Formation September 4, 1997 Exec. Dir. Jiří Bárta | Headquarters Prague, Czech Republic | |
Website | ||
The Via Foundation, Nadace Via, is a charitable foundation located in Prague, Czech Republic.
Contents
- Mission
- History
- Via Bona Award for Philanthropy
- Partnership with CEE Trust
- TechSoup esk republika
- Video
- References
The Via Foundation provides small grants and expertise to non-profit community initiatives in the Czech Republic. Where 50 years of totalitarian government dampened people's initiative, the Via Foundation now supports peoples' efforts to improve their communities through a variety of programs and activities.
Mission
The Via Foundation supports and strengthens public participation in the development of a democratic society in the Czech Republic.
This includes:
History
In 1997, the Via Foundation was created as the indigenous successor to the Foundation for a Civil Society. Since then Via has supported over 1650 community projects in over 260 cities, towns and villages.
The name "Via" (Latin for "path") was chosen to evoke the image of a common path towards a vibrant, active, and democratic society.
Via Bona Award for Philanthropy
2007 marks the 10th year of the Via Foundation’s annual Via Bona Award for Philanthropy. The award acknowledges exemplary philanthropy of companies and individuals who have a history of strong support of the work of non-profit organizations in the Czech Republic.
The Via Bona awards are presented each September at a ceremony held at the residence of the United States Ambassador to the Czech Republic in Prague. The Via Bona Award is given to those who serve as an example to others through their material and financial support, as well as their willingness to tread untried paths. These donors move the Czech Republic ever closer to the renewal of a healthy tradition of giving and philanthropy.
The Via Bona Awards are made possible with the support of Citibank and the Citigroup Foundation and in partnership with the Foundation for a Civil Society.
* 2007 Via Bona Awards Press Release PDF
* 2006 Via Bona Awards Press Release PDF
* 2005 Via Bona Awards Press Release
List of Past Via Bona Award Winners
Partnership with CEE Trust
The Trust for Civil Society in Central & Eastern Europe ("CEE Trust") was launched in January 2001 as an independent public charity organization with endowment support from a group of private grant-making foundations including Atlantic Philanthropies, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Open Society Institute, the Pfizer Foundation, and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
In the period 2001-2005, the CEE Trust had three mutually reinforcing objectives:
The CEE Trust Board of Directors selected the Via Foundation as its regional partner and allocated US$3,000,000 to the program in the Czech Republic for a three-year period between 2002-2005.
TechSoup Česká republika
On December 12, 2010, the Via Foundation and Charter 77 jointly launched partnership with the US-based nonprofit organization, TechSoup. The project aims to provide technology to qualified Czech nonprofit and civic organizations through the website www.techsoup.cz.