evaluation. This grant will support Fair Share to continue to offer training and support to community leaders, other interested institutions, and individuals. During this period, it will focus on adapting some of the training programs and will incorporate suggestions and feedback on previous programs.

The program goal is to stimulate citizen activism and mobilize community resources to address critical issues facing Croatian communities. The Center for Civil Initiatives works with local community leaders and civic groups to identify community needs and implement long-term and lasting solutions. In addition, the center provides information, training, and consultations to a range of other local and international, nongovernmental organizations and the Croatian government on community organizing, organizational development, local resource development, and rural economic development. In 2008-2009, the center helped establish three cross-sectoral, regional development committees in its target counties; created a rural information center to support local farmers in the Gvozd municipality; worked with a university in Zagreb to develop a community organizing curriculum; and organized 53 one-day, capacity building workshops for local nonprofits. The center is based in Zagreb and works with other community development organizations in Croatia and in Central and Eastern Europe, including several Mott grantees.