United by the desire to strengthen the Serbian community in New York, a group of professionals of Serbian origin came together in 2019, and the following year founded the Serbian Philanthropic Organization. Although it has existed for a short time, this association has, over the past three years, attracted significant attention and donors, all centred around its main annual event held in November – the Serbian Philanthropic Gala.

This year, the representatives of Returning Point had the opportunity to attend the Gala, which gathered a large number of participants and sparked even greater interest in the activities of this New York-based association.

At the end of November 2022, we spoke with Igor Mladenović, Treasurer and Board Member of the Serbian Philanthropic Organization, who shared insights about the Gala from the perspective of the organisers.

The Serbian Philanthropic Organization has been around for about three years. What is the focus of your organisation?

The organisation was founded in 2020 with the goal of strengthening relationships with individuals of Serbian origin who share common values and interests. Currently, our most prominent event is the Gala evening, which we have become known for. It is a formal event that raises funds for charitable purposes, supporting projects with long-term impacts on the economy, education, and ecology in Serbia. At the same time, we strive to maintain connections with the Serbian community in the United States, to support Serbian culture, and to present it in the best possible way. We have around 16 members, and we grow every year, something that both people in Serbia and in the U.S. recognize and support. Interest in membership is high, and we look forward to growing and receiving even more support.

What does the Serbian community in New York look like today?

My introduction to the Serbian community in New York began in 2010 when I came to the U.S. to study and play sports, with the goal of earning an American degree and securing a job at a U.S. company. The people I met and socialised with, many of whom are now members of our organisation, mostly came from the field of finance, but we also have lawyers, doctors, and other highly educated individuals.

Our organisation, which currently has 16 members, consists of enthusiastic, kind, and successful people. All of us voluntarily dedicate our time to the Serbian Philanthropic Organization every day, and we’ve been doing so for three years now.

How did the Gala come to be? 

There used to be a Gala, a formal event organised by the Serbian church, but for internal reasons, that event ceased to take place. We wanted to have an event of this kind within the Serbian community, and inspired by the church Gala, we decided to organise the Serbian Philanthropic Gala. We wanted to create something unique, something that would bring people together, raise funds to improve the lives of our people, as well as help us showcase our culture in the best possible light, ensuring it wouldn’t be tied to politics or religion.

When was the first event organised? 

The first Gala was organised in 2019. At that time, we were not yet registered as a non-profit organisation in the U.S., and the event was, so to speak, of a trial nature. The response was overwhelming, and the event was a great success – we gathered over 350 people. This first Gala became the model for future events, through which we have managed to raise over $220,000 to support various organisations aimed at developing Serbian culture, education, and other areas of interest. 

How many guests attend your events on average?

Given the available venues, between 400 and 450 people attend the Gala. Interestingly, if there were a larger hall, we would be able to fill it. This year, for example, we had a lot of interest, and we couldn’t accommodate everyone’s request to attend the Gala, as the tickets sold out in a record time – just three weeks. We have promised to make an effort to organise a slightly bigger event next year due to the increased demand.

On your website, the event is described as a “high-profile Serbian networking event”. Why did you present it in that specific way? 

We described it this way because our goal is to bring together professionals who excel in their fields and also live in New York and the U.S. We have guests from Chicago, Florida, Houston, Canada and various states across America. The event is known for attracting highly skilled and well-established individuals, who can offer advice or connect attendees with other relevant individuals. These are the types of participants we were referring to when we said “high-profile.”

As mentioned, the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation has supported your organisation. Do you collaborate with other organisations as well?

Yes, we organised the first Gala in 2019 in collaboration with the Divac Foundation, and they provided us with significant financial and marketing support. The money raised that year went to the Divac Foundation’s Student Scholarships. Fortunately, the partnership with the Divac Foundation was fantastic, and everything went as planned. We organised the next Gala in 2021 independently, without the help of other organisations, as our goal is to build our own name.

Each year, we choose an organisation to support and donate the funds raised at the event. This year, we decided that the funds will go to the Studenica Foundation.

The most recent Gala was held on November 4th. Have you had time to process your impressions?

The main takeaway and result of this event is that we raised over $100,000 for the needs of Serbian students supported by the Studenica Foundation. We are very happy that we will be able to fund 67 Serbian students who are highly successful but lack adequate financial support. In my opinion, that is the highlight of the entire event. Of course, the overall impression was also enhanced by the great Zdravko Čolić, who supported us and made the evening even more special.

It’s also important to mention that we presented an award, which we give out annually as an organisation, for the promotion of Serbian tradition and cultural heritage. This year, we honoured Dr. Danica Marinac Dabić, who has lived in the U.S. for many years and is one of the founders of the Opančići folk group in Washington. We recognized her for her outstanding contribution to philanthropy, to support her work and demonstrate that making a positive impact through philanthropy in America is truly valued.

You mentioned that interest in Gala grows every year. Are there already any concrete plans for the next year’s event?

At the moment, we are still reflecting on and discussing the previous Gala. The next event is definitely on our radar, and we plan to hold it annually.

As I mentioned, Gala is currently our main platform for fundraising and supporting the Serbian people and our community, but we are also planning other projects for raising funds.

As far as you know, what impact does Gala have on the broader Serbian philanthropic community in the U.S., as the main event? 

Of course, we’re already receiving calls from people in Chicago and Houston who would like to organise a Gala there in collaboration with us. People are happy and excited that such a gathering of young and successful individuals exists, and they want to expand it to the cities where they live. We are definitely open to collaboration, and we’re glad to have such a positive impact on people in other cities across the U.S.

However, I have to mention that, since we are a young organisation made up of volunteers who are primarily employed in other positions, for now, those ideas remain a nice thought. Organising the Gala in New York requires a lot of time and is a complicated process, so we are not in a position to promise involvement in something similar at this moment. We’ll see.