Non-Governmental Organization: A term that is familiar to most people. The same does not necessarily apply to the term civil society organization, even if both refer to the same activities. “We are used to a different term, but this one is more correct – they are not against the state, this is not their job,” – says Svyatoslav Dantsev “K”.Head of the Department of Microeconomic Analysis and Policy, Institute for Economic and Industrial Studies (IOBE).

“They very often cooperate with the state, part of their job is to control the functioning of the state, but their essence is to help society,” he says of yesterday’s presentation at the Athens Conservatory of a study on the contribution of civil society to the Greek economy, which was commissioned by the Bodosaki Foundation after a tender IOBE.

According to researchersCivil society organizations, which can range from environmental or refugee organizations to social, political, entertainment and sports organizations, perform important social work by actively participating in a country’s economic activities.

More precisely, according to her Eurostat, the output value of non-profit institutions serving households in Greece has stabilized from 2017 to 2020 at 3.3 billion euros. At the same time, the activities of civil society organizations – 98 organizations participated in the survey – directly or indirectly support the production of 1.6% of GDP and the employment of 1.9% of workers in the country, according to IOBE estimates. for 2021. The fund estimates that in a hypothetical case where the services provided by these organizations were provided by the state, their value for 2021 would be between 2.1 and 3.2 billion euros.

However, compared to other European countries, the per capita value of output of non-profit institutions serving households in Greece is much lower. In 2020, it amounted to 304 euros per inhabitant, while the EU average was 827 euros. At the same time, an initial survey conducted for research purposes in May and June 2022 among a sample of 2,000 Greek citizens showed that only 28% of respondents recognize the term “civil society organizations”. 24% said they have been involved in volunteer activities in the last twelve months, with lack of free time being the main deterrent. 45.5% of respondents reported that they had provided financial support to an organization in the past twelve months, but 69.4% of that sample responded that it was an emergency, one-time financial support.

Based on global supply index CAF Global Philanthropy Index for the decade 2009-2019 Greece ranks 37th out of 54 countries for the percentage of people who said they trust charities, a distrust that was also reflected in the IOBE survey. 20.2% of participants in the 2022 primary survey responded that they don’t contribute to organizations because “they don’t believe their donations will be properly managed.” Although the study did not investigate why this is so, Mr. Mr. Dantsev “K” tells that “the fact that trust is low, not only in organizations, but also in institutions and in the unknown person, is fixed by other studies.” He himself believes that there are historical, cultural reasons for this, as well as how institutions have developed in society, how they work. However, the lack of trust emphasizes that it characterizes not only Greece. “It also characterizes the wider region,” he adds, “Southeast Europe.”

Numbers

3.3 billion euros is the value of the products of non-profit organizations serving households.

1.9% workers in the country are employed in civil society organizations.

20.2% from the Greeks stated that he does not donate to organizations because he does not believe that the donations will be properly disposed of.