The first stimulus for the emergence of the third sector was, understandably, the revolution of November 1989. However, the historical tradition behind the existence of civic associations in Slovakia, especially in the field of education, reaches back to the 19th century.

Today, around 9,800 NGOs are registered in the country. In reality only about 20 percent of these are active.8 (Source: The Directory of Slovak Foundations and Other Independent Organizations, SAIA, 1994) More than 21 percent have been established since January 1, 1993. Over 1,000 paid employees and 68,000 volunteers are currently working for nonprofit organizations. The headquarters of about 40 percent of all NGOs are located in Bratislava. The headquarters of approximately 20 percent of the rest of the NGOs are located in each of the three regions: Western, Central and Eastern Slovakia.

The development of the nongovernment sector is also illustrated by the fact that the number of participants at the 2nd Stupava Conference of NGOs was four times higher in March 1994 than it had been at the first conference in 1991.

The surprisingly high number and excellent quality of NGO projects which have been implemented in the country are extremely inspiring. This is even more true of the commitment and unselfish concern of the organizations and people involved.

It is possible to state, based on the reactions of people working with these organizations, that dynamic, quantitative development and qualitative change have occurred in the third sector. This revolves especially around a new awareness among individual organizations that they have become part of a system of immense social importance based on common interests. People involved with NGOs view the third sector in general as flexible, capable of reacting to current problems and possessed of mechanisms and approaches which offer potential for development more clearly than do the corresponding instruments of the state or more traditional charitable organizations.

Practical evidence that NGOs are evolving is offered by the appearance of organizations which provide services to the nonprofit sector. Indeed, the most experienced and most active NGOs are supplying such services. Among these, the most important are the Service Center for the Third Sector of the Slovak Academic and Information Agency (SAIA), the Slovak Humanitarian Council, and the Youth Council of Slovakia. Thus, the qualitative change occurring today in the third sector consists also in reducing the basic problems of nonprofit organizations. In many instances, NGOs have lacked vigor and have not been able to develop effective plans or formulate them into successful projects. Though problems obviously persist, the differences relative to the situation two or three years ago are remarkable. There is no doubt that this has also been the result of management training courses organized, mainly by SAIA, for nonprofit organizations.

Note: This section is based on the opinions of the authors of the source materials used for this report, (FOCUS). The development of the so-called "third," or nongovernment sector, has to a considerable degree been spontaneous, although specific organizations and individuals have made significant contributions.

Despite clear improvements, many specialists consider poor management skills among NGO representatives a cardinal problem. Many NGOs disappear each year because of a lack of management skills or poor accounting methods. Outside financial support for projects is often promised, but to receive it NGOs must submit precise plans, and frequently are unable.

Work in an NGO offers little prestige, and income is negligible. Young people in particular do not consider such work very promising for their professional careers, and view it as temporary.

Worker satisfaction in youth organizations is often connected with the advantages of constant contact with other young people. Many people who have become successful through NGOs have started their own businesses and subsequently consider their work with NGOs as "supplementary" business activities.

Because of loopholes in legislation and insufficient supervision, individuals and institutions sometimes carry out activities oriented exclusively toward profit-making under the veil of nonprofit organizations. Likewise, many NGOs are religious and are involved strictly in proselytizing. It is necessary to draw attention to such distinctions among NGOs, although they are not generally so significant. The main problems of nonprofit organizations in Slovakia are practically identical with the problems of such organizations in other former Communist countries. As Marzena Mendza-Drozd stated following the 2nd Stupava Conference, "sometimes I had the feeling I was at last year's conference of representatives of the third sector in Poland."9

The fundamental problems of NGOs typically revolve around the legislative framework, including tax laws, information services, the exchange of information, management skills, financing, and fundraising.