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Although she is passionate about her many business ventures, she insists that the greatest love of her life is family: her baby boy Stefan, husband Novak Djokovic, and her philanthropic work through the Novak Djokovic Foundation.

Jelena Ristic is no stranger to the tennis fans worldwide. The wife of the world  tennis No.1 met her soulmate during her time in Sports high school in Belgrade.  As both her and Novak are respectful of the professional ambitions of each other, Jelena was able to excel in a career on her own. She moved to Milan in 2005 to pursue a degree in Business Administration from Bocconi University and then went on to study in Monte Carlo where she earned a Master’s Degree in Luxury Management.  The couple married on the coastline of Montenegro in July 2014 and later that year they welcomed their first baby boy  Stefan.

I have many fond memories of my years in Italy. I learned to be independent, courageous, and bold but also to live away from home. I lived in a dormitory, with many students from all over the world. It was a very competitive and high paced environment in which each one of us pushed each other to be progressive and to constantly improve. It was a great experience. I know that at that age, there is a fear of facing a new world, but I knew the importance of enjoying myself by living in the moment. Sometimes we forget that the momenta are all we really have. No one truly knows what will happen next, we only know what is happening now, said Jelena Djokovic exclusively for Alley Oop.  

1) How did the idea of the Novak Djokovic Foundation come about?

Novak always wanted to help others as much as he could because he strongly believes in the power of giving back. He had that luck (or the misfortune) to experience opposite walks of life. Therefore, he never takes anything for granted. In 2007, with the help of his parents, he founded the Novak Fund to help underserved communities in Serbia through various initiatives. Although his early work was reaching many people, it wasn’t making a lasting impact. So in 2012, we made decision together to focus solely on children 3-6 and invest in early childhood education and the Novak Djokovic Foundation, as we all know it, was born. We chose to address an issue that not many NGOs focus on because it takes many years to see the tangible results. Nevertheless, our upbringing keeps steadfast on our mission as we strongly believe that with the right care, support, and education, any child can become a winner regardless of the chosen discipline. And that is why, even when instant gratification is not an option, we always insist on investing in Early Childhood Education (ECE).

2) How does the foundation work?

The Novak Djokovic Foundation is a global organization, with offices in Serbia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Our focus in on early childhood education (ECE) and early childhood development (ECD).

Our engagement with the wider world can be divided into two parts:

• On one hand, we have a global advocacy function whereby the Foundation aims to motivate and encourage policymakers across international borders to provide appropriate financial support for ECE/ECD – we do this via multiple channels, including Novak’s role as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

• On the other hand, we have projects on the ground. Our frontline projects are mainly in Serbia, but we have also supported work in Bosnia, Croatia, Australia and the United States. The two key components of our project are concerned with the establishment of new preschools and providing teacher training.

3) What is your role within the foundation?

I am the Global Ambassador of the Foundation, and I also sit on the Board of Directors. I work very closely with the management team of the Foundation.  I like to think that I strike a healthy balance between many family and professional activities.

4) “Believe in Their Dreams”: what is the primary dream of children that you would like to make come true?

Every child’s dream is a dream worthy of coming true. One child’s dream might be to become the best tennis player in the world. For Novak, that dream was fulfilled only because he had a proper upbringing, the right care, love and support from very early on. Not all children are that lucky. By investing in early childhood education and development programs, our goal is to level the playing field. With the right investments all children will have what is necessary to dream big and to win big.

5) Which of the projects already carried out by the Foundation are you most proud of?

I am proud of all our projects because they all try to tackle the root of the problem. For example, through our project Schools of Life, we are establishing pre-schools in underserved areas of Serbia. By establishing pre-schools, we are also employing and training teachers and giving children from poor areas access to high quality care and early childhood education programs. In our project, Family Outreach Worker, we are trying to change the system at place by piloting a program that strives to stop placement of children under 3 years into orphanages. This program will soon become a part of the Republic of Serbia’s social services. Another program we are implementing in Serbia is teaching children how to deal with emotions. This program is still in its pilot phase, but if successful in showing the benefits for child’s overall health, it will become part of the educational system of Serbia.

6) And what future project do you care about the most?

