Supporting Czech Communities

FRIENDS OF VIA

Is a 501 (c) 3 organization in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which supports Via Foundation, an independent Czech foundation that is committed to community and philanthropy development in the Czech Republic. Friends of Via gives American donors an easy tax-deductible way to donate to Via Foundation and other Czech non-profit organizations.

Friends of Via supports Via Foundation in “Building the Future, One Community at a Time.”

For over 25 years, Via Foundation has been supporting people and organizations which are changing Czech communities. Each year Via Foundation provides grants, mentoring and learning opportunities to hundreds of citizen groups across the Czech Republic.

To make a donation to Via Foundation, please click here.

RECENT NEWS

  • Citizens and local associations are preserving Czech cultural heritage by restoring small monuments in the landscape. You can read about projects recently supported by Via here.
  • Residents in Czech communities are renovating public spaces, supporting Ukrainian newcomers and involving other residents in creative ways. We highlight some recently supported projects here.
  • Cesky a Slovensky Svet, the Pittsburgh Czech Language School, continues to offer a unique camping experience in the western Pennsylvania woodlands of Raccoon Creek State Park. Click here to have a look at last spring’s camp. Every year there are more and more creative activities to challenge and entertain all campers! Plans for camp 2024 are underway.
  • Via’s Welcome Ukraine program is supporting community groups integrating Ukrainian newcomers into Czech communities. Read about one of them, the Kalyna Community Centre, here.
  • Via Foundation’s Young Philanthropists program enables children and young people to try out philanthropy firsthand. Students in České Budějovice put on a community event to create new ties and raise money for the Fund for Vulnerable Children – read more here.
  • Via Foundation’s ‘Philanthropy and Cooperation’ discussion event featured the US Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Bijan Sabet. Read more here.
  • From 2020 to 2022, Via’s program Don’t Be Afraid of Local Politics guided 48 community leaders who took their civic engagement to the next level by considering running for local office. 38 of them were candidates in the September 2022 municipal elections. Read how they fared here.
  • Engaging Youth in Czech Culture and Philanthropy, an article by FoV Board President Carol Hochman, sheds light on the history of volunteerism in Bohemia and Moravia.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST!