"The basis of FSD work is involving as many local residents as possible into the development of their communities. FSD provides grants for addressing social and economic challenges, giving preference to those municipalities where government, business and local activists have demonstrated their desire to work together. Cities, districts and settlements where such consortiums are created with the help of FSD stop being simply populated centers, but become sites where citizen creative initiatives are realized. This effort also generates an important economic effect. One of the conditions of receiving a grant is reinvestment of savings resulting from energy-efficiency and other projects into community development. To someone the scope of these projects may not seem grandiose enough, but, as we know, "a journey of a thousand li begins with a single step".

Igor YURGENS,
Chairman of the Board of the Institute of Contemporary Development