I’m very focused on helping young Serbs reach their full potential. I know how the media can influence their mood and their attitude towards life and its opportunities. There are not many stories that can inspire and motivate them. They read about the economic crisis, wars, scandals, stars of reality TV, and many other material ways of describing the success. To combat this trend, last September we launched a magazine, “The Original”, in which we tell stories of great inspirational leaders from around the world – including Serbia. We had Anna Wintour, Richard Branson, Kevin Systrom, Boris Becker, John Galliano, Arianna Huffington, Karli Kloss and many others who spoke of the true value of success. So we try to help the young people to take control of their lives and find their formula of success by following the right values. It is a wonderful trip and we already had a lot of positive feedback. It is a kind of like an alarm clock. We must invest now to make the most effective leaders of the future.

Copyright: Igor Sljivancanin

7) How much money has been allocated by the Foundation to carry out its projects so far? And in the future?

The Foundation has spent circa 1.8 million euros for the projects in Serbia in period 2012-2015 (2015 still pending audit). As we understand the importance of allocating funds that will support the work of the Foundation long after Novak retires from the tennis, we have started building an endowment to support our steady growth for the years to come. Our goal is to grow and reach as many children, not just in Serbia, but worldwide, and help them reach their full potential.

8) Is it possible to become a partner of the Foundation? And if yes, how?

The Foundation is always very keen to hear from individuals and organizations who wish to explore collaboration in some form. We have worked closely with Banca Intesa, PwC, the World Bank, UNICEF, to name a few.  We look at partnerships as something that deserve special attention. Consequently, we believe that every collaboration with others is unique and reflects the value that both parties bring to the table. For example, I am proud to say that we will have a Gala dinner in Milan on September 20th. This will be an opportunity for groups to support our mission and get to know our work more closely.

9) What’s Novak’s commitment in the Foundation?

Novak is the Founder of the Foundation, and sits on the Board of Directors. His passion to help children get the support, care, and education they need to thrive, always leaves me in awe. With the amount of obligations he has on and off the tennis court, I am always amazed at how much time he still manages to dedicate to the Foundation. For example, he is always trying to use his image in the right way and be the advocate for ECE around the world. To raise awareness of various ECE programs, he tries to regularly make public appearances at preschools around the world – most recently in Melbourne right after he won the Australian Open for the 6th time, and in Miami in the middle of his participation in that tournament.

Source: Alley Oop

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When exploring the lives of a plethora of active philanthropists cultivating their own feudal footprints on stark regions in the world, some lackluster profiles, including overly worn political and corporate career outfits, can trap once eager readers into sleeping spells. However, to rekindle the personal bond we should express for these Apostles of social good and transformation, a more colorful tale would be rare to come by than that of World Bank President Jim Yong Kim. Emigrating from the Land of the Morning Sun to the Stars and Stripes at age 5, orchestrating a duet high school athletic career as quarterback and point guard, and striking an academic foray after emerging from Harvard University as a medical doctorate. Excelling in polar arenas of talent, from the physical to mental, Kim remarkably emanates a versatile character that foretells his aptitude for moderating issues as diverse as his personal narrative. For the curious and tireless soul paralyzed at a point of inflection of how to steer their own lives, Jim Yong Kim’s outgoing spirit testifies how timeless and recognized impact on society is forged from personal devotion and dedication. While Kim manifested this ethos through his intellectual and physical pursuit during his years of studies, he wholeheartedly disseminated this principle through his sprawling NGO campaigns against public health degradation and virulent disease epidemics.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim:

What are you willing to do to create social good?

After achieving alma mater from Harvard’s medical program, the adroit laureate deferred all hesitation from plunging into a resource and time intensive scheme to pioneer efficient treatment of tuberculosis in Honduras, and soon after Panama, through Partners in Health. The knowledge and medical expertise starved health commission in Honduras into beckoning for a metamorphosis to resuscitate it with a fresh supply of nectar. For a time, a scarcity of trained health staff and volunteers, coupled with archaic healing and diagnostic practices, muted any possibility for the delicate conditions of patients bearing latent and active tuberculosis cases. Kim’s maverick thinking ushered reforms to unravel the web clouding the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation processes, and planted a pristine set of procedures to soothe the agitating contagion. With avian agility, PIH mustered the manpower and innovations as on site diagnosis apparatuses to dissolute medicals expenditures by nearly tenfold and increase its patient base to 100,000. Duplicating the promising campaign in Panama, Kim helped weave a chrysalis in Central America, incubating the long needed changes to reach thousands of people with debilitating ailments.

