The Our Future Foundation for Regional Social Programs () is a non-profit organization that declares its goal to develop social entrepreneurship in Russia. The fund was founded in 2007 by the president and co-owner of the oil company "Lukoil" Vagit Alekperov. The headquarters is located in Moscow. The director of the fund is Natalia Zvereva.
As of November 2019, the fund, according to its own data, supported 254 social entrepreneurship projects located in 58 regions of Russia, 653.2 million rubles were allocated for their implementation in the form of interest-free loans. Among the main infrastructure projects of the fund: the all-Russian competition "Social Entrepreneur", the Laboratory of Social Entrepreneurship, the "More than a Purchase!" program, the "Impulse of Kindness" award. In addition to financial and organizational assistance, the foundation provides social entrepreneurs with legal, consulting and information support.
Our Future Foundation is a member of the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN). In 2020, the fund took 3rd place in the Forbes ranking among the best charitable foundations of the richest Russians.
According to Vagit Alekperov, he bequeathed his shares of Lukoil to the Our Future Foundation.
Foundation The fund was created in 2007 on the initiative of the Russian businessman Vagit Alekperov. Не invited Natalia Zvereva to be the director of the fund. The declared goals are the implementation of long-term socially significant programs and projects based on the principles of social entrepreneurship. According to RBC, the Our Future Foundation became one of the first private foundations in Russia that help disabled people, large families, orphans, and those who are often unclaimed in civilian life.
Activities Contests Since 2008, the Fund has been holding the "Social Entrepreneur" all-Russian competition, during which the social projects are selected for providing targeted financial assistance. The first social entrepreneurship project received the support from the fund was the company, which produces orthopedic systems for people with spinal cord injuries - they were allocated 9.5 million rubles in support (4 million were transferred free of charge, 5.5 million were given in the form of interest-free loan for working capital for a period of two years).
As of 2020, the competition has been running for 12 years, 254 projects from 58 regions of Russia have won interest-free cash loans for a total amount of 653.2 million rubles. Since 2018, the minimum amount of a loan has been increased from 500 thousand to 2 million rubles, and entrepreneurs participating in the competition were able to apply for loans up to 10 million rubles, on a par with the winners of previous years. At the same time, the maximum loan maturity increased from 7 to 10 years. Also in 2018, the fund announced the allocation of interest-free loans to socially transformative projects in the amount of 10 to 40 million rubles with a grace period of up to 3 years within the framework of a competition. In 2021, the Fund announced the transformation of the "Social Entrepreneur" competition in response to the proposals of the Ministry of Economic Development to provide support to social entrepreneurs, including through the provision of soft loans through the state system of microfinance centers. The stated goal of the transformation of the competition is to provide assistance to a number of regions in greatest need. As a result, the competition was divided into two: a competition for social impact projects, the winners of which are granted interest-free loans in the amount of 10 to 40 million rubles (30% of the total budget of the competition) for the purchase of real estate and equipment for up to 10 years, and a competition for social and entrepreneurial projects, following which interest-free loans are issued for the implementation of projects in the amount of 3 to 7 million rubles for a period of up to 5 years.
The foundation also supports social entrepreneurs to develop and market their social business franchises. Currently, support in the development of the franchise has been received by the Stupenki network of full-time recreational kindergartens, wheelchair repair shops, art centers for children and adults, geriatric centers network, 24-hour social assistance service disabled and elderly people .
Since 2015, the Our Future Foundation and MSP Bank have supported the All-Russian competition of projects in the field of social entrepreneurship "The Best Social Project of the Year", organized by the Russian State Social University in conjunction with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation.
In September–October 2022, the foundation held a competition for the development of the "social entrepreneur" distinction mark, similar to the Russian State quality mark.
Impulse of Kindness Award
Every year, the Foundation awards the Impulse of Kindness prize for contributions to the development and promotion of social entrepreneurship in Russia. The award was established in 2011 with the aim of encouraging the best domestic social entrepreneurs and attracting government attention to the development of social entrepreneurship in Russia.
The first awarding took place in 2012. The prize is awarded in six main categories:
For personal contribution to the development of social entrepreneurship (awarded to an individual) For a systematic approach to social entrepreneurship (individual or legal entity) For the best corporate program for the development of social entrepreneurship (legal entity) For the best regional program to support social entrepreneurship (constituent entity of the Russian Federation) - nomination established by the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia For the best media coverage of social entrepreneurship (awarded to a medium) For the best Russian educational program in the field of social entrepreneurship (educational institution) In 2015, the special nomination "For personal contribution to the development of social entrepreneurship in the field of culture" was introduced. The winners were the actors: Evgeny Mironov (2015), Konstantin Khabensky (2016), Egor Beroev and Ksenia Alfyorova (2017), Sergei Bezrukov (2018). In 2019, the nomination was not awarded.
