International Cooperation of the Caritas Organisation

The diploma thesis presents the operation of the Caritas organisation in Slovenia from the financial perspective. The operation of Slovenska karitas (SK) and ** Nadškofijska karitas Maribor (NŠKM)** was presented, as well as briefly, due to a joint project, ** Caritas Graz-Seckau. In this project, SK and NŠKM cooperate with caritas units of neighbouring Austria (Karitas Graz and Celovec), where they jointly develop the ** INVOLVED project.

Problem

The diploma thesis presents the operation of the Caritas organisation in Slovenia from the financial perspective. The operation of Slovenska karitas (SK) and ** Nadškofijska karitas Maribor (NŠKM)** was presented, as well as briefly, due to a joint project, ** Caritas Graz-Seckau**. Caritas is a humanitarian organisation that requires resources from others for its operation if it wishes to carry out the mission for which it was established.

According to the classification of legal entities, it is a legal entity under private law that conducts its business in accordance with SRS and the Accounting Act. It differs from others in the sources of financing it requires for carrying out activities. The sources are primarily state funds and donations, as its operation is non-profit.

In Slovenia, SK was established first, taking over the leadership of the later established diocesan caritas organisations. The purpose of establishing all caritas organisations is thus to take care of people who are socially vulnerable. The work is carried out through programmes that are mostly financed by state funds.

SK acts among all caritas units as a collector and distributor of acquired/collected funds among organisations in the caritas network. It does not cooperate directly with users; diocesan – archdiocesan caritas organisations cooperate with them. However, the operation of the caritas organisation is not focused only on helping people in need in Slovenia, but also elsewhere in the world.

SK is a member of international and European caritas, which through its work connects Slovenia with international organisations in the charitable field. For this purpose, two projects that the organisations carry out and for which they acquire funds are defined in the diploma thesis in the chapter on international aid; SK to a greater extent from the ministry, NŠKM through donations from kind-hearted people, as the ministry does not allocate funds for direct implementation of aid, but only cooperates indirectly, as it covers costs incurred for the purpose of implementing the project.

However, since the funds for implementing aid by caritas organisations are very limited, they must apply for all tenders (local, EU) where they have the opportunity to participate in order to expand their services. One such is the Interreg SI-AT – international cooperation with a neighbouring country project.

Solution and Method

In this project, SK and NŠKM cooperate with caritas units of neighbouring Austria (Karitas Graz and Celovec), where they jointly develop the INVOLVED project. This project has different names: in Slovenia it is titled 'Social Inclusion Through Volunteering and New Forms of Employment for Persons Threatened by Unemployment and Social Exclusion', whilst in Austria 'Danube Region Integration Platform for Economic Integration of Migrants'. With this project, they wish to help migrants and people towards whom society harbours prejudices.

This joint project of both countries is still in its initial phase, as cooperation began in the second half of 2018. The project duration is three years. In the fourth chapter of the thesis, the cost aspect of this implemented project and the importance of accounting documentation were thus defined, taking into account the regulations of national and European legislation.

Interreg projects are namely 85 per cent financed by European funds. Today there is no organisation that, for carrying out its basic or expansion activity, would not have contacts with foreign countries. International cooperation brings prosperity to organisations, as it offers the possibility of exchanging knowledge and experience and increasing income.

Although Caritas organisations do not operate with the aim of generating profit, international cooperation enables them to perform services better, as they can use the knowledge and experience of others, whilst at the same time building their good reputation not only at home but also abroad, because their work depends on the source of income from good people who form their opinion based on their work.