1. Humberto García Fundación Secretariado Gitano - FSG
“Seminar on How to better use EU funds to integrate Roma people”
Budapest, Hungary. 15th September 2010
Session II: How to enable applicants to and beneficiaries of support from EU funds
Humberto García Fundación Secretariado Gitano - FSG

2. CONTENTS
The Access: Structural Funds (SF) for NGO’s
The Challenge: management of SF by Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG)
Commitments and conclusions

3. Access to SF for NGOs 2000-2006 Requirements for NGO’s:
Long debate with public administration related to the participation of NGO’s in the use of SF.
Access provided to a few.
The case of Fundación Secretariado Gitano (FSG)
Invitation made by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to undertake the actions addressed to the Roma population as an intermediate body (within the Operational Programme “Fight Against Discrimination”).
Big project based on a previous pilot project.

4. Challenges Scale-up: Organisation structure:
Territorial scope
Human resources
Funding
Organisation structure:
From an association to a foundation
Human Resources qualities:
Intercultural
Professionalism
Multidisciplinary
Cooperation and partnership
Financial training:
Co-funding (search at national-regional-local level)
Sustainable assets for the entity

5. Management of SF by the FSG
Legal assistance.
Board of trustees search.
General assembly (conversion to a foundation)
Selection of the personnel:
Headquarters
Regional and local offices.
Funding search:
Co-funding and partnership with public entities.
Involve public administrations in the project.
Push for a stronger political will.
Use ERDF to increase patrimony.
Support through guarantees.

6. Commitments Quality and transparency Efficiency and effectiveness
In what we do, and what we produce.
In management procedures.
Efficiency and effectiveness
Highest results… at the lowest costs
Visibility and dissemination
At all levels: European-National-Regional-Local; Institutional and Social.
An strategic view (“not to die of success”):
Inclusion (comprehensive approach)
Diversification (basket funding)
Internationalisation (share knowledge and experience)

7. Conclusions (1)
Not everything nor anyone is valid in the management of the Structural Funds.
Scale up from pilot experiences to nation- wide and transnational experiences.
Weigh up your own strength, and believe in the project and in self-capacities.
Involve stakeholders at all levels.
Provide an organizational structure adapted to the volume of the project.

8. Conclusions (2)
Work with Roma and non-Roma professionals highly motivated.
Achieve sustainable funding sources.
Provide quality at work, transparency, efficiency and effectiveness.
Ensure visibility and public dissemination of outcomes and results at all levels.
Assure a long term strategy as a social entity.