After his retirement from PIH during the early 2000’s, the World Health Organization made no deliberation to commission Kim to encourage a Hyang Yuk mentality to undermine HIV/AIDS proliferation in Pan-Africa. With a grand vision to reach out to 3 million people by mid-decade, WHO’s conviction to ameliorate the medical and social implications of poor palliative care in disparate communities awarded over 7 million natives by 2012 with medical attention. Kim Yong Jim’s invocation of the Hippocratic Oath has inspired solidarity among many and not to fear towering obstacles, but tackle them resolutely.

When Kim finally left the WHO and after his Sabbath as President of Dartmouth College, Kim boldly elicited the same values with which he maneuvered his initiatives in PIH and WHO to the World Bank to sanction collective action against erratic epidemics worldwide. Kim is the type of social pioneer who does not retrench from some of the most pervasive issue of our time. His wager against Ebola’s invasion in West Africa and in the hearts of Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia reminds me of the difference I or any individual could personally make in the lives of millions. It only takes a unanimous and stolid determination and belief that we can tackle the most taxing inhibitions that stand between whole populations and better mental and physical conditions. After having already committed close to $1 billion to support economic development and growth schemes in the targeted states, the Bank has injected another $300 million to staving off and quarantining Ebola cases.

Jim Yong Kim’s inauguration to guiding international institutions with the most comprehensive collaboration projects in the world, echoes his long-followed mantra of being outgoing and making the most of the mind and knowledge given to us. This way of living the life is what will make a lasting impression on not only isolated parts of the world, that we might take for granted, but also in our personal lives. Embracing an attitude towards making the most of every opportunity will rejuvenate the meaning of charity efforts worldwide towards fostering a cohesive global community.

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From the historical business shoguns John D. Rockefeller to Carnegie Mellon, the upper aristocratic spread carry an infamous reputation for seeking personal gains and rapacity. The bourgeoisie sometimes unfairly associate a person’s net wealth with the degree of disregard they have for societal groups with lower tier status  Yet, to a large extent this perception can be skewed. The quintessential investing guru Warren Buffett, the most generous man in the world, is a living evidence of a man who grew up with a sliver of what most of us have but refused to let that barricade him from becoming one of the most recognized faces in both business and non-profit spaces. From a childhood defined by the economic austerity of the Great Depression, especially acute in the Midwestern state of Nebraska, Buffett arguably understands more than most about making ends meet.

Growing up during such a resource barren time, Warren Buffett has acquired a connoisseur’s sense for finding an inherent value in almost any opportunity that comes his way. To avoid becoming economically disenfranchised, Buffet made it his mission as a schoolboy to begin accumulating a personal savings pool. He remarkably unraveled an innate talent or this as he successfully spearheaded his proprietary low end goods venture in grade school, which later evolved in secondary school as Buffet expanded his conglomerate to detailing automobiles for customers, entering the newspaper vending business, and selling more trinkets like golf balls. After turning 11, Buffet injected funds in his first stock and became a corporate shareholder while most adolescents have only had experience in managing their lunch money. After two decades, Buffet afforded himself a personal net asset collection of USD of $7 million as he executed a series of partnerships. These experiences act as a harrow to the type of man the esteemed Oracle of Omaha would become, not only as a financial practitioner but as a man who sees the value in societal advancements.

Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Mark Zuckerberg

Warren Buffett underpins how critical a capital investment in society is for the greater social well being when he observes:

If I wanted to, I could hire 10,000 people to do nothing but paint my picture every day for the rest of my life. And the GDP would go up. But the utility of the product would be zilch, and I would be keeping those 10,000 people from doing AIDS research, or teaching, or nursing.

Despite media channels lambasting the affluent for being inactive in public welfare causes, Buffet remained true to his covenant when the troika of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Mark Zuckerberg formally agreed to a pact in 2010 to funnel over 50% of their net wealth as endowments to charitable ventures and activities. However, Buffet already afforded himself a head start when he committed to backing the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation with 83% of his personal fortune. Averaging $2 billion per annum, his inflow provides the foundation with the capability to foster global development and comradery by tackling inordinate public health, education, and human rights crises across geographical and cultural boundaries. A venerable example of the foundation’s work includes a $5 million grant to the International Justice Mission eight years ago to absolve gender abuse cases in the Philippines stemming from an increasing flux in human tracking. This operation involved fortifying enforcement and legal forces to fighting human traffickers both on the streets and in court. Without sizeable investments from Warren Buffett, thousands of world citizens would not be entitled to the benefits that they fortunately can receive due to intervention from organizations as the Gates Foundation.

