Help for 100 years ahead: development of the target capital of the School of Regional Experts

NGO Kitchen is a comprehensive program aimed at developing a vibrant, ethical, and impactful nonprofit sector in the country. We offer practical training tailored to the needs of organizations. And we are celebrating the beginning of our second 30-year chapter!

I’m Daria Buyanova, and this year marks my 10th year working at NGO Kitchen. In this program, I wear many hats: I lead NGO Kitchen for this season, work as a trainer and consultant, and support nonprofits in fundraising and organizational development. I also contribute to the creation of many of NGO Kitchen’s educational products.

NGO Kitchen currently offers 5 Telegram marathons and 14 free online courses for NGOs, with a community of more than 40,000 graduates from across the country. We organize the only regular fundraising conference, "White Nights of Fundraising" (the 14th edition will be held in 2025), which brings together more than 500 fundraisers, NGO leaders, donors, businesses, and service providers. NGO Kitchen is a systemic development program for NGOs.

In honor of our 30th anniversary, we have created the NGO Kitchen Gallery in the Metaverse. We invite you to walk through the virtual halls, learn how our team’s work has impacted the NGO sector, what NGO Kitchen offers today, and what future we are inviting our colleagues into.

NGO Kitchen strives to support nonprofits and charitable organizations in the regions for the next 30 — or even 100 — years. Our goal is for these organizations to have happy leaders and teams, to work sustainably, systematically, and effectively, and to serve their clients better. We value professionalism and mutual support among colleagues. That is why one of our strategic initiatives is the School of Regional Experts.

The School of Regional Experts is a large community of 170 professionals. They work in nonprofit organizations across 64 regions of the country, have achieved professional success, and now also help colleagues in other NGOs alongside their main work.

The School supports both the development of these experts and the organizations that use their services, helping regional NGOs access up-to-date, high-quality training, consulting, experience sharing, and mentoring.

Among the program’s alumni are: Egor Rafikov, author of the Telegram channel “Captain of Grants”; Alexey Mokeev, director of the Institute for Social Innovation and Technology Transfer; Viktoria Shchelokova, co-author of the book “Fundraising Management”; Ruslan Shekurov, founder of the DonorSearch community; and Maria Starodubova, project manager at RUSAL’s Center for Social Programs. And 160 other talented, bright professionals. The School’s community includes not only graduates, but also mentors such as: Andrey Andrusov, Executive Director of the NGO “Center for Social Innovation Support ‘SALT’”; Elvira Aleynichenko, Head of the Center for Social Innovation Management GrantRafting; and Anna Orlova, NGO Kitchen’s special projects lead and civil society development expert.

Each year, the School’s experts support more than 6,000 regional NGO employees.

In 2024, 70 experts and friends of the School created an endowment fund. These are funds that a nonprofit does not spend directly, but transfers to a management company. Every year, the capital generates income: part of it stays in the fund and increases its size, while another part is used to finance the program for which the fund was created.

Vyacheslav Bakhmin,

an expert in philanthropy and civil society development:

“The endowment of the School of Regional Experts gives hope and meaning to future actions. It plays a vital role for those who not only believe in a better future for the country and its creative potential but also want to help make it a reality.”

Ksenia Punina,

Director of the Endowment Fund at Perm State University:

“Creating the endowment for the School of Regional Experts is a mature decision. It shows confidence in the power of the community, a vision for long-term development, optimism, and the willingness to support the School with both words and action.”

The endowment fund of the School of Regional Experts will forever support the community of experts and mentors. Gradually, it will provide funding for professional development and advancement of community members, training of new experts, organizing conferences, and further growth of the School.

Margarita Semikova,

Director of the “Constellation of Hearts” Charitable Foundation:

“The School gives support not only to beginners but also to recognized regional experts: it offers continuous development, a safe environment, new colleagues, and clients.”

Anna Klecina,

Development Director of the “Kind City Petersburg” Foundation:

“I love the School of Regional Experts in every way — its people, its atmosphere, and its benefit to the country. I hope this community continues to exist for many, many years to come, bringing joy and impact.”

In 2025, we plan to use the first income from managing the endowment fund to support a new group of experts. Our goal is to bring 25 talented NGO practitioners from the regions into the School — people ready not only to grow their own organizations but also to support other nonprofits. To do this, we need to grow the fund to 4 million euro. The first 3.1 million were contributed by the fund’s co-founders. Another 150,000 euro have already been earned through investment and will continue to grow.

You can help us reach our goal — to raise the remaining 500,000 euro and complete the fund. If we succeed, our partner and friend of the School, PROLEUM LLC, will add another 250,000 euro.

This will allow 25 talented specialists from regional NGOs to enter the School by summer 2025, complete the training, and start helping their colleagues as experts. And your contributions will continue to work — generating new income and supporting charity through expert impact.

How does an endowment fund work?

An endowment fund is money that a nonprofit organization does not spend directly, but transfers to a management company. Each year, investment income is generated: part of the income is reinvested into the fund to grow it, and another part is used to support the program for which the fund was created.

The “Kind City Petersburg” Foundation already has one endowment fund. For three years, it has supported social startups led by seniors. You can watch our animated video about the history of endowments and take a virtual tour to learn exactly how an endowment works.

On a separate campaign website, you can find more information about where the funds go and how the endowment of the School of Regional Experts is structured and managed.

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Why did we decide to direct the first endowment income in 2025 to support a new cohort of NGO experts?

Our School is a lifetime community.

Every 1–2 years, we launch new recruitment rounds and training programs so that emerging experts can join the community. We also continue to support alumni throughout their journey.

For 2025, we’ve already secured the resources needed to support the 170 graduates and mentors currently in the School community. But the funds to organize the new cohort — this is what we plan to fund with the first income from the endowment.

To become part of the community, one must first pass a competitive selection (on average, 8 applicants per place). Then, they complete a six-month training program, including a 3-day in-person seminar in St. Petersburg, followed by an individual development plan implemented with a mentor. At the end, participants submit a final report and present it to the team. After graduation, we help integrate new alumni into the community so that they can form lasting relationships and become full participants — for life.

To help 25 talented NGO experts join the School — and to strengthen the quality and impact of NGO support services in Russia — we need at least 4 million euro in the endowment. That level of funding will generate enough income to cover the key costs of organizing a new cohort: running a competitive selection, conducting training with experienced trainers, and engaging mentors.

We invite you to join us in raising the quality of informational, consulting, methodological, and educational support for NGOs by strengthening the community of NGO experts in the regions.

Ethical and professional experts are essential for civil society. NGO expertise will always evolve — thanks to your support.