SAPTK donations fall by nearly a quarter on year to 2022

A self-styled family rights organization saw donations fall by 23 percent last year.
The organization, the Protection of the Family and Tradition (SAPTK) says it collected €506,893 last year, €150,000 down on the previous year.
Most of these donations came from private individuals, SAPTK says, while close to €10,000 derived from legal entities.
SAPTK board chair Varro Vooglaid is also an MP with the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), and now sits on the supervisory board at public broadcaster ERR.
The report also reveals that SAPTK was unable to obtain a loan towards a property in Tallinn's Old Town that it wanted to buy, from any of the major Estonian lenders
The report stated that lenders' reasoning was that the bulk of SAPTK revenues come via donations, which are difficult to forecast, while the foundation's activities "do not comply with bank's credit policies."
This has wider implications for NGOs and other organizations funded via donations and who wish to apply for loans, the report adds.
In the event, SAPTK was able to purchase the Old Town property, after divesting itself of some precious metals stocks it had acquired in late 2021.
SAPTK's expenses also rose, by more than €100,000 to €538,000, the report adds.
€171,000 of this went on labor costs. Salaries stood at €128,000 across seven staff, one of whom worked with an employment contract, the report adds.
Board member Varro Vooglaid and three other board members were paid a total of €31,171 in 2022, the report adds.
SAPTK was just €1,625 in the black in 2022, compared with €211,000 in 2021.
SAPTK held €796,102 in assets last year, 2 percent less than in 2021, while its investments into precious metals stood at €94,000 in 2022, less than a quarter of the amount invested in that area in 2021.
The Objektiiv news portal was SAPTK's main activity, the report states, and two donation drives were conducted with that in mind.
A camp aimed at young conservative men was another activity, while the organization's legal center and actions opposing both abortion and euthanasia also started up in 2022.
A memorial to writer and activist Tiit Madisson (1950-2021) was also opened in Lihula, via the support of donations.
The organization also produced a calendar, and sent copies of it to schools and kindergartens.
SAPTK acquired a property on Kohtu tänav on Toompea; hitherto it had operated out of rental premises.
Following Vooglaid's appointment by EKRE to the ERR Supervisory Board, which by law must contain one elected MP from each represented Riigikogu party, and in the wake of concerns over conflicts of interest, the Objektiiv portal was separated from SAPTK.
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Editor: Marko Tooming, Andrew Whyte