Firms say Czech philanthropy isn’t ‘depressing‘

Firms say Czech philanthropy isn’t ‘depressing‘: "Firms say Czech philanthropy isn’t ‘depressing‘
By: Irena Fuková, 07. 05. 2007, More by this author

The Czech Republic doesn’t have a large enough entrepreneurial community to care for public interests, said American financier and philanthropist George Soros at a conference about philanthropy in Central and Eastern Europe held in Prague April 26.

The conference was organized by the Policy Association for an Open Society (PASOS) and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Soros said that companies that invest in public interests create an open and balanced society. He said the situation in the Czech Republic was “rather depressing,” the Czech News Agency (ČTK) reported.

Czech companies, however, together with organizations that monitor company expenses for charitable purposes disputed Soros’ assertion. “In the past, companies considered whether to contribute to charity projects at all, now they ask how [to contribute],” said Klára Šplíchalová head of external communications for Czech Donors Forum, a citizen-action group supporting philanthropy in the Czech Republic by providing consultancy services to private sector companies."