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Annual Report 2005

Civil Society Program

The aim of this Program is to increase citizens’ participation in public life, and to enhance the role and efficiency of civic institutions. We help organizations that contribute to the growth of community initiatives. We encourage them to cooperate with one another as well as with other social partners: local government, the business community, volunteers, and participate in creating social policy and strategy of development of Poland. We try to promote positive models of civic activity and the principles of public scrutiny over both public institutions and public benefit organizations.

In 2005 we carried out the following projects:

Institutional grants

We conducted a yet another open competition for institutional grants to help NGOs build stable bases for further functioning, create long-term action plans, finance activity and raise work standards. This time, we offered our institutional support to young, mid-sized foundations and associations (registered in 2000–2003, with an annual budget at the level of PLN 50 000 – 500 000), especially those from outside large city agglomerations. The organization could apply for grants amounting to 1 of their annual budget (but not more than PLN 50 000) to help them solve selected management problems or program activity issues. 43 out of the 80 applicants received support. Most grantees proved to be organizations active in the sphere of local development, social integration, local community mobilization, strengthening the local labour market or equalizing opportunities of underprivileged groups such as the homeless, disabled or rural youth.

Moreover, nine organizations active in three Foundation’s priority areas: advocacy and representation of the third sector, international cooperation, legal education and transparency of public life were invited to apply for institutional grants. On the basis of submitted applications, which presented their program activity plans and long-term institutional development strategies, all invited organizations received institutional support.

ProBonus Fund

The aim of the three-year fund established on the initiative of the Mott, Ford and Batory Foundations is to increase the effectiveness of organizations working to support and develop the NGO sector in Poland. The Fund cooperates with: the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland, the NGO Trainers’ Association STOP, the Network of Information and Support for Non-Governmental Organizations SPLOT, the Working Community of Associations of Social Organizations WRZOS, the Association for the NGO Initiatives Forum, the Union of Citizens Advice Bureaus, the CAL Local Activity Support Centre, the Kielce Volunteer Centre, and the Civil Society Development Foundation which is the Fund’s administrator.

In 2005, the Fund co-financed activities such as: NGO consultation of the National Development Plan for 2007–2013 and the Civil Society Operational Program, a project verifying to what extent political parties participating in general elections take into account third sector interests in their election program; local organization participation in the 4th National Non-Governmental Initiatives Forum; and a series of seminars called Active Communities. A booklet entitled It’s Easier with Us or Third Sector Infrastructure was also published.

Liaison officers

With a view to help the NGO sector get involved in planning, monitoring and utilizing structural funds, we initiated a program in 2002 to build a network of liaison officers/experts on social development and EU funding. Currently, in 16 Polish provinces, there are 31 liaison officers: 28 regional and three specializing in ecology and farming. Liaison officers have institutional support from local NGOs, which provide them with an access to office facilities. Each local organization received a grant from the Batory Foundation to cover the expenses incurred by the liaisons while developing a regional cooperation network (e.g. meetings, development of documents and training materials, travel costs, etc). We provided further support to liaisons by keeping them informed and organizing regular meeting and training, sharing reports and assessment papers, promoting their position and facilitating their approach towards government administration, and by funding specific selected activities.

The liaisons develop the principles of the cooperation of NGOs with public offices and institutions, media and business, and opine on regional development strategy. It is also their task to inform organizations of available funding from EU sources, provide advice in drafting particularly difficult applications and assist in building project coalitions. Some liaison officers take part in regional monitoring and steering committees of operational programs financed from EU funds. In 2005, liaison officers concentrated mainly on issues linked to the new period of programming of structural funds for 2007–2013 and on support to NGO in the regions to increase their participation in this process.

Watchdog organizations. Social responsibility in public life

In 2005, we conducted the second edition of the Watchdog organizations. Social responsibility in public life project, aimed to support existing and initiate development of new mechanisms of public scrutiny of the observance of transparency and accountability of public institutions, authorities and decision-makers before citizens, and to intervene in cases of violation or disregard of these principles. We provided 23 grants for implementation of projects regarding environmental protection, protection of human rights, as well as patient and consumer rights, and social control of local authorities and public administration.

You have a vote, you have a choice. Local government is yours!

In 2002 we launched a four-year project of monitoring promises made by candidates for mayors, presidents and heads of municipalities during the local government campaign. The aim of the project is to encourage citizens to participate in local elections and in making decisions important for the entire community, as well as to reinforce the feeling of common responsibility of the electorate and the elected for the decisions made. In 2005, jointly with an expert group, we drafted Catalogue of 100 Questions about Local Problems, which allows the residents of the electoral districts to become better acquainted with their communal problems and to prepare for the discussion with local authorities on whether local community needs are effectively dealt with. This catalogue, especially useful in the pre-election period, will help voters judge the achievements of outgoing authorities and the platforms of new candidates for mayors, municipal administrators and city presidents. It may also help candidates to prepare for their campaign, enabling them to learn more about the resources and issues concerning their municipalities.

Microgrants for individual development

The aim of the Microgrants for individual development competition is to help increase the qualifications, skills and capacities of NGO activists and workers and enable them to gain new professional experience or find important partners for individual professional development and development of their organization. In 2005, we awarded 18 microgrants for trainings and courses on management, fundraising and accountancy, as well as for postgraduate studies and study visits.

The Beata Pawlak Award

The Beata Pawlak Award was established pursuant to the last will of Beata Pawlak, a Polish journalist killed on October 12, 2002, in a terrorist attack on the Indonesian island of Bali. It is awarded annually for an article or series of articles on foreign cultures, religions and civilizations. The prize is financed from the Fund named after the journalist, administered by the Foundation. In 2005, the Beata Pawlak Award was given for the third time. It went to Joanna Bator for the book Japanese Fan (Twój Styl, 2004). The award ceremony took place at the Batory Foundation’s building on October 12, 2005. It was accompanied by a discussion with the theme of More or Less Identity in Europe? with the participation of Father Michał Czajkowski, Krzysztof Dorosz and Maciej Kochanowicz, and by an exhibition of photos taken by Beata Pawlak during her 6-month trip through Asia.

In 2005, the Program was financed from grants by the Open Society Institute and the Ford Foundation, and from the Beata Pawlak Fund and 1% income tax payments.

Program costs

Grants

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