Not only does the money master practice global philanthropy through the traditional endowment providing process, but it also resolves to his gusto for the financial market to raise funds for charitable causes. One of the signature characteristics of Buffet is to regard virtually everything, including himself, as an asset. That is why on several occasions starting in 2007, Buffett auctioned off certificates to have dinner with Buffett himself that have almost all generated several million worth of funding for the nonprofit humanitarian organization Glide Foundation. This is the type of humorous yet effective tactic that continue to remind us of the ingenious mind of Warren Buffet as well as his ability to materially shape the world. While the top 1% might continue to be liable to dissent and allegations of inaction to socially beneficial causes, there is no doubt that those magnates with a keen eye for finding value in both material objects and in people like Warren Buffet are making the deliberate stance to mobilize their time and resources to shaping a more habitable world for future generations of society.

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For spectators in the 1960s, Rod Laver’s strokes on the tennis court were a thing of beauty to behold. The stroke he had while being interviewed by ESPN in 1998 was not.

When Laver lost control of his thoughts, collapsed and vomited mid-sentence, the interviewer understood what was happening inside Laver’s brain, and immediately called for an ambulance.

As soon as Laver was able to speak in his Los Angeles intensive care unit, he told his doctor, “I used to be a fairly good tennis player.” His right side paralysed, his speech mostly nonsensical and his brain still bleeding, the only man who ever won the Grand Slam twice was told his days of playing for enjoyment were finished for good.

Yet on 8 January 2014 he strode out onto Rod Laver Arena dressed to vie with his prime rival for the title of greatest of all time; albeit in old-style tennis clothes that paled against the vibrant colours of his opponent’s Nike gear. When a man who has suffered a stroke can get back out on the tennis court, he knows he has recovered well. But when he gets back out on a tennis court named after him, in a sold-out stadium with additional hundreds of thousands watching live on TV, and sees Roger Federer at the other end of the court, he must know he is the “Rocket” Rod Laver.

Laver’s cracking left hander was travelling better than his once-useless right side on this $1m fundraising “Night with Roger Federer and Friends”; though not much better, thanks to his arthritic left wrist. But every time he made contact with the ball, the crowd cheered a little louder. It did not matter where the ball went.

Laver, Pat Rafter said in 1998, was “the last person you’d expect to have a stroke”. It would have been unthinkable at the apex of Laver’s career that he would ever boast in his diary, as the crowning achievement of a 24 hour period, “I walked today”. But if Laver was once tennis’ greatest role model for youth, he now seemed intent on using his experience of mind-numbingly slow rehabilitation to become the equivalent role model for senior citizens. He taught us an important lesson – [tweet_quote]You’re never too old to inspire.[/tweet_quote]

Following the years of tongue-tied aphasia, in 2014, Laver spoke up as a supporter of the Roger Federer Foundation, as the Global Ambassador for the Australian Open, and as the face of Medibank’s #generationbetter. He urged elderly Australians to get out of the house and have a go; whatever their sport, whatever their age, whatever their health.

Standing between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Federer on 8 January 2014, Laver looked markedly less imposing than he did as the redhaired lefty from outback Queensland. For once, it was neither Laver’s athleticism, nor his dominance, that the crowd was applauding, because both had faded; however, his courage in flying back to Australia to publicly hit up with one of the world’s best, given the circumstances – in his post-stroke 70s, just a year after the death of his wife.

Why would a former star choose to put his waning skills under the bright lights of Rod Laver Arena? To show that he now stands for something more than just ‘former star’ – survivor, conqueror of adversity, and elder statesman of tennis.

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National Philanthropy Day is not only a big day for Novak Djokovic Foundation but also an opportunity for all of you, global philanthropists, to celebrate and recognize activities of your donors, volunteers, foundations, leaders, corporations, and other philanthropic stakeholders.

Effective Philanthropy

National Philanthropy day is all about increasing public awareness for effective philanthropy. It is more than just giving, it is about focusing our generosity towards the ones who are in the greatest need. What is actually celebrated as a national day is, in fact, a grassroots movement of people, leaders, corporations and volunteers gathered around the idea of love for humanity.

