The Fund was established in October 2021 in response to the dramatic situation of refugees brought by the Lukashenko regime to the Polish-Belarusian border and pushed out of Poland by border guards in violation of their rights and dignity and with a serious threat to their health and lives. It offers assistance to civil society organisations and grass-root initiatives carrying out relief, rescue and intervention activities on the Polish-Belarusian border, as well as organisations providing support to refugees and migrants kept in the centres for foreigners in Poland.
Grants are made to organisations and informal groups that:
Grants of up to PLN 50,000 (and in the case of informal groups up to PLN 4,000), can be used for:
Grant funds may be spent from the moment of signing of the grant contract until 31 December 2022. In justified cases, costs incurred before the grant award can be also reimbursed.
Applications are received on an on-going basis.
Contact: [email protected]
For Donors
We invite individual, institutional and corporates donors to contribute to the Help the Helpers Fund. Donations can be paid:
Inquiries about donations: [email protected]
2022
Group from Białystok and Supraśl
Subsidising the purchase of food, winter clothes, thermos flasks, torches, heaters for activists and refugees in the forest. PLN 4,000
Our Imaginarium Association, Żyrardów
Organisation of the Borderland Crisis Forum: support and counselling for local governments from the state of emergency zone, information activities for residents of municipalities in Podlasie. PLN 5,500
2021
Bezgranica Group, Czeremcha, Nurzec Stacja
Costs of repairing the car and minor repairs at the place of activists’ meetings, purchase of thermal imaging equipment to rescue people in the forest. PLN 4,000
Catholic Intelligentsia Club, Warsaw
Purchase of equipment for people providing aid to migrants and bookkeeping for the Crisis Intervention Centre on the Polish-Belarusian border. PLN 5,200
Egala Association, Bialystok
Civic Archive of Humanitarian Crisis: building public awareness of and sensitivity to the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border: conducting and disseminating research, organising monthly seminars, production of webinars and podcasts, website, promotional activities.PLN 29,750
Free Word Zone Foundation, Warsaw
Co-ordination of volunteers in-kind help for refugees in the vicinity of Augustów and Sejny, counselling support for people involved in the project: residents, activists. PLN 30,000
Group from Narewka
Costs of transport of activists, purchase of thermal imaging equipment to rescue migrants in the forest. PLN 4,000
Group from Suprasl
Cost of transport and thermal clothing for activists, purchase of medicine and food rations for migrants in the forest. PLN 4,000
Halina Nieć Legal Aid Centre, Krakow
Legal aid to persons applying for refugee status in open centres, persons undergoing the return procedure in guarded centres and foreigners applying for international protection in Poland as part of the Safe House project. PLN 38,400
Halina Nieć Legal Aid Centre, Krakow
Co-ordination of the Centre’s work and support for volunteers in County Hajnówka, on-duty lawyer. PLN 30,000
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Warsaw
Legal aid, psychological assistance and translation services for foreigners in guarded centres and those who attempt to apply for international protection in Poland immediately upon crossing the Belarusian-Polish border. PLN 30,000
Homo Faber Association, Lublin
Psychological assistance and crisis intervention, training, co-ordination of volunteers, collections of essentials, field and technical teams at the border, crisis communication management during intense interventions. PLN 30,000
Lower Silesian Women’s Congress Association, Wroclaw
Purchase and transport of aid packages to the border, storage of collected gifts, arranging accommodation for activists. PLN 30,000
No Borders, Group, Warsaw
Meetings with a psychotraumatologist for activists and others on the border. PLN 4,000
Nomada Association for the Integration of Multicultural Society, Wroclaw
Co-ordination of activities to support refugee families, legal support for attorneys working at the border, monitoring and documenting developments at the border, legal support for asylum seekers, purchase of clothing and equipment, team transportation and supervision costs. PLN 30,000
Polish Migration Forum Foundation, Izabelin
Counselling support for people in Guarded Centres for Foreigners, translation, monitoring, advocacy and networking activities, purchase of equipment, counselling support for the team. PLN 30,000
RegenerAction Foundation, Szczawnica
Psychological and intervention support for activists at the border: permanent on-line service, on-site services, stress relief treatment, supervision. PLN 30,000
Rights Equator Foundation Group, Wroclaw
The cost of transporting people participating in the ‘Mothers to the Border. Forest Is No Place for Children”. PLN 4,000
Salvation Foundation, Warsaw
Purchase of warm clothing (jackets, thermoactive clothing and boots) for the Foundation volunteers and staff assisting migrants on the Polish-Belarusian border. PLN 30,000
Ucieleśnienie [Embodiment] Collective, Hajnówka
Counselling support for individuals who actively help migrants on the Polish-Belarusian border. PLN 4,000
