Moscow, Russia—An associate of UPF was among the NGO leaders who graduated from a Moscow government course to develop NGOs.
Elena Knyazeva, the director of the Mister and Miss University contest, received training in the course titled "Managing and Developing Non-Profit Organizations," which aimed at improving the professionalism of NGOs and the effectiveness of their social projects.
The Moscow House of Public Organizations, with the support of the Moscow Public Relations Committee, launched the course on September 1, 2017. More than 30 leading experts from the "third" sector, and specialists of the Moscow City University of Management under the Moscow government, were involved in developing the course.
Ms. Knyazeva related that the training was not easy—she had to find time in a tight schedule and perform complex practical tasks in a short time—but she was satisfied with the results.
"The course is very useful,” she said. “I advise everybody to take it, especially those who work in the field of NGOs. The theoretical knowledge we immediately applied in our NGOs: We developed mission details, organization strategy, fundraising plans, and plans of working with partners and the media. It's nice that the government of Moscow cares about the non-profit sector of our country [and wants] them to reach a professional level."
The awarding of diplomas to those who successfully completed the course was held on December 20, 2017, in the NGO Resource Center in Moscow. Anton Lopukhin, director of the NGO Resource Center, while handing diplomas, wished that the NGO leaders would use the gained knowledge for the benefit of the city and the country.