Wise Giving

Wise giving is teaching us to move from being a passive donor to becoming an active donor. Association of Fundraising professionals has come up with Five “Ps” of Wise Giving. The first one is about being passionate about the causes that interest you the most, the ones you deeply care about. Then, as a donor, you have to be proactive and identify the charities which work on issues with the most relevant impact. Some great resources online for such a search are Guidestar, Charity Navigator and the Better Business Bureau.

Next, as a donor, you have to be prepared.Get to know the organization to which you are about to donate your time and money and make sure they are credible and trustworthy. In other words, make sure they are doing great work.

Additionally, planning instead of throwing your money on a whim is important.As in other segment in managing your finances, you want to know when and how much you want to invest. Finally, as proactive and wise donor you have to make sure that your donation is used up to its full potential, so try to consider all the ways to support your favorite charities.

If you would like to take a moment and donate to Novak Djokovic Foundation on National Philanthropy day and support our programs, you can do so through this link.

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By the end of August, the ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Association in the USA and its 38 chapters raised more than $100 million for patient care, advocacy and research to find a cure for ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Fundraising for ALS charities was successful in other parts of the world as well, like the United Kingdom, Australia and Europe, albeit to a lesser degree.

Judged by any yardstick, the ice bucket challenge was a successful initiative which increased public awareness of ALS and raised a significant amount of much needed funds within a relatively short period of time, i.e. in a month. In other words, it is a fundraiser’s dream come true. It is no surprise that, since then, the boards of directors in charities around the world started looking for ways to replicate the success of the ice bucket challenge for their own causes and charities. But, before we go and copycat the phenomenon, let us evaluate it.

What is the ice bucket challenge?

The ice bucket challenge involves filming the act of dumping cold water on a person’s head, preceded by nominating other individuals to do the same within 24 hours or make a financial donation to ALS charity. The video is then uploaded and promoted by individuals on social media, triggering a chain reaction of further challenges and donations.

What is the origin of it?

There were previous versions of this phenomenon, such as the ‘cold water challenge’ or the ‘polar plunge’ intended for fundraising for cancer research, but the ice bucket challenge became popular after the personalities of the golfing program Morning Drive performed a live, on-air, ice bucket challenge. Following this, golfer Chris Kennedy did the challenge and then challenged his cousin Jeanette Senerchia, whose husband suffered from ALS, thereby bringing the focus to ALS. Thereafter, a baseball player, Pete Frates began posting on twitter about his personal battle with ALS and about the challenge, resultantly encouraging other patients, their family members, sportspeople, celebrities, and politicians to do the challenge or donate to the cause.

Was it a formal campaign?

No, the challenge was neither formal nor planned fundraising campaign and it did not have a well-designed strategy with clear goals and targets. It was not initiated by the ALS association or the charities and it did not have any resources allocated for advertising and promotion.

What distinguishing factors made this challenge a success?

Potential donors needed to participate in a fun activity and publicize their participation. While the activity of dumping cold water on oneself was somewhat uncomfortable, the participants were rewarded by acknowledgement and praise for their efforts from their friends and peers; which proved to be a significant motivation to this generation of do-gooders who want to be ‘seen’ doing good. Secondly, the act of nominating others guaranteed the virality of the challenge and created a chain reaction of activities; a perfect result in any marketing strategy.

What did the ALS charities do to contribute to the challenge?

Once the challenge had caught the public attention, the ALS association and charities quickly capitalized on the increased attention and managed to adapt in order to continue gaining traction and keeping the momentum high by promoting the challenge through the Internet and social media. The lesson here was continual visibility on social media when such a phenomenon is taking place, how to do it, how to sustain it, with the overarching idea of using the social media as a valuable tool in attracting the current generation of potential donors.

Charities made it easy for members to donate by providing functional payment links and various payment options. The ALS charities also suggested an amount of $100 for a standard donation, even though any amount of donation was accepted. Many donors ended up donating the suggested amount, thinking that it was the minimum donation required. Additionally, in the later weeks, charities promoted that people could both take the challenge and donate. Charities made sure to promote on their websites and social media the films of local celebrities or groups who took the challenge and donated. Therefore, the ALS charities did not simply stand by and watch the phenomenon, but were active participants and enablers of the promotion and sustained the challenge during the intense period of its growth.

What were the failures?

