People to People Ambassador Programs
Fundraising Executives Delegation
November 5–15, 2004

Sunday, November 7, 2004
Walking tour through Prague Castle

Since its foundation in the last quarter of the 9th century, it has been developing uninterruptedly throughout the past 11 centuries. The Castle is a huge complex of residential and office buildings representing all architectural styles and periods, surrounding three castle courtyards and covering 45 hectares.

Originally, Prague Castle was occupied by princes and kings of Bohemia; however, since 1918, it has been the seat of the President.

Imperial Palace

Set on heights that overlook the city, the imposing palace in Viennese rococo style that leads to the greater complex of the Castle, was designed by Nocola Pacassi during the reign of Empress Maria Theresa (1740-1780). The Italian architect joined into a single coherent and stylistically homogeneous building some pre-existing houses that had been constructed in different periods. The palace is entered through a wide court enclosed in a wrought iron rail topped by the rich blazon of the Empress. The rail is held by eight pillars that also support huge copies of the Gigantomachy sculpted by Ignaz Platzer in 1768. Every day at noon you can see the changing of the guard.

Afternoon of November 8, 2004
Prague, Czech Republic

Meeting with the Fund for Children in Need or “Little Kangaroo (Klokanek)”

The delegation met with Director Renata Vanova and Fundraising Director Marketa Houdkova. Renata Vanova first introduced the group to two small children who are being cared for by one of the adult employees (an “aunt”) at Little Kangaroo. Following that, we met in the play room, and Renata explained that Little Kangaroo is funded primarily through the Foundation for Children in Need, a non-governmental organization (NGO) which works on different programs, including the Little Kangaroo program, which seeks to provide a family-like shelter for children for a period between four weeks and four months, while their parents may be between jobs, between living spaces, or in difficult times. At most, Little Kangaroo will provide shelter for children up to six months, at which time they will be sent to a state institution. The Foundation for Children in Need also funds asylum houses to help children (and their mothers) once they have left state institutions.

Little Kangaroo was founded in 2002 in order to ensure that there was a small pocket in the city of Prague to protect children. There are currently three Little Kangaroos (two are full; the third is in the process of accepting children) in Prague, and the objective is to keep families living together and to keep children in family-like environments as much as possible.

Between $600,000 and $2,400,000 (U.S.) is received annually from the state. These grants need to be applied for by sending project descriptions with specific aims for the funding period and a description of the institution. Twice annually, Little Kangaroo sends a direct mail appeal to private organizations and individuals. They have some members who send a small amount of support monthly. They rent some of the units if they are available; others, they sell, if appropriate. Marketa has spent much of her time eliciting corporate support for Little Kangaroo with some success, particularly with gifts-in-kind (80% of the time Little Kangaroo asks for money and they receive items or services). She noted that it is also possible to get some EU support, though this is not likely for children’s aid, and they have a few parents who are in a position to provide some contributions.

The current space for children at Little Kangaroo was restored primarily through private contributions; the state only covered 25%, so the rest they had to figure out as best they could. They have 40 units at present, with many children on the waiting list. Those whom Little Kangaroo cannot house will go to state institutions.

Little Kangaroo has tried to reach out to volunteers, but has, for the most part, found them to be few and unreliable. The Foundation for Children in Need has a board consisting of three people who started the foundation and decide on the distribution of the funds. They are not directly involved in assisting with the ongoing operations at Little Kangaroo.

When our group offered some ideas about which corporations might be amenable to an approach, both Renata and Marketa were surprised. We suggested U.S. corporations who seem to be establishing themselves in the Czech Republic, like Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, 3M, GE, etc. Mitchell Willis offered to run a list of corporations that would be appropriate for Little Kangaroo to contact.

Discussion ensued with regard to two primary approaches to large companies: 1) through their marketing and community relations department(s) and 2) through their giving arm or foundation. The delegates supported the idea that companies might like to support programs for children locally adjacent to their offices.

Given that 80% of the funds donated in the U.S. come from individuals, a delegate suggested that perhaps the best endorsement would be to interest someone from a major corporation in Prague in joining the board of the Foundation for Children in Need, who would have a specific interest in Little Kangaroo’s activities.

The annual operating budget of Little Kangaroo is approximately $80,000 (U.S.) per year. Both Renata and Marketa have worked valiantly to ensure maximum recognition for all support that is provided to the organization. They do media releases, plaques and certificates on the walls of the public spaces at Little Kangaroo, gifts to companies with Little Kangaroo’s name and logo on them to display in each company’s public space and more.

Additional suggestions included investigating a matching program for employee gifts, possibilities for sponsoring a child or a newly hired employee (on a multi-month or multi-year basis respectively), a challenge grant from a foundation and the reinforcement of thanking all donors often and remembering to ask again (for more).

Collette Murray suggested the possibility of attending the Institute of Philanthropy conference in the UK in August 2005, for which there are some scholarships available.

Both the Little Kangaroo staff and delegation members concluded the afternoon session with far broader knowledge and many additional possibilities to investigate than when they had begun the discussion. All parties involved expressed much appreciation for the opportunity to know each other better.