Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Headlines

non-governmental organizations

During Siliņa’s government, state spending on grants to NGOs and individuals has doubled

Expenditures by ministries and institutions for non-governmental organizations, as well as grants to private individuals over the last four years have more than doubled, according to information compiled by Inc. Thus, in 2022 a total of 98.9 million euros was spent for these purposes, while in 2026, 192.9 million euros is planned to be spent for the same purposes. It should be added that the increase has been consistent and these have not been any exceptions […]

55 over 55: in which NGOs are the highest salaries and dependence on funds?

There are 30,000 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Latvia, of which only 1% receive funding through the Society Integration Foundation (SIF). Of these 300 organizations, fewer than half, that is 128 associations or foundations, have received SIF funding exceeding 50,000 euros over a three-year period. For 55 organizations, SIF funding has exceeded 100,000 euros. These are 55 NGOs whose activities, without state and various European Union (EU) […]

SIF NGO co-financing program: the green course and immigrant inclusion with state money

Once, not so long ago, when former New Unity prime minister Krišjānis Kariņš was flying around the world on private flights, the Attīstībai/Par! minister Juris Pūce had only recently resigned, the Covid-19 pandemic in Latvia was reaching ever new records, but there was more money than ever before, the government nevertheless decided to find 425,000 euros from the budget’s contingency funds so that Pūce’s wife Zaiga […]

More NGOs will learn to acquire funding; the first 52 organizations have graduated from the NGO incubator created by the SIF

According to an announcement published on December 30 on the SIF website, 52 organizations have graduated from the “NGO incubator” created by the Society Integration Foundation (SIF), which was established in mid-2025. In half a year, the NGO incubator has become a development platform for more than 100 organizations throughout Latvia. In the first NGO incubator cycle, 52 organizations participated, while in the second cycle, which has just started – 58 organizations have been admitted through a competitive selection process. “Looking back at their experience in the incubator, participants particularly highly valued the opportunity to receive individual mentor consultations on […]”

Soft power ecosystem

In late autumn, when politicians traditionally heatedly debate budget issues, discussions arose on the agenda about whether the Society Integration Fund (SIF) should or should not be abolished. At that time, the association “Civic Alliance” pointed out that such an initiative should be seen as an attempt to weaken civil society and restrict democratic processes. Summarizing data on the organizations and media funded by SIF over the last three years, to the aforementioned […]

Those involved are worried about the elimination of the “trough”

“The Civic Alliance–Latvia is concerned about the ZZS proposal to liquidate the Society Integration Fund (SIF),” such a report appeared four days ago in the Latvian Public Media. In the organization’s view, such a proposal can be regarded as an attempt to weaken civil society, participation, and the independent mass media environment, as it fits into a broader trend of restricting democratic processes in Latvia. Inc. investigated what the Civic Alliance intended by this […]

SIF spends more on maintaining the institution itself than on media, NGO and family support programs combined

Should the Society Integration Foundation (SIF) be liquidated? This question has surfaced on social media after the Union of Greens and Farmers submitted a proposal in the Saeima to liquidate it. Inc. looked into how SIF spends the budget funds that are allocated to this organization every year; in 2025 this amounts to 37 million euros.  An interesting picture emerges – SIF not only for maintaining the institution itself SIF […]