While the challenge clearly raised awareness of ALS, it is unclear if the challenge managed to actually spread the important information about the disease. Simply counting the number of hits to the Wikipedia searching for ALS does not indicate that the public became more informed on the aspects of the disease; e.g. what are early onset symptoms, what is the challenge of living with ALS, where to seek care and support, or what type of care and support is even available? Relevant questions such as these were unfortunately not popularized by the challenge, therefore the opportunity for public education about the disease was predominantly lost.

Secondly, according to the ALS Association, the majority of donations came from new donors who numbered approximately 2.7 million at end August, which begs the question of whether these new donors will be repeat donors to the cause. This depends on the intentions of the donors who completed the challenge; did they do it because of peer pressure or did they do it due to a personal connection and belief in fighting the disease? It appears that this challenge was successful for the very reason of peer pressure through the dominant public presence in social media.

Should other charities imitate?

Charities can attempt to replicate, but not copycat, the ice bucket challenge by finding innovative and fun ways to promote their causes, utilizing social media, applying the participatory approach and the behavioural patterns of participants and donors, and revisiting their missions and visions in the light of learning from this challenge. Copycatting, on the other hand, would result in disastrous consequences for the charity in question, seeing that a failed public campaign can be a fundraiser’s nightmare and it may be many moons before the charity can rebuild its public image and support!

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We live in an age where there is a myriad of charities operating and providing important services to civil society. Each one of these charities needs to raise funds to carry out their missions and achieve their goals.

Here are 6 steps to help a potential donor choose the best charity to donate to.

Determine your preferences

The first step is to determine what broad mission or a goal you wish to support and why. For instance, it may be an education, poverty, health, technology, environment, human rights, security, arts, sports, or any other category that is of particular interest and importance to the giver. Most donors will lean towards one or more goals that have a personal significance or meaning for them. Multiple goals are acceptable as long as there is coherence between the goals. For example, it makes little sense to support the development of both fossil fuel technology and clean green technology, since there are inherent contradictions in the purposes of each option.

If donors’ preference is education, then the next task is to determine what theme or sub area within education is important to them. Is it going to be children’s education, technical education or higher education? It could also be preparation for middle school or higher education or adult education or sports and nutrition education.

Simultaneously, donors should select a region of importance they wish to promote. It could be local, national or international. For example, with a broad goal of education, the sub theme chosen could be to promote ‘girls education in Serbia’. If the donor has no preference, then researching which areas have the greatest need with minimal resources will help to pinpoint a region or geographical area to support.

Determine the type and size of charity to support

Think about and focus on what type and size of organization you would like to support. There could be a preference to support a small local grassroots charity making a difference to the surrounding local community. Likewise, you may think that funding a large, high profile organization with a global presence is a better idea. Either way, your decision where your charity donation will go depends on what type of organization you think will have a higher impact within your mission field.

Ensure that the mission of the charity aligns with your vision

The steps above will significantly narrow down the list of non profit organizations to support. From here on, it is important to ensure that the mission, goals and programs of the individual charity are in line with your vision and aims. Be aware and be on the lookout for conflicting or contradicting goals. This is particularly important if the charity is a large global organization. For instance, if a large health services organization has a recruitment policy discriminating against women, then these may be viewed as contradicting and conflicting goals to donor’s wishes to promote women’s health services. In this instance, even if the charity does promote women’s health services, its discriminating policy contradicts its mission in relation to the population it serves i.e. women.

Examine the leadership of the charity

A look at the Board of Directors and delving into the resumes of the individual directors and Chief Executive Officer will enable the donor to form an opinion on the quality of the management of the organization. Leadership drives an organization to perform its mission. Strong and purposeful leadership creates an efficient environment within an organization.

Research the charity’s financial information and track record

Information on the charity’s actual performance can be sourced from a variety of avenues. In most countries, there are rules and regulations for charities to operate and provide services to civil society. Charities are required to submit annual financial information and performance report to public, state and national authorities like the department of education or the department of taxation, depending on the nature of the service they provide. For example, charities dealing with children’s education in the United States may be required to report their performance to the U.S. Department of Education and to the Internal Revenue Service.

Many charities recognize that the more transparent and accountable they are, the more it enables the public to form positive opinions which then increase their donor base in the long run. Thus, many charities make their submissions to authorities available to the general public through their own websites or through other industry forums.

Finally, go with your gut

If all the requirements of mission, goals, programs, efficiency, leadership and financial performance are in alignment with your vision, then it is a green light to support the organization. However, if after all the research, there are still doubts about the legitimacy or performance of the charity, then, the donor should go with their instincts and not support the charity. Choose another charity which matches up to your vision and ideals.

