How The Academy Supports COMMUNITY FOUNDATIONS in Poland?
Community Foundations Development Program was the first program initiated by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland. Before the program was launched, the feasibility study on establishing community foundations in Poland had been prepared by the Policy&Action Group and the Institute of Public Affairs in 1998. The next step was the visit of American experts from the Monroe Group, who, in cooperation with Polish experts, ran a training course for representatives of 10 communities and the Academy staff. Then the Academy organized two 10?day study visits to the USA and the UK.
In the autumn of 1998, the Academy started cooperation with the next communities and offered the program of training and financial support for emerging CFs. The Penny to Penny assistance program was offered on the condition of meeting a number of criteria, including attendance in the training session, preparing development strategies, planning grant programs and operations, as well as raising certain required funds from other sources (following the rule: one penny from the Academy is added to one penny raised locally, i.e. matching funds). Funds were to support grant programs, operational costs and capital endowments. In the implementation of the Program, especially in evaluation of strategies and grant applications submitted by Community Foundations we were supported by the Local Philanthropy Development Board. Board Members met a number times a year to evaluate grant applications and assist us in drafting several details of the program (such as evaluation criteria). Moreover, Members of the Board evaluated 3-year strategies developed by coalitions forming Community Foundations - approval of the strategy was one of the requirements of being admitted to the cooperation within the Program. Local Philanthropy Development Board had been established in 1999 and resolved in 2002; its Members were experts representing various sectors [see makeup of the Board]
In the years 1998-2002 the Academy transferred the amount of $ 912,000 within the Community Foundations Development Program, including $ 172,000 to supplement the funds of local grant programs, $ 246,000 to cover operating costs, $ 494,000 for the capital endowments.
In the case of twelve Community Foundations, the Academy is still providing advisory services, the financing of the Network's meetings, publishes an electronic bulletin, publishes and promotes publications devoted to the idea of Community Foundations, recommends CFs to potential donors. In 2001 the Academy started making attempt aimed at achieving sustainability by the Community Foundations by gradual withidrawal of financial support. Where possible, the Academy tries to respond to the needs of individual Community Foundations and of the entire Network.
The support program for new CFs was based on the experiences of the existing CFs and was being implemented from 2001 till the end of 2002. Since 2003 it is being continued within the framework of the "Third Sector" program finanaced by the Stefan Batory Foundation. The program offer of the Academy includes training and advisory support, networking, providing publications (including the first Polish manual "How to Establish a Community Foundation?" based solely on Polish experiences), enabling access to the experiences of the pioneers of the community foundations movement, as well as passing support from current members of the Network.
As part of the program, the Academy supports the creation and development of Community Foundations (CF) in the following way:
- training and advisory assistance (including coalition building, fundraising, grant programs, promotion, accounting),
- guides: "How to Establish a Local Philanthropic Organization," "Rules for Creating and Managing Community Foundations Based on American Experiences," "The Donor's Manual," "Capital Endowment," Community Foundation?a Solution to Donor's Problems and NGO Hassles," "Non Omnis Moriar, or How to maka a Charitable Bequest" and others;
- presentation on the concept of local philanthropic organizations, cooperation with donors;
- document templates: internal statutes, operating rules for Advisory Committees, CF boards, organizational support procedures, legal expertise;
- expert assistance from lawyers, leaders of American community foundations,
- distributing information through the electronic bulletin "Kurier Emaliowy",
- financial assistance (support given to CFs in form of matching funds); in this way the Academy co-financed grant and scholarship programs of CFs, capital endowments, and current expenses of organizations,
- networking: regular meeting of CF leaders, exchange of experience, help in developing operating standards,
- promotion, chiefly through publications, information materials, brochures of the Network, providing new contacts, cooperation with European, American and Canadian organizations.
The effect of the program is establishing 5 new Community Foundations.
In the years to come, the Academy will continue to provide training, advice and information to communities interested in creating community foundations. Financial assistance in the first stage of the creation of such an institution is extremely necessary in Poland. Assistance of supporting in stitutions, expecially financial is substantial because of a number of problems that are still encountered on the local level:
- the Polish business sector is young, starts to build its own capital, and does not support NGOs to a desired extent,
- the business community prefers simple projects, copies simple philanthropic models, i.e. supports orphanages, hospitals or the public administration,
- the difficult economic situation of many regions in Poland, bankruptcies of companies, high unemployment,
- low awareness of the role of a civil society and the 3rd sector among authorities and the business community,
- the interruption of individual philanthropic traditions in the postwar period; after the World War II;
- ambiguous legal conditions for the development of capital endowments (especially as to investing in listed stocks),
- no legal differentiation between private, public and local NGOs, etc, and the related lack of privileges (potential donors are not motivated to support CFs).
Community Foundations Development Program is supported by: C.S. Mott Foundation, the Stefan Batory Foundation, Skoll Fund - Community Foundation Silicon Valley, Ford Foundation, Charitable Commission of AGORA.