Polish pro bono organisations struggle with financial problems. Foreign aid is slowly withdrawn from Poland and sent to East European countries. Other institutions - such as schools or culture clubs - do not have sufficient funds to implement interesting innovative ideas. Polish businessmen are unwilling to support local initiatives; they have no idea of who to give to or how to select the best project out of the hundreds of requests for assistance. Furthermore, they fear that their donation shall not be properly settled or promoted.
Community Foundations (Local Philanthropic Organisations) offer a solution to problems suffered by pro bono organisations, and a method to resolve businessmen`s dilemma. It is a form of non-governmental organisations successful in many countries around the globe. Such organisations actively seek funds from local donors, thus establishing a SUSTAINABLE source for the financing of civic initiatives. Thanks to their built-up endowment funds they are able to provide long-term support for community, educational, and cultural programmes. Local Philanthropic Organisations are an opportunity for entrepreneurs unwilling to remain indifferent to the situation of their own community. They are able to implement any programme business people are willing to SUPPORT; they are also capable of honest financial settlement of any donation, and of promoting every donor. [definition of Community Foundation]
Today, the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy work with 17 Local Philanthropic Organisations, twelve of whom have been in operation FOR more than four years; a further five have begun operation in the year 2002. We offer training and counselling assistance (i.a. in areas of coalition building, fundraising, grant programme management, promotion, and accounting), expert assistance, regular information via the electronic E-Mail Bulletin, financial aid (Community Foundations/LOCAL Philanthropic Organisations are supported on a one-to-one matching principle: the Academy match every zloty raised locally with a zloty of their own), networking, and promotion.
The twelve Community Foundations in operation for the last few years have raised nearly $1,180,000.00 for endowment funds already. Seventeen CFs have transferred an estimated amount of $326,300.00 to support local programmes and INITIATIVES. One thousand seven hundred and twenty-four scholarships have been awarded to junior high, secondary school, and university students; 1024 grants were provided to organisations, youth groups, clubs, culture centres, schools, and other charity organisations engaging in a variety of initiatives supporting local communities (i.a. in areas of education, culture, and assistance to the elderly and the poor).
We do not want our activities to be limited to the aforementioned 17 communities. On the one hand we see great needs; on the other, huge interest in the forming of Community Foundations in other towns. We have drafted a variety of tools indispensable to form such organisations, and we engage in efforts to the purpose of creating opportunities to multiply endowment funds by a joint investment thereof. We are planning to widen a strong nation-wide Community Foundations Network towards year-end 2006, consisting of approximately 22 organisations, each of whom shall be running at least 2 permanent programmes addressing local communities.
"With the community foundation it`s like this: when you get to know it you fall in love"
"I want to leave something behind, something that will live longer than me, something tangible"
