About Köpürö
Köpürö means «bridge». We chose the name in 2002 because a resource centre is something people cross to get to the other side: from an idea to a registered association, from a grant notice to a finished project, from a ministry form to a report that is accepted the first time.
History
The centre was founded in March 2002 by eleven associations in Talas, with a three-year grant from a territorial civil society programme, as one of several «NGO support centres» of that time. It was registered on 11 March 2002 under the Associations Act (1994) and re-registered with the Ministry of Justice in 2008. When the programme ended in 2006 the centre kept going on members' fees, training fees and small grants; since 2010 Talasbank has paid the rent of our office in the former House of Pioneers.
In 2004 we started the bulletin Uuk-Boo, in 2009 this website, and in 2011 the free hosting of member pages. Since 2021 most of our consultations are about the annual report on foreign funding.
What we do
- Consultations on registration, statutes, re-registration and closing an association (Tuesday and Thursday, 10:00-13:00, free for members)
- Help with bookkeeping and the annual reports to the Ministry of Justice and the tax inspection
- Training for staff and volunteers of associations, in Iradi, English and Russian
- The directory of associations and the grant notices
- A meeting room (up to 24 people) and a projector for members, free on weekdays after 17:00
- Free web pages for member associations on kopuro.org
Köpürö does not take part in election campaigns and does not support any party or candidate. Our members are free to hold their own views; their pages on this site are their own.
Board and staff
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Meerim Jusup | Chair of the Board (Institute of Sociology, TSU) |
| Bakyt Turdu | Board member (Talas Beekeepers' Association) |
| Svetlana Oleynik | Board member (Nurzhan, Pensioners' Council «Veteran»), elected 2026 |
| Kanybek Sulaiman | Board member (Kara-Buura Women's Council), elected 2026 |
| Cholpon Mamyr | Director (since 2014) |
| Nurlan Seit | Programme coordinator, grants and training |
| Aidana Kerim | Legal consultant (registration, 2021 reporting rules) |
| Lyudmila Pak | Accountant |
| Daniyar Sooronbay | Website and member pages (part-time) |
How to join
Any association registered under the Associations Act (1994) may join. Bring to the office: a copy of the registration certificate, a copy of the statute, a letter from your board asking to join, and the membership fee of 600 som a year (associations with no income: 120 som). Initiative groups that are not registered yet may come to consultations and training but cannot vote at the general meeting.
Our money
In 2025 our income was 1,284,600 som: members' fees 6%, training fees 9%, Talasbank (rent and the small grants fund) 41%, the Diaconal Office of the Archbishopric 7%, and foreign grants 37% (reported under the 2021 Rules, see our own report).
Last updated: Thursday, 24 September 2026 19:30