BTD Project
The Balkan Trust for Democracy was founded by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), USAID, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. BTD operates with a small, experienced staff that actively seeks out and incorporates expertise from a wide variety of partners. These experts, along with GMF staff, make up the grantmaking committee that reviews proposals to ensure that BTD’s programs are effective, responsive to local needs, and complementary to other initiatives supported by the international community. An Advisory Board of experts from Southeastern Europe and key international organizations guides the Balkan Trust for Democracy’s strategic development.
BTD is structured to allow both European and U.S. partners to join the effort to strengthen transatlantic cooperation in the Balkans. Since its founding, additional contributions from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Belgrade, Compagnia di San Paolo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Robert Bosch Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and Tipping Point Foundation have made BTD a true transatlantic partnership.
Grantmaking
Operating from the German Marshall Fund’s Belgrade office, BTD awards grants in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, and Serbia. BTD also gives regional grants to organizations promoting the benefits of a pan-Balkan network.