The Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law (BCNL) was founded in 2001 as public-benefit foundation. BCNL is part of the network of the International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL) and of the European Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ECNL) which operate in over 100 countries worldwide with the aim to protect the right to association and develop the legal framework for civil organizations.
Activities:
– organise the only SUMMER SCHOOL FOR NGOs in Bulgaria
– an intensive training program for enhancing the knowledge and skills of representatives of the civil sector
Within the framework of the SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM they encourage non-governmental organizations to develop business ideas and generate funds which can be used for supporting their causes in order to promote their sustainable development.
They created the THE CIVIL SOCIETY HOUSE - shared space for work and cooperation among active individuals, start-ups and developing civil organisation. Their mission is providing support for the drafting and implementation of legislation and policies with the aim to advance the civil society, civil participation and good governance in Bulgaria. They pursue their mission with the strong belief that the improvement of the NGO legal framework is instrumental for the creation of an independent and prosperous civil society.
Main goals are:
• to support the development and strengthening of an enabling legal and policy environment for an independent civil society, incl. non¬governmental, not-for-profit organizations (NGOs), in Bulgaria;
• to promote transparency, accountability, and proper internal governance of NGOs and state institutions;
• to support better cooperation between government and NGOs;
• to support public participation in decision-making;
• to promote the development of professional skills, knowledge and capacity relating to the enabling legal environment for civil society, including NGOs, in Bulgaria;
• to provide assistance to NGOs with respect to legal problems;
• to provide assistance in civil society legal reform efforts in other countries, where appropriate, and to foster international co-operation;
• to engage in activities to achieve such other objectives as determined by the Board of Trustees not inconsistent with the purposes and the identity of the Foundation