Analytics, Baltic, Estonia, Rating, Society

"CSOs continued to be capable advocates in 2015, and the elections showcased CSOs' influence on public discussions and policy. The sector's public image remained largely the same. CSOs are quite visible in local and national media, although CSOs involved in advocacy are not well-known," the report said of Estonia.

"The overall sustainability of CSOs did not change in 2015. The legal environment deteriorated slightly, as CSOs are dissatisfied with the government's response to issues facing the sector. In addition, the total amount that individuals are allowed to deduct from their personal income – representing the total of donations, training expenses, and some other costs – was lowered," it said.

Infrastructure supporting civil society organization and the legal environment continue to be seen as the strongest features of Estonia.

The sector's public image remained generally unchanged during 2015. CSOs are quite visible in local and national media and enjoy mostly positive coverage.

The legal environment in Estonia was given a weaker score by one point than in the report for 2014, as in several segments the environment is lagging and possibilities to increase the effect of civil initiative remain untapped. Second, the new government cut incentives for donors, said Maris Jogeva, head of the Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organizations.

The weakest scores that Estonia got on the seven criteria measured were for the financial viability and organizational capacity of CSOs.

In the preface to the report on 2015, USAID said that on one end of the CSO sustainability spectrum in the region are Estonia and Poland, which record the highest levels of sectoral sustainability of any country measured not only in the CSO Sustainability Index for Central and Eastern Europe, but in any edition of the CSO Sustainability Index worldwide.

"CSOs in these two countries, as well as most other Baltic and Visegrad countries, benefit from a supportive legal environment, infrastructure, and public image, have significant organizational capacities, and are strong advocates and service providers. While financial viability continues to be one of the weakest dimensions of sustainability even in these countries, CSOs in Estonia and Poland have access to more diverse sources of funding, including government grants and contracts and individual and corporate philanthropy," he said.

Next on the regional scoreboard after Estonia and Poland come Latvia. the Czech Republic and Lithuania.

According to the report, on the other end of the spectrum are Belarus and Azerbaijan, where CSOs operate in highly restrictive legal environments with virtually no space for independent advocacy, resulting in poor public perception of the sector.