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Description
One of the basic features of WWF''s work at both the global and regional level is working with a variety of stakeholders, including the private sector. WWF in Slovakia defined its priorities and in a relatively short time managed to launch activities aimed at protecting forests, waters and large carnivores. One of the current challenges for the organization is to secure the capacity and resources to achieve its priorities through cooperation with the private sector.
The involvement of the private sector in achieving the goals of nature protection is a necessary condition not only in terms of supporting the protection of habitats and species but also in terms of diversifying financial resources and long-term provision of WWF Slovakia´s activities. WWF Slovakia needs to train its internal staff, improve their skills and develop a strategy for cooperation with the private sector.
The project focuses on developing cooperation with the private sector to obtain long-term support for nature protection. At the same time, it will develop a strategy for involving companies to maximize opportunities for cooperation with the private sector and minimize risks. WWF Slovakia plans to start implementing and testing the activities proposed in the strategy, create partnerships and gain new supporters.
Since WWF Norway already has developed cooperation with the private sector, it will act as an expert advisor in the implementation of individual project activities within the submitted project. WWF NO will make a significant contribution to the creation of an internal training program for the WWF SK team and in the preparation of a crucial strategy for cooperation with companies.
The project will be beneficial for the WWF Slovakia, civil society organizations, active citizens, companies and their employees in the form of education, trainee and cooperation.
Summary of project results
The project Green for business brought the organization an increase in its capacities for cooperation with companies and obtaining new supporters. WWF cooperates with companies worldwide on its projects and activities. At the same time, by cooperating with companies, it strives for their transformation and the transformation of the entire supply chain. The purpose of the project was to determine a strategy for cooperation with companies, procedures for engaging companies and their employees and putting these procedures into practice.
In the project, a long-term strategy of cooperation with companies in Slovakia was developed - the project implementers developed a database of potential future partners of WWF Slovakia, trained the entire WWF team in better communication and understanding of fundraising, prepared webinars for employees of companies to increase awareness of the work of WWF in Slovakia, learned about how the partner, WWF Norway works, established cooperation with 2 companies at the level of project sponsors, started a discussion with several potential partners, addressed the employees of two companies through webinars.
The main result of the project is that WWF Slovakia started cooperating with companies, which is reflected in increased financial support for their projects. For 2020, the organization received 15 thousand euros more from companies than the year before. The ongoing negotiations should bring even more support. An unplanned result was individual fundraising, which started thanks to the commitment of employees. During the duration of the project, the organization received 250 one-time donors and 43 regular contributors. In addition to engaged companies and employees, the target groups helped by the project are also the Prakoreň Community Association and the Hlboké village, to which they brought new projects and helped them realize these projects.
In a broader context, the project implementers set the direction of cooperation between WWF Slovakia, companies, civic associations and self-governing units. In the future, this foundation will bring new projects, financial support and increase the recognition of the WWF brand. Thanks to this, WWF Slovakia will be able to revitalize more locations throughout Slovakia, expand the team with experts and gradually help companies with their transformation to greener functioning.
Summary of bilateral results
Through cooperation with a partner - WWF Norway, the organization gained an experienced mentor. The partner helped with the preparation of the strategy and also with the creation of lectures for company employees. He prepared a webinar for the project implementers, which helped them understand their functioning and cooperation with companies. The most beneficial were the so-called case studies of their most successful partnerships and campaigns. The partner also helped in understanding the value of the WWF logo and the need to look at every collaboration as an opportunity to change the way the company operates. Help with the expansion of the international corporate engagement team can be beneficial for the partner. It was crucial for the project to have a partner with a donor, thanks to financial coverage, the capacities for cooperation with companies increased. By gradually increasing the number of companies that support WWF Slovakia and their projects, it will be possible to maintain and gradually expand the Corporate engagement team. The result of the cooperation is a developed strategy for cooperation with companies. Thanks to consultations with WWF Norway, examples of their cooperation with companies and discussions about their strategy, the project implementers were able to prepare their strategy in a short time. Cooperation with WWF Norway will definitely continue even after the end of the project.