What problem are you solving?:

One of the core problems of the nonprofit sector in Hungary is the lack of funding. Organizations are dependent on sponsors and grant juries. Hungarian society considers the 1% of personal income tax sufficient support for NGOs. Intersectoral cooperation is not encouraged, thus few organizations get support from business organizations. When there is corporate sponsorship, it is often only possible through personal contacts, influencing the donor company’s CSR policy. At the same time business organizations feel the pressure to operate in a more responsible way, yet they are not convinced that this investment becomes profitable for them – by bringing recognition and acknowledgment. They often complain of a lack of feedback from supported NGOs. There is a need for a platform which – by using widely available and easy to learn, interactive web 2.0 devices – will become a place for intersectoral communication, networking, and an exchange of experience.

Describe your idea:

We set up a website displaying – both with text and graphics – how much each company spends on CSR, and by clicking on the icon it shows what the money was spent on. We use the data of the Tax Authorities to obtain the information on ho much money they spent on CSR (this sum means tax relief in Hungary) but the editors will ask for the identities of the recipients as it is not public data.
Companies and NGOs who do not provide information appear as „black holes” on the website, thus the public can put pressure on them to account for their CSR-related activities.
Each company’s data sheet has a forum for comments where NGOs and individual citizens can say how useful they find the company’s CSR policy/practice.
Database and matching system are set up to offer companies and NGOs potential partners.
We publish accounts of successful cooperations, displaying good practices.

What country will this operate in?: Hungary

Who are you?:

We are a group of independent experts: the group consists of an IT professional who is also a software developer, a journalist who has experience both in printed and online press, an economist and a psychologist who are the members of a Hungarian Freedom of information think tank organization.
The project leader is a journalist who reported on CSR for two different news websites and also edited the section on business ethics and sustainability, and covered this topic for a variety of publications.