About Program (BAPP):

The Baltic - American Partnership Program in Lithuania (BAPP) is funded by the Baltic-American Partnership Fund, which was established in 1998 as a joint foundation of the U.S. Government and the Open Society Institute. The Baltic - American Partnership Fund is governed by a Board operating in New York (U.S.). The Baltic - American Partnership Program has a Local Expert’s Council, which is an advisory body to the Board of the Open Society Fund-Lithuania (which administrates the BAPP). The Local Expert’s Council proposes annual program strategy, program plans and budgets aimed at supporting Lithuanian non governmental organizations.

The BAPPs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are seeking to strengthen civil society and democracy in their countries by providing grant aid (15 million USD) over ten years to local organizations.

BAPP-Lithuania vision statement: people have the attitudes, skills, mechanisms, and structures which enable them to participate in public life and affect decisions at the community and national level, and they are actively doing so.

The goals of the Baltic-American Partnership program in Lithuania is the creation of a vital, empowered, and transparent non-profit sector in the country, which is capable to fully participate in society, while making an impact on NGO environment and strengthening NGOs. Furthermore, it strives to assist in the development of financial, human and structural resources necessary to the sector, by encouraging greater accountability within the sector, and by promoting improved understanding of the sector and the role it plays in society, as well as by promoting community philanthropy, which would result in the development of local philanthropy in the country.

The BAPP Lithuania tasks for the years to come are as follows:

  • To improve the legal environment, and to build the capacity of NGOs to interact with legislators and the government aiming to improve the NGO legal framework;
  • To develop the NGO institutional capacity through broad - based grant, training and individual consultation projects;
  • To improve mechanisms for NGOs, to increase their funding and to increase local philanthropy;
  • To increase cross-sectoral understanding and co-operation (NGOs, the private sector, local government and the general public);
  • To strengthen the role of the third sector organizations in the social integration of marginalized groups in society process;
  • To promote citizen involvement in decision making, primarily at a local level;
  • To strengthen the capacity of communities.

To achieve these goals BAPP works on two levels:

  • Initiates projects, which are implemented by NGOs or other institutions selected by way of competition
  • Provides direct financial support to NGOs selected by way of competition.

Application process

BAPP announces calls for proposals once a year, usually at the beginning of April.

Proposals are being considered and grants are being approved by the BAPP Local Experts Council. Final approval is determined by the Board of the Open Society Fund-Lithuania.


BAPP Local Expert Council (LEC):

Mindaugas Danys
 Social and Economic Development Centre, LEC Chairman

Ričardas Diržys
 Free-lance Consultant, NGO Expert

Paulius Jankauskas
 Ūkio bankas PLC, Finance and Risk Management Department, Economist

Danutė Jokubėnienė
 Vilnius City Žvėrynas Community Chairman, the Seimas Ombudsmen‘s Office of the Republic of Lithuania

Skirma Kondratienė
 Civil Society Institute, Project Coordinator

Dalia Krupavičienė
 Free-lance Consultant

Simonas Streikus
 UAB „Nando, Director

Gintaras Šumskas
 UAB „Consulta Group“, Research Director


BAPP administration:

Birutė Jatautaitė
 BAPP, Director
E-mail: birute@osf.lt