Sixth regional rating "Region-NPO" to be presented at the "Community" forum at the National Centre RUSSIA
In 2025, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation will celebrate its 20th anniversary. The final "Community" forum, dedicated to this milestone, will take place on 31 October – 1 November at the National Centre RUSSIA.
According to Yelena Topoleva-Soldunova, Chair of the Civic Chamber Commission for the Development of the Non-Profit Sector, the forum will feature the presentation of the sixth regional rating of the third sector — "Region-NPO 2025" — and an award ceremony for the winners.
"We will not only celebrate the winners but also discuss what has changed, as every year we refine the rating methodology, taking into account expert feedback. We also consider changes in the external environment. This year’s most notable update is that we have tried to exclude from the study organisations that formally meet the criteria for social orientation but in fact belong to other categories. This did not significantly affect the ranking positions of the regions, but we believe this approach to be more accurate," she explained.
The idea of creating such a rating emerged in 2019 at the "Community" forum, where it was supported by the First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Presidential Executive Office of Russia, Sergei Kiriyenko. The first release took place in 2020 and attracted wide public attention. Since then, the rating has been published annually, drawing increasing interest from government bodies, the business community, and NPOs.
The discussion of the non-profit sector’s development will continue at the "Community" forum during the session "20 Years of Non-Profit Sector Development: Results and Dreams for the Future".
The Civic Chamber notes that over two decades, the non-profit sector has evolved from individual initiatives into a well-established system of social transformation. Today, the sector faces new challenges that require joint efforts and innovative approaches.
"The modern history of Russian NPOs spans at least 30 years, but we are focusing on the past 20 years because our anniversary forum marks the Chamber’s 20th anniversary," said Yelena Topoleva-Soldunova. "At the session, we will discuss with colleagues how the non-profit sector has developed over these years and what role the Chamber has played in this process. One of its key functions is to support NPO development and facilitate their dialogue with the state. We plan to analyse what we have achieved, what is yet to be done, and what goals we should set for the future. Our discussion will be based on research conducted by leading analytical institutions."
The first part of the discussion will focus on analysing the current state of the non-profit sector, while the second will give participants the opportunity to freely share their ideas, perspectives, and aspirations for what the sector should look like in 20 years’ time.
In 2025, the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation celebrates its 20th anniversary. The final "Community" forum — the key event of this anniversary year — will take place ahead of National Unity Day, on 31 October and 1 November, at the National Centre RUSSIA.
The theme of the forum is "Civil Society Institutions: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow".
Participation is free of charge; in-person participants must register by 27 October.
