THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO SHAKE UP YOUR INDUSTRY ENTREPRENEUR

Five Predictions For Balkan Philanthropy In 2022

The last two years have been a watershed moment for Western Balkan philanthropy as individuals and the businesses have responded with an unprecedented solidarity during and throughout the COVID crisis. This outpouring of goodwill has provided an opportunity for the domestic giving ‘marketplace’ to emerge and mature

Looking forward to the coming year, five predictions for how the philanthropy might continue to blossom are offered as we collectively move forward to insure that vulnerable populations are cared for, that innovation is supported, and that culture, education and health care are given the extra support.

INCREASE IN DONATION

PAYMENT OPTIONS

As credit and debit card usage rises throughout the region, an increasing number of nonprofits will set up their own e-payment solutions in 2022. Electronic and mobile banking giving will be empowered by the spread of QR code-activated donation solutions. Experiments that link crypto-giving with NFT auctions will begin to be more visible and broadly used.

LAUNCH OF NEW GIVING FUNDS,

POOLS, AND ENDOWMENTS

A greater number of ways to give also predicated the need for more collective ways to make a greater impact. Pooled funds and the use of the endowment model will begin to emerge and accumulate to a larger sum that can achieve impact in an area of common interest.

MORE DIVERSITY IN THE CROWDFUNDING SPACE

Not all crowdfunding is philanthropy, but there will continue to be new entrants in the donation- and perk-based crowdfunding space throughout the region, with new platforms scheduled to launch in Serbia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. Providing citizens and companies with a greater number of campaigns that can be supported gives donors a greater sense of agency in how to direct their giving and helps to make fundraising more transparent.

THE EMERGENCE OF CIVIC AND COMMUNITY-BASED GIVING

There is something valuable when a community rallies around a common idea and gives together to solve a problem. We will be witness to classrooms raising funds for improving their schools, municipalities partnering with citizens to improve public infrastructure, and community-based media and cultural institutions being supported by their audiences to improve the quality of cultural life in their communities. Society takes another step away from the expectation that government is solely responsible for the public good and warms to the idea that civic-citizen partnerships can do more than government or citizens can do on their own.

CONTINUED MIGRATION OF CORPORATE GIVING

TO STRATEGIC CAUSES

A trend over the last 4-5 years has been in how the corporate sector has increasingly given to support solutions to problems rather than addressing the symptoms of those problems. Investments in education will be increasingly directed to scholarships that enable students to better concentrate on a quality educational experience, while giving towards healthcare will more and more focus on building the capacity of the health care establishment to diagnose, treat and keep citizens healthy. Companies will begin to give more to address pressing environmental issues like pollution and will work to increase their contributions to the circular economy and lower climate impacts that their core business may contribute to. 2022 is bound to be better than 2021 in many spheres of society, with the domestic philanthropy ecosystem being a particular area where we can look forward to many positive and inspiring changes.

Porto Montenegro Boka Place - A New Home Of Luxury And Glamour

Boka Place is the New Adriatic Hotspot for Shopping, Dining and Hospitality, just a few steps away from the buzz of the marina and the glamour of the Yacht Club.

One of the great assets of Boka Place will be the world’s first hotel SIRO – a new hospitality concept created by Kerzner International, the group behind Atlantis and One & Only Resorts.

Founded some 15 years ago by a consortium of visionary developers, Porto Montenegro is set in the spectacularly beautiful Bay of Kotor on Montenegro’s Adriatic coast. From its historic origins as a naval base, it has been transformed into an exquisite waterfront destination, with low-rise apartment buildings, tree-lined pedestrian boulevards and an array of chic boutiques, restaurants and cafes surrounding a breathtaking superyacht marina.

A gateway to Porto Montenegro’s laidback elegance, our new neighbourhood – Boka Place – is just a few steps away from the buzz of the marina and the glamour of the Yacht Club. Positioned to become one of the Bay of Kotor’s most sought-after locations, it will bring together 45 new retail offerings – from shopping and dining to recreation and entertainment.

