Raave: I believe it possible to identify donors

Photo: Erik Prozes

Executive Manager of Estonia 200 Henrik Raave says that Estonia 200 is an ordinary NPO and not a party yet. He believes that those who have donated anonymously can be convinced to reveal their names and faces.

The Hooandja platform allows anonymous donations. How does it coincide with more open or different policy promised by Estonia 200 when people and companies can give you money without any control over where it’s coming from?

I want donations to be maximally transparent which is why we decided in favor of the Hooandja platform. If a sponsor is afraid to donate under their name and wants to remain anonymous for some reason, it will be on their conscience. However, I urge people not to be anonymous.

What if they are anonymous? You will not pay back the money?

We have not discussed it to be perfectly honest.

Estonia 200 will become a party; your funding needs to be transparent and open to the last.

Yes. I believe Hooandja knows the identities of the sponsors. I suppose we can negotiate with Hooandja to be able to contact those anonymous donors personally and convince them to reveal their identities.

What have been Estonia 200’s costs since, let’s say, May, when you first became public?

We have received around €20,000 so far; sponsors’ names are available on our Facebook page. Some of it will be put aside for future activities, but that is the ballpark of our expenses.

How many legal person sponsors have you had?

None.

Why wait until November to register the party? The chance to accept money from anyone?

It’s a matter of membership. We currently have fewer than 200 members, while registering a party requires 500 members. We need more time to bring people on board.

So, you do not see a problem in the theoretical possibility that using Hooandja could bring you sponsors whose identity you will not able to reveal?

I believe they can all be identified in cooperation with Hooandja.

No one will be guaranteed anonymity?

I believe that as the first thing we will talk to Hooandja to ask for contacts of those who have donated. We will contact them to ask them to reveal their identities. We’ll start there. We are not funding a party but an NPO currently.

Have you consulted anyone about this matter, for example the Party Financing Monitoring Committee (ERJK)?

I am the executive manager of NPO Estonia 200 and we are asking for support for the nonprofit via Hooandja. I have not brought myself up to speed on party financing.

You are a party in the eyes of the public, at least starting today (yesterday – ed.), even if that is not the case legally.

(Thinks at length.) Again, your question was whether we’ve talked to the ERJK – I personally have not.