Zajecar Initiative

Zajecar Initiative (ZI) is a citizens’ association established in 2001 by mainly young people who wanted to contribute to emerging changes in the society. Over the past fourteen years, ZI has grown from an activist grassroots group to well established civil society organization with clearly defined programs, developed procedures and policies and professional staff. Zajecar Initiative opened an award-wiining Youth Center Zajecar in 2010. In 2013, Zajecar Initiative has also established the very first community foundation in Serbia, naming it after its most famous grant-making program – Stepforward Foundation. Today, ZI is the largest locally-based grantmaking organization in Serbia, with over $300,000 in funding provided to more than 180 community projects in Timok Region through its small grants programs.