The NGO Lab, a new innovative social platform of the Roscongress Foundation, held its grand opening on 15 February in the exhibition zone of the Russian Investment Forum in Sochi. Its main goal is to promote and support the development of systematic charity in Russia and consolidate the non-profit sector at the international level. The event was attended by Russian Minister of Labour and Social Protection Maxim Topilin, Roscongress Foundation CEO Alexander Stuglev, Adviser to the Roscongress Foundation CEO and Head of the Directorate for Cooperation with Charitable and Public Organizations Yelena Marinina as well as representatives of the largest NPOs such as AGO Donors Forum, the Charity Gathering ‘All Together’, the charitable foundations ‘Life Line’, ‘Art, Science, and Sport’, ‘Butterfly Children’, ‘Memory of Generations’, the Russian Copper Company Charity Fund, ‘Connection Deafblind Support Foundation’, and RENOVA.

Opening the NGO Lab and the ‘Objective Philanthropy’ photo exhibition, Russian Minister of Labour and Social Protection Maxim Topilin described the dual nature of the sector: «On the one hand, we see many good initiatives, while, on the other hand, we realize that the relationship between the state and NPOs has not entirely been properly built up». The state should be open to a sector, which in turn must learn to present itself and its experience, he said. «These ideas and initiatives are very important to us», Topilin concluded.

The attention of the Forum’s participants and guests was directed towards support for innovative projects and social initiatives. The platform will unite charitable foundations and non-profit organizations that will present their programs, events, and lectures with the aim of developing the social projects sector, will address new technologies, and exchange experience and creative ideas in the charitable sector.

«We hope that the NGO Lab will become a major platform for attracting attention to social issues, exchanging experience between non-profit organizations, and developing comprehensive solutions to problems involving social development, education, and the environment. We will develop this platform at other forums of the Roscongress Foundation while increasing the number of its participants and expanding the topics covered and the format of the events. We also plan to create a virtual NGO Lab to promote socially significant ideas and projects going forward», Roscongress Foundation CEO Alexander Stuglev said.

The Roscongress Foundation, with the support of the ‘Art, Science, and Sport’ Foundation, opened the ‘Objective Philanthropy’ exhibition of photo essays about contemporary philanthropy of the Donors Forum on a ​​250-square metre area at the NGO Lab’s booth, and the foundations held interactive discussions and demonstrated their achievements. Among them were the world’s first person with a bionic eye who had restored his vision; a smart simulator for the rehabilitation of knee joints and a ‘cleaning drone’, the presentations of inventions by schoolchildren, alumni of the Sirius Center; TV presenter Dmitry Ignatov and the Paralympic champion Alexander Filatov, who came to live a full live, becoming popular and socially involved activists after the project ‘Heroes of Russia As Never Seen Before’; as well as traditional collections of donations and project presentations. «I think that we have chosen a very fitting format in which experts, opinion leaders, and the representatives of the regional authorities and businesses can work. From the results of the work of the NGO Lab and our sessions, I see that a system of effective vertical and horizontal communications is starting to be built that will make it possible to develop infrastructure to support the entire ‘third sector’ and the most effective practices of civic engagement. And this is the main indicator of the effectiveness of our work», Adviser to the Roscongress Foundation Director and Head of the Directorate for Cooperation with Charitable and Public Organizations Yelena Marinina said in comments about the forum’s exhibition and discussions.

Joint work with the charitable and donor community in this regard that was launched as part of the Roscongress Foundation’s Russian House project in Davos will continue at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 24–26 May and at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on 6–7 September.