The Non-Government Organizations in Slovakia and Austria and the Current State of Their Self-Financing

In this paper we map the development of the NGO sector in Slovakia and Austria. In the context of a common historical development we assess the current state and economic strength of NGOs in both countries. Furthermore, the presented paper deals with the self-financing of non-government organizations and compares the current state and potential of self-financing in Slovakia and Austria. We focus on exploring the self-financing activities of NGOs in the context of maintaining a generally beneficial purpose for which they were founded. We draw on the comparable findings of primary research conducted in Slovakia and Austria, showing that self-financing must be understood in a broader context than a "business" of non-government organizations and that it can be in compliance with the general benefit as the primary purpose of organizations founded on a non-profit basis.