PRESS RELEASE
ATHENS – On June 25 the Board of Directors of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation announced its decision to proceed with another emergency grant program supporting nonprofit organizations in Greece. The program, totaling €100 million, will last one year and aims to provide additional support for all those who have been affected the most by the extended socioeconomic crisis in Greece.
The announcement was made today by the Co-President of the Board of Directors of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Mr. Andreas Dracopoulos, during the opening of the 4th SNF International Conference on Philanthropy, taking place in Athens today and tomorrow, focusing on the issue of “Philanthropy and Sustainability.”
This new grant program complements the first “Initiative Against the Greek Crisis”, through which the Stavros Niarchos Foundation—between 2012 and 2015—allocated €100 million, implementing more than 220 grants, which primarily supported the areas of Social Welfare and Health, but also Education and Culture, while simultaneously ensuring the sustainability of hundreds of Greek organizations, whose actions provide multiple benefits to Greek society.
The results of the first initiative were presented in a report prepared on behalf of the SNF by Deloitte, as well as a documentary that aired publicly last winter.
All the material is available on the Foundation’s website, at www.SNF.org.
“During the first ‘Initiative Against the Crisis’ grant period, which was completed only a few months ago, the initial step was made in a major effort by the Foundation that served a dual purpose: to contribute to the immediate relief of our fellow men and women from the effects of the crisis and, on the other hand, to create those necessary conditions which will ensure long-term benefits for the entire Greek society,” said Mr. Andreas Dracopoulos. “The positive impact of this first Initiative coupled with the recurring devastating consequences for society has mobilized us into focusing our actions in this direction and to support, with an extra €100 million, more organizations and, through them, more of our fellow men and women. Only if we join forces and move forward collectively will we manage to come out of this challenging time stronger.”
Simultaneously, the Foundation continues its other major initiative “Recharging the Youth”, also totaling €100 million, which began in October 2013, with the purpose of creating better employment prospects and new opportunities for the younger generation in Greece, which has been hit the hardest by the country’s alarming unemployment rate. The “Recharging the Youth” initiative is by definition a long-term one, and the distribution of grants is expected to continue in the coming years.
Although the Stavros Niarchos Foundation is an international charitable organization having provided 3,020 grants in 111 countries, Greece remains at the heart of its actions. With the two Initiatives Against the Greek Crisis and “Recharging the Youth”, totaling €100 million each, the creation of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, totaling €566 million, and all of the rest, ongoing grants in Greece, the Foundation has allocated more than €1 billion for actions in Greece and for the people of Greece, who are affected by the current crisis, in their daily lives but also with regards to their future prospects.
These extra crisis Initiatives are implemented above and beyond the Foundation’s usual activities, which continue as usual. Overall, these specific actions share a common reference point: the objective and wish of the Foundation to support in a comprehensive manner, with consistency and planning, noteworthy programs and initiatives which have the ability to offer support and bring about positive and lasting changes for the entire society.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) (www.SNF.org) is one of the world’s leading international philanthropic organizations, making grants in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare. The Foundation funds organizations and projects that exhibit strong leadership and sound management and are expected to achieve a broad, lasting and positive social impact. The Foundation also seeks actively to support projects that facilitate the formation of public-private partnerships as effective means for serving public welfare.
The Foundation’s largest single gift ($796 million / €566 million) is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) in Athens, which is expected to be completed in 2016. The project includes the new facilities of the National Library of Greece, and of the Greek National Opera, as well as the Stavros Niarchos Park. The SNFCC is a testament and a commitment to the country’s future. It is also an engine of short- to mid-term economic stimulus.
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