Autonómia Foundation

Autonómia Foundation (AA) was founded in 1990, at the beginning of Hungary's transition to democracy. Its mission has been to contribute to the emergence and support of the non-profit sector, through a number of different programs, with a special focus on the Roma community. This has been achieved through support to local civil initiatives, which mobilize also the resources of the community.

Since 1990 AA has delivered more than 1000 grants in support of concrete projects of national, regional, but primarily grassroots organizations in the country. AA has been the only private foundation in Hungary to fund over 500 subsistence and development projects of Roma people, a community confronted with widespread discrimination and poverty. Thanks to the generous support of our donors, the dedicated board, and to the efforts of the staff AA has become a prominent name in the Hungarian nonprofit sector.

In the course of the last fourteen years Autonómia has also organized and supported other initiatives, which have contributed to the overall aims of the organization. These were:

the organization of seven courses of Romani Entrepreneur Training,
awarding of a yearly Tolerance Prize, between 1992 and 2002, for journalists who promote tolerance between minorities and the majority living in Hungary,
the establishment of the first legal defense bureau for minorities in Hungary, which has subsequently served as a model for others in 1994,
the provision of technical support, to the European Commission Delegation in Hungary for running the PHARE Democracy Program Micro-project scheme in Hungary between 1995 and 2000,
the provision of technical support in 1999 to the United States Agency for International Development, Democracy Network Program through the administration of the Roma Education and Entrepreneurship program.
the management of the Regional Roma Program supported by the European Union PHARE Ad Hoc Program. Here activities in the areas of setting up legal defense bureaus, leadership training and Roma radio were carried out in Hungary, Romania, Slovakia and Bulgaria, in partnership with local Roma organizations,
the management of a support scheme to refugees in Hungary, management of a UNHCR program (small enterprise development, community development, training) between 2000 and 2002,
technical support for Pakiv, a joint initiative of Autonómia, Romani CRISS (Romania), and the Freudenberg Stiftung (Germany). Pakiv seeks to facilitate the development of new mechanisms in CEE countries, which generate income and jobs among Roma since 1996,
organization of yearly conferences to promote Roma economic community initiatives (best practices) from 2000 on,
technical support to the World Bank small grants program in 2002 and 2004,
implementation of a small region development program within the framework of EQUAL program between 2002 and 2004 in order to promote the betterment of living conditions of Roma in a poverty stricken area, including employment, education, training, and community development,
implementation of an energy efficiency program combined with employment creation in regions inhabited by Roma people between 2003 and 2005,
a one year long Roma leadership training in 2003,
implementation of a Roma civil organization development, mentoring program in 2003,
participation in the development of deprived multi ethnic small settlements in Romania, together with the European Diversity Resources Center, Cluj, in 2003,
implementation of a complex development program for Roma activists and leaders in Slovakia and the Czech Republic in partnership with Slovak and Czech civil organizations in 2003-2004,
project application counseling for potential candidates of the European Structural Fund,
technical support to the Ministry of Equal Opportunities small grants program in 2004 and 2005 in order to build capacities of Roma civil organizations,
technical assistance to the Ministry of Education in order to achieve higher levels of program implementation among Roma NGOs in 2004 and 2005,
participation in the first trasnational exchange program of the DG Employment and Social Affairs as a partner of FSGG (Fundación Secretariado General Gitano), Spain in 2004
implementation of a project for the employment without prejudice in Tolna county between 2004 and 2005,
sociological research in the fields related to the Roma issue,
publication of a series of books on the following issues: labor market programmes for Roma, farming Roma communities, Roma community houses.

In 1995 Autonómia was awarded the Right Livelihood Award (also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize) and the Hungarian Prime Minister's "For Minorities" Award.

Apart from the awards other signs of the recognition of our work have been the multiplying effect of our methodology and know-how in certain areas. For example, in 1993 we initiated a monitoring system. At that time neither pre-evaluation field visits of project proposals nor follow up on distributed grants were taking place. Autonómia s monitoring practice called the attention to the necessity of such evaluations. Now the Soros Foundation, Hungary, the Public Foundation for the Roma and the Hungarian Employment Fund as well as others apply partly or entirely our methods.

As another proof of Autonómia's quality work as to the support to civil society in general and the Roma community in particular we can boast of an outstanding list of our ex grantees and staff members, who by now use their experiences gained in Autonomia as high rank Roma representatives both in the government and NGO sector, and even in the field of international Roma advocacy.

	Introduction	Programs	Equal	Donors	Board	Staff	Annual Reports