In 2018, the prize was also awarded in the nomination "For the best project of social entrepreneurship in the digital economy" (for an individual or legal entity). At the 7th "Impulse of Kindness" award ceremony on October 4, 2018, an agreement was signed between the Our Future Foundation and the Social Projects Support Fund. In the same year, the Impulse of Kindness prize won first place at the Eventiada IPRA GWA ceremony in the category "Best Project in the Field of Corporate Social Responsibility".
In 2019, the award was presented in a new category "Best startup in a field of social entrepreneurship", as well as in the special category "For the first issue of green bonds in Russia". With the adoption of the law on social entrepreneurship in Russia, the organizers of the award recorded an increase in the number of applications for its receipt: 332 against 230 a year earlier.
Guests of the ceremony have the opportunity to visit the traditional exhibition of innovative projects of social entrepreneurs. In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided not to hold the Impulse of Kindness awards ceremony in 2020. For the same reasons, the next award presentation took place in an online format, on October 27, 2021. More than 200 applications were submitted for the award. According to the fund's own data, 436 applications were submitted in 2022 — more than ever before, the prize fund was increased by 30%, to 4.2 million rubles. The award ceremony took place at the end of May 2022, in violation of the established tradition of autumn awarding.
Since the award was established, 109 laureates from more than 20 regions of Russia have been awarded it.
According to the Doctor of Sciences in Economics V. Y. Kulkova, the nomination "For the best regional program to support social entrepreneurship" of the Impulse of Kindness Award can be used for official recognition of progressive regional practices in the field of social entrepreneurship development in Russia.
Anti-crisis support The funds saved due to the cancellation of the "Impulse of Kindness" award ceremony in 2020 were directed by the Foundation to targeted support of 40 social enterprises most affected by the consequences of the pandemic, from among those that have already been supported. Support is provided in the form of grants or product buyouts, which are then channeled to charity. A total of 11.7 million rubles were allocated for these purposes.
The Fund also announced a 6-month deferral for the return of previously issued loans for bona fide borrowers whose activities were suspended as a result of the pandemic.
"More than a Purchase!"
To promote the goods of Russian social entrepreneurs in 2014, the Our Future Foundation, together with Lukoil, launched "More than a Purchase!" project.
The project was launched in the form of a competition, the winners will be able to sell their products in the stores of the Lukoil filling station network in most of the regions of Russia.
In the stores of the first two gas stations, immediately after the start of the program in January 2014, one could buy felt boots (which were in the greatest demand), felt bags, transforming pillows, tablecloths, towels, farm dairy products, souvenirs and other products produced by social entreprises. All sold goods have a special marking. The assortment changes depending on demand.
By the end of 2014, the experiment was recognized as successful, and the number of gas stations with stands with products of social entrepreneurs in their sales areas increased to 42 (in Russia as a whole).
By the end of 2016, according to the Fund itself, 134 gas stations in 14 regions of Russia were connected to the project "More than a purchase!" It is planned to expand this practice and connect more than 3000 filling stations throughout the country to the project.
In May 2017, the "More than a purchase!" project was awarded the All-Russian Prize "Good Deed", established by the public organization of entrepreneurs "Business Russia", in the special category "For support of social entrepreneurs".
As of 2019, the products of the "More than a Purchase!" brand are sold at 1,550 points of sale in 55 regions of Russia, 55 suppliers are employed in the project and 250 items of goods are presented.
In 2020, in order to create an infrastructure for the market for the sale of social entrepreneurs' products via the Internet, the Our Future Foundation signed an agreement with the Internet platform, the largest platform for handmade products of small businesses, and the self-employed population.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the project launched the production of disposable medical masks and gloves.
In 2021, according to the fund's own data, about 2 thousand retail outlets were already operating within the framework of the project. During the year, goods worth more than 150 million rubles were sold, 35 manufacturers from among social entrepreneurs were supported, including 8 enterprises of the All-Russian Society of the Blind.
In 2022, the program "More than a purchase!" was recognized as the best in the category "Social Entrepreneurship" at the forum "The Best social projects in Russia".
At the beginning of 2023, the products of the "More than a Purchase!" project, in addition to filling stations, are sold in Russian hypermarkets of the O’Key and Selgros networks, as well as on the Wildberries Internet platform.
Social Entrepreneurship Laboratory