Most Russians are satisfied with the level of domestic culture

What NGOs can do

Three quarters of respondents noted specific tasks of NPOs in this area. Most often, they said that among them were active work in the field of culture and provision of services to the population (38%), monitoring the work of cultural institutions (35%) and informing the public about the quality of work of cultural institutions (26%). A fifth of respondents (20%) believe that NPOs can attract volunteers – “those who voluntarily work for free.” The same number of survey participants (20%) say that NPOs can attract monetary donations. NGO managers (surveyed 975 people) more often than others answered that specialized organizations can provide services to the population (63% versus 38%) and attract volunteers (44% versus 20%). Mersiyanova explained to Vedomosti that volunteer resources for NGOs are more accessible than raising money. Sociologist Denis Volkov, analyzing the behavior of citizens, says the opposite. According to his estimates, about 30% of Russians donate money to socially useful causes, and 8–9% of citizens are involved in volunteer activities. “People give money almost 3 times more often because it’s easier. You sent it by text message or something. This is clearly more common than volunteering, which requires complex participation,” he told Vedomosti.