What is NCO and what is their role in Russia

Throughout the civilized world, non-profit organizations, being structures that are detached from the harsh influence of power, help solve social problems of citizens. What is an NPO is well known in our country. These are separate organizations whose activities do not imply profit, but are aimed at realizing tasks related to cultural, educational, charitable, social, and scientific purposes.

The goal of the NGO is to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens, to develop the sphere of physical culture and popularize a healthy lifestyle, to meet the people's intangible needs. In addition, the functioning of individual organizations facilitates control over the implementation of the legislative function of the Government.

In order to understand in general what is an NCO, one must realize the necessity of the existence of such structures. They play the role of an intermediary between the managerial link and ordinary citizens with the single goal of achieving public goods.

NGOs in Russia are a special sphere of activity. They are mainly represented by foundations and associations, various unions and associations of citizens, budgetary institutions and non-profit partnerships. Statistics show that in the Russian Federation there are currently 500,000 such organizations. Of these, 216 foreign (about 40 from the US, the rest - from Italy, Spain, Germany, Canada, France, Britain and several other countries).

Particular attention should be given to the way of financing the activities of non-profit organizations. Some of them receive money from conscious citizens in the form of donations, but in the main their work is paid by various grants. NCOs receiving money from abroad have recently undergone more thorough control, for which separate restrictions have been imposed on the establishment of regional branches. In addition, such organizations often become the objects of all sorts of checks. For example, in the spring of this year, about 100 subjects of non-commercial activities were inspected.

So what is an NCO? Should they be trusted and are they not foreign agents whose purpose is not to improve our lives, but to impart to us someone else's culture and motivation?

It was these issues that became relevant after the entry into force of the law on non-profit organizations. For example, the innovation was the need to register NGOs, whose work is connected with politics and is financed from abroad, as "foreign agents". This immediately led to the talk that the government is trying to "press" the work of organizations that monitor elections.

On the other hand, the results of sociological research show that Russian citizens have already given themselves an answer to the question of what NPOs are and treat them with great confidence: half of the respondents are ready to participate in various meetings, a third to be volunteers, and a quarter - Initiate the creation of new organizations.