ABSTRACT
This chapter attempts to provide a chronological account of the movement of several US foundations into Central and Eastern Europe from certain operation of essentially a domestic nature. It covers the period from the 1980s to the 1990s and then assesses their impact and effect on the region. In the twentieth century, in contrast to Western Europe, there were relatively fewer foundations established internally in Central and Eastern Europe. The 1980s and 1990s activities of the larger US foundations in Central and Eastern Europe played a significant role in the changes in the region's political, economic, and social structures. They then followed through with aid for the establishment of civic organizations to foster these changes and, finally, they were major players in the emergence of new organizations operating on a global scale to expedite their operations there and in the rest of the world.