A great asset of Boka Place will be the world’s first hotel SIRO – a new hospitality concept created by Kerzner International, the group behind Atlantis and One & Only Resorts. Adding dynamism to the neighbourhood and encouraging a health and fitnessinfused lifestyle for hotel guests and Boka

Place residents alike, the 96-room SIRO will feature an exceptional wellness sanctuary and fitness centre. Available to all residents, the immersive lifestyle experience offered by

SIRO will redefine the notion of wellbeing.

On completion, Boka Place will feature a total of 213 residences, including studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and penthouses, and two- and three-bedroom duplexes. Buyers may choose from a range of SIRO-managed residences or purchase their own private units, with property prices starting from €240,000. Residents will benefit from invitation-only events and exciting summer clubs for children, among other privileges. The 69 private residences in Boka Place offer exclusive access to their own pool, as well as privileged access to SIRO wellness programmes. Porto Montenegro offers management of these units as part of its bespoke M-Residences rental management scheme, a well-established programme with a proven track record of return on investment. As an added attraction for buyers, Boka Place offers a limited-time deferred payment plan, available until 31st May 2022 - for its private residences. These homes can now be purchased with a 30% upfront payment, with the remaining amount payable upon the building’s completion in 2023 - interest free.

Development of this new neighbourhood continues to gather pace and, for those who decide to become part of the Boka Place journey by investing in a property, it promises to deliver a very solid return on investment – both financially and in terms of an exceptional lifestyle.

But there’s more to this story than attractive real estate. It is very easy to fall under the spell of Boka Bay: it has a special, indefinable magic that goes beyond the spectacular natural surroundings – a serenity that is increasingly valuable, yet ever harder to find, in today’s world. And that makes the prospect of a home in Porto Montenegro hard to resist.

To learn more, visit www.bokaplace. com or contact us at bokaplace@portomontenegro.com

WORLD NEWS

“Any potential sanctions against Russia should not include energy imports” – MARIO DRAGHI, ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER

SINGAPORE WANTS TO IMPOSE NET WEALTH TAXES

Singapore wants to introduce net wealth taxes and is studying the possibility of making those with greater means pay more, Finance Minister Lawrence Wong told CNBC on Monday. However, the minister pointed to the challenges of such wealth taxes, which would inevitably cause money to flow away from Singapore. As part of its 2022 budget, Singapore increased taxes for higher earners, including duties on real estate and motor vehicles, to ensure that those who make more money pay more. Singapore, a wealth management hub, is looking at a broad range of wealth taxes “very closely,” Wong said. They include taxes on capital gains, dividends, and a net wealth tax on individuals.

ELON MUSK’S SPACEX TO SPLIT ITS PRIVATE STOCK 10-FOR-1

Elon Musk’s SpaceX is splitting the value of its common stock 10-for-1, CNBC has learned, with the company’s valuation having soared to more than $100 billion. The split means that for each share of SpaceX stock owned as of Thursday, a holder now has 10 shares after the conversion. With SpaceX valued at $560 a share during its most recent sale, the split reduces SpaceX’s common stock to $56 a share, according to a company-wide email obtained by CNBC. “The split has no impact on the overall valuation of the company or on the overall value of your SpaceX holdings,” the email said.

UK ECONOMY GREW 7.5% IN 2021, MOSTLY RECOVERING FROM ITS PANDEMIC PLUNGE

The British economy grew 7.5% in 2021, official figures revealed Friday, rebounding from its historic 9.4% plunge in 2020 when pandemic restrictions stifled activity. On a quarterly basis, U.K. GDP (gross domestic product) is estimated to have increased by 1% in the final three months of the year. It follows a downwardly revised 1% increase the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. In December, GDP contracted by 0.2% as the omicron Covid-19 variant forced renewed caution and containment measures, though economists polled by Reuters had expected a more severe 0.6% contraction. The largest contributors to the quarterly rise in output were from “human health and social work activities driven by increased GP visits at the start of the quarter,” according to the ONS, along with a “large increase in coronavirus (Covid-19) testing and tracing activities and the extension of the vaccination programme.”