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We want to inform you that “Novak Djokovic” Foundation raises funds for the reconstruction of kindergartens and schools, destroyed or damaged in the floods in Serbia, ONLY AND EXCLUSIVELY  via following accounts:

ONLINE DONATIONS

• Pay Pal account. You can access the link by clicking on the photo below:

**At this moment we do not own any other accounts for online donations.  

BANK TRANSFERS:

CHF

Correspondent – Paythrough Bank

Union Bank of Switzerland, Zurich

BIC Code:   UBSWCHZH80A

Beneficiary Bank  

JPM Chase Bank London – 02300000044129050000B

BIC Code:   CHASGB2L

Ultimate Beneficiary Bank

JPM Chase Private Bank

Account number: 24606718

IBAN: GB11CHAS60924224606718

Reference  

FFC to W83791009 – Novak Djokovic Foundation

USD

Bank

JPMorgan Chase Bank

ABA 021000021

BIC: CHASUS33

Account number: 806001582

Recipient

PB Intl Settlements Wire Account

Reference  

FFC to W83791009 – Novak Djokovic Foundation

GBP

Correspondent – Paythrough Bank

JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.

BIC Code: CHASGB2L

Beneficiary Bank  

JPM Chase Bank London, N.A.

BIC Code:   CHASGB2L

Sort Code: 60-92-42

Ultimate Beneficiary Bank  

JPM Chase Private Bank

Account number: 24606702

IBAN:   GB55CHAS60924224606702

Reference  

FFC to W83791009 – Novak Djokovic Foundation

EUR

Beneficiary Bank:  

JPM Chase Bank London

BIC Code: CHASGB2L

Ultimate Beneficiary Bank  

JPM Chase Private Bank

Account number: 24606703

IBAN – GB28CHAS60924224606703

Reference  

FFC to W83791009 – Novak Djokovic Foundation

Please share this information with your friends.

In times like these, there will be people willing to take advantage of the situation and will try to collect money pretending they are NDF so it is crucial that you know exactly where your money is going and for what purpose it will be used.  

Use ONLY our channels: our website, blog, and social media outlets (Twitter and Facebook) to inform yourself about what we are doing. We will regularly publish updates about all activities undertaken and the amount of the money raised so far.

Furthermore, we need  to point out that “Novak Djokovic” Foundation DOES NOT RAISE FUNDS VIA SMS OR PHONE NUMBERS. We also do not organize charity events at the moment.  

Thank you for your help in spreading this information,

NDF team

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Children and people in need are just behind the corner, everywhere you turn to. Even though many of them do not ask for help, I’m sure they would be more than grateful if somebody, just for a second, paid attention to their problems or even better, solved them. Whether it’s a granny, not able to go to the supermarket alone, or an old man who needs help to walk his dog. Sometimes a kid from your neighborhood will need a few extra lessons in maths or foreign language… In most cases these problems are common “problems” we can solve and deal with, only if we show our good will.

Our NDF team constantly strives to find the best way to help others and to implement various projects and ideas, targeting mostly children, the future of the world. For example, one of those ideas was the campaign “Let’s keep all children warm”. The campaign was conducted on December 14 last year, with the aim to provide warm clothing and shoes for more than 2,000 street children in Belgrade. It was spontaneous and took us just one day to plan and organise everything. We were thinking about those who needed our help most during cold and harsh winter months. Drop-in-centers are places that accept large number of homeless children, without the basic clothes to put on and stay warm. In a very short time, and with the help of social networks, we managed to motivate people and collect 3,000 pieces of warm clothing and shoes for those children. Apart from our neighbours, people we met and other individuals, this wonderful campaign was also supported by the companies like C&A, Forma Ideale, as well as municipality of New Belgrade and Delta City Shopping Mall where the collecting of warm clothes took place.

Generosity and good will made the campaign more than successful; throughout the day we shared the good vibes, by sending messages and photos via social media, motivating others to join us. The response was great – we were able to provide warm clothes and shoes for all many boys and girls.

“Let’s keep all children warm” campaign has proved once more that people here have a big heart, are capable of good deed and that they want to help those in need. If we are willing to help others, we are already halfway to doing so. Our good deeds can make the world a better place, not just for us, but what is more important, for our children as well, and it can inspire them to behave in the same way.

More pictures from “Let’s keep all children warm” campaign.

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