Frequently Asked Questions
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Who are we?
We are a non-governmental, non-profit organisation founded on the principles of humanism, freedom, equality, and solidarity. We consider human dignity and freedom to be fundamental values. We believe that people everywhere must have the right to make decisions about their lives and share the rights expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Read more about our values and goals.
Are we a political organisation?
No. We are a non-governmental organisation; we are not a political organisation nor are we affiliated with any political party—our colleagues hold a plurality of political persuasions.
Do we deliver weapons or medicine?
No. We never supply arms. We also do not primarily deal with medicines and medical aid; however, in several countries, we implement health programmes focused on the fight against malnutrition and the improvement of maternity care and hygiene education.
What do we do?
We focus on five key areas:
- Humanitarian and development aid – we distribute material aid to people afflicted by natural disasters, wars, and other crises. In Africa, Asia, and Europe, we work to improve access to education, proper nutrition, drinking water, and sustainable livelihood. We have also helped during floods and tornadoes in the Czech Republic. Humanitarian aid is foundational to our work. Read more about our work in the humanitarian and development field.
- Supporting human rights worldwide – we help dissidents and support civil society actors in countries undergoing democratic transformation. Read more about the work of our Centre for Human Rights.
- Social work in the Czech Republic – we provide counselling to adults, including professional social counselling, debt counselling, and socialisation programmes. Furthermore, we have a particular focus on children, who make up roughly 40 per cent of our clients; we provide tutoring, preschool clubs, and low-threshold centres to disadvantaged children. Generally, we support the social mobility of low-income, vulnerable, and refugee families. Read more about our social work in the Czech Republic.
- Education and information activities in the Czech Republic – we organise One World, the international human rights documentary film festival. Our JSNS programme delivers films and courses on modern Czech history to more than four thousand schools. Our Variants programme educates teachers and the general public on poverty, relief and development, migration, and xenophobia.
- Adaptation to climate change – we are dedicated to preventing climate crises and disasters and helping local communities implement adaptation and mitigation measures. We are looking for ways to face climate change successfully. Read more on our climate change website.
Where do we operate?
We currently operate in more than 40 countries; we provide humanitarian and development aid in 29 countries, including the Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic, we also help with social programmes in 13 regions and deal with education, debt counselling and climate change nationwide.
How do we help globally?
Two of our departments work around the world:
- Relief and Development Department – we distribute material aid to people afflicted by natural disasters, wars, and other crises. We work to improve access to education, proper nutrition, drinking water, and sustainable livelihoods in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Humanitarian aid is foundational to our existence. Read more about our work in the humanitarian and development field.
- Centre for Human Rights and Democracy – we help activists and support civil society actors in countries undergoing democratic transformation. Read more about the work of our Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.
How do we help in the Czech Republic?
In the Czech Republic, we work primarily in the field of social work and education. We also provide humanitarian aid in the aftermath of natural disasters—such as the 2002 floods or the 2021 tornado. And we tackle the effects of climate change.
- Social work – we provide counselling to adults, including professional social counselling, debt counselling, and socialisation programmes. Furthermore, we have a particular focus on children, who make up roughly 40 per cent of our clients; we provide tutoring, preschool clubs, and low-threshold centres to disadvantaged children. Generally, we support the social mobility of low-income, vulnerable, and refugee families. Read about our social work in the Czech Republic.
- Humanitarian aid – we help people affected by natural disasters such as floods, torrential rains, and tornadoes. Read more about our humanitarian aid in the Czech Republic.
- Education and information activities – we organise the One World international human rights documentary film festival. Our JSNS programme delivers films and courses on modern Czech history to more than four thousand schools. Our Variants programme educates teachers and the general public on poverty, development cooperation, migration and xenophobia.
- Adaptation to climate change – we help in implementing adaptation and mitigation measures as the country faces increasing deforestation, soil erosion, drought, and lack of snow, and frequent flash floods, heat waves, and fires. Read more on our climate change website.
How do we manage our funds?
Why don't we use a transparent account?
Although a transparent account allows tracking incoming and outgoing payments, it is unsuitable for our work for the following reasons:
- From a transparent account, it is impossible to learn how funds are cumulatively used. For example, people cannot learn what share the organisation will use for the costs of holding a collection. According to Act No. 117/2001 Coll., on public collections, this may not exceed 5% of the total gross proceeds. For transparency, we publish an annual report with a Financial Statement every year. Our Financial Statement undergoes an externally certified audit, making it the most reliable data source for our expenditure.
- We must protect the personal data of contributors. A contributor's personal data is protected by the Act on Public Collections (Act No. 117/2001 Coll.), according to which the collection organiser may not publish any data about contributors to the collection unless the contributor consents. We respect the privacy of donors; some do not wish to make their donation public.
- We must protect the privacy and safety of our donors and the recipients of our help. We work in countries under dictatorship and authoritarian regimes; these can be dangerous places where revealing a recipient's identity could seriously endanger their life.
How much of the total budget do we spend on operations?
Our operating costs for central overheads, support, and fundraising are between 7% and 11% (8.7% in 2022) of the total budget. We try to minimise our operating costs so that most of the available money is used to help those in need, and we are successful in doing so. This is why we are supported by foreign organisations and donors. You can read more about our finance management here.
What are our salaries?
Our staff salaries range between the 1st quartile (bottom of the market) and the median (middle of the market) and may vary across sections due to different funding sources. For key executives, our salaries are around the median; in exceptional cases, we reach the 3rd quartile (the upper limit of the market).
For a better idea, we present examples of salary scales. The specific amount of the individual salary depends on the professional/professional seniority of the given person:
- Worker in direct work (social worker, educational worker, career counsellor, resocialisation worker): 25,000 – 32,000 CZK
- Finance officer: 38,010 – 43,995 CZK
- IT support: 38,169 – 43,533 CZK
How can I get involved?
If you want to help us, you can make a one-off or regular donation or get involved directly as a volunteer or intern. You can also work with us, part-time or full-time, or you can screen films and learn with us. Read more about other ways to get involved with us.
How can I donate?
We are very grateful for any donation you can make - to help immediately, you can choose a specific appeal or project you want to support. Please read more about our ongoing appeals.