The Black Sea Trust for Regional Cooperation (BST) promotes regional cooperation and good governance in the Wider Black Sea region; accountable, transparent, and open governments; strong, effective civic sectors; and independent and professional media.  To respond to the rapid shifts in the region, BST staff regularly consult with regional experts and aim to sharpen the program’s grantmaking strategy in order to more effectively achieve the Trust’s goals. Taking into account the complexity and diversity of the region, BST priorities are revised regularly and adjusted to respond to the region’s changing needs. Adjustments are made in consultation with the BST Advisory Board, the German Marshall Fund’s network of offices and internal expertise, and in coordination with other donors active in the region.

The broad goals of the Black Sea Trust are four-fold:

• To rebuild trust in public institutions
• To affirm the value of citizen participation in the democratic process
• To strengthen a critical set of institutions that lie at the nexus of state and society
• To foster regional, cross-border ties in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors

BST has four primary programs: Civic Participation, Cross-Border Initiatives, Eastern Links and Confidence Building 

Activities
BST provides grants to local and national NGOs in the Wider Black Sea Region, to governmental entities, community groups, policy institutes, other associations to implement projects in the three programmatic areas of the Trust: civic participation, cross-border initiatives and Eastern Links.

Outcomes
Over the course of the Trust’s life it will play an important role in seeding the development of a thriving civil society and a cohesive regional identity that bonds the countries of the wider region to each other and to the countries of the transatlantic community.

Financing
The Black Sea Trust is a $25+ million public-private partnership operating from Bucharest, Romania over a 10-year period. GMF envisions BST growing to around $40 – $60 million over the course of its lifetime. An initial investment has been provided by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the United States Agency for International Development, the Government of Romania, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and the Ministry of Defence Republic of Latvia.

The Robert Bosch Stiftung is also contributing to the activities of the Black Sea Trust through the ‘Confidence Building Program.’ The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation also contributed to the early activities of the Trust in the Black Sea Region by supporting working groups, study tours, and written products. As it continues to grow, BST will seek to engage a diverse array of partners including European governments and organizations, international businesses, and other funders whose work includes this important geographic region. The countries where the Trust operates are: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia.

Note: BST does not fund in-country projects in Bulgaria and Romania.  The Balkan Trust for Democracy is fully engaged in Bulgaria and Romania.  GMF encourages Bulgarian and Romanian organizations interested in-country work to visit the Balkan Trust for Democracy’s website for more information.