After the October 2000 events the universal belief was that the social-political situation in Serbia apparently changed for non-governmental organizations, and that bridge of cooperation between the state and the civil sector was finally established. However, the position and the status of non-governmental organizations remained the same, and after many years of endeavoring to establish democracy, non-governmental organizations found themselves without either a clearly defined legislative framework within which to work, or a clearly defined financial and institutional support. As far as the issue of their presentation in public was concerned, not a single step forward was made.

Because of all this, in 2003 a number of non-governmental organizations initiated forming of a network of non-governmental organizations, having realized that only through joint activity by means of this legitimate body, could they improve their working conditions and develop a strategy for survival of this sector in Serbia .

At the annual conference of the Civic Initiatives in February of 2003, the Federation of Non-governmental Organizations of Serbia (Gradjanska inicijativa nevladinih organizacija) ( FeNS ) was founded.

Today, FeNS comprises 528 member-organizations from 102 municipalities in Serbia .