Fundacja im. Stefana Batorego

Civic Institutions

The goal of the program is to reinforce the role of civic organizations in public life and build up their institutional and financial stability. We provide core support grants to organizations that play important roles in the NGO sector. We support initiatives that help to shape favorable legal and social environment for the growth and efficiency of the third sector and raise the operating standards of civil society institutions.

Core support grants

We invite selected NGOs to apply for ‘institutional’ grants to support their long-term programs, capacity building and institutional development. Our grants are aimed to help organizations run their core activity, and can be used both for the implementation of projects and conducting their programs as well as for the development of their infrastructure, improving human resource qualifications, diversifying funding sources, improving management or preparing and implementing changes required for institutional development and stabilization.
In 2007, we provided core support grants to 12 organizations that work to increase civic participation in public life, promote the rule of law and transparency in public life, and develop international cooperation. Our grantees included experienced NGOs with extensive achievements as well as relatively new organizations only beginning their activities.
We made also three smaller grants for research projects and panel discussion.

Polish Donors Forum

The Foundation is an active member of the Polish Donors Forum, an association of grant making organizations operating in Poland. The Forum was created on Foundation’s initiative in 2002 with an aim to integrate donor community, promote good practices and improve effectiveness of their grant making, as well as ensure transparent and favorable environment for organized philanthropy. The Forum initiated and actively participated in many advocacy efforts concerning third sector interests. Since 2006, Ewa Kulik-Bielińska, the Foundation’s representative, serves as the chair of the Donors Forum Board.
In 2007, the Forum ran successful campaigns to defend tax benefits for donations to charitable purposes and to facilitate 1% income tax designation mechanism. It forestalled introduction of the restrictive regulations in the Law on Foundations, developed recommendations to the amendments of the Law on Public Benefit Activity and Voluntarism, and organized a conference on legal and social conditions for the operation of foundations in Poland and in other EU countries. In the framework of a regional CEENERGI project funded from the funds of C. S. Mott Foundation and Trust for Civil Society in CEE, and implemented by 6 Donors Fora in Central and Eastern Europe, Polish Donors Forum undertook several initiatives to promote corporate philanthropy in Poland including research on corporate community involvement and corporate foundations, series of workshops for corporate foundations on efficient grant making and Top Philanthropist competition for socially responsible companies.

In 2007, the program was financed by funds from the Open Society Institute.

Program costs

Grants PLN 1,065,290.00
Program implementation and membership fees PLN 94,320.38
Total program costs PLN 1,159,610.38

Grants 2007


Theotokos Center for Education and Dialogue Gliwice	Core support grant for 2 years to conduct statutory activity in the realm of civic and European education and promoting volunteerism and intercultural dialogue in Central-Eastern Europe.	PLN 100 000
demosEUROPA - Centre for European Strategy Warsaw	Core support grant for 1 year to conduct statutory activity in the realm of European integration and international relations.	PLN 100 000
Foundation for Freedom Warsaw	Core support grant for 2.5 years to conduct statutory activity to promote knowledge about democratic institutions and attitudes of civic responsibility, as well as prevent discrimination.	PLN 90 000
Civic Development Forum Warsaw	Core support grant for 1 year for statutory activity in the scope of economics and legal education, creating conditions for social acceptance of reforms favoring national development and increasing public involvement in civic life.	PLN 100 000
I don't take bribes, I want to earn honest pay Foundation Warsaw	Core support grant for 2 years for activities aimed to stimulate medical community to fight corruption within the health service and establish scholarship system for young doctors.	PLN 80 000
Project Poland Foundation Warsaw	Core support grant for 4 years for statutory activity aimed to stimulate civic activity of student and business communities and promote good practices of participation in public life.	PLN 80 000
Józef Tischner Institute Cracow	Core support grant for 1 year for statutory activity concerning promotion of solidarity and culture of dialogue in civic life.	PLN 40 000
Polish Society for Anti-Discrimination Law Warsaw	Core support grant for 1 year to conduct statutory activity to promote knowledge about antidiscrimination law and prevent discriminatory practices.	PLN 20 600
Stanisław Brzozowski Association Warsaw	Core support grant for 1 year for statutory activity to promote political and social thought and establish a forum for debate about contemporary issues.	PLN 100 000
Polish Mediation Centre Association Warsaw	Core support grant for 1 year for statutory activity regarding education in the realm of restorative justice and promotion of mediation methods.	PLN 96 500
Iustitia Association of Polish Judges Warsaw	Core support grant for 2 years for statutory activity to protect judicial independence and advocate justice system reforms.	PLN 90 000
East European Democratic Centre Warsaw	Core support grant for 2 years for statutory activity to support the local press, stimulate civic activity and promote the idea of local government in states of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.	PLN 100 000
Network of European Foundations for Innovative Cooperation Brussels	Religion and democracy – joint project of several European foundations aimed to initiate debate about the relationship between religion and democracy in contemporary Europe. The project includes: conducting research on religiosity in Europe, the scale of religious intolerance and bigotry and the attendant threats to democracy, and organization of a cycle of discussions on these issues and present recommendations for EU Member States.	EUR 10 000
Zeszyty Literackie Foundation Warsaw	Discussion panel: Literature with respect to history and politics organized on the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Zeszyty Literackie quarterly journal.	PLN 15 000
Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Political Studies Warsaw	Polish General Electoral Study – research of parliamentary elections including an analysis of Poles' social and political awareness as well as research of regional political and electoral differences.	PLN 15 000