On 5 October 2004, the commune and town of Ostrów Wielkopolski, PKN ORLEN S.A. and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a contract, founding the Grant Fund for Ostrów Wielkopolski (hereinafter Grand Fund). The purpose of this Fund is to financially support projects prepared by non-governmental organisations (NGO). Since November 2004, a Grant Fund information desk has been in place, whereby the Coordinator’s assistant could give information on questions relating to the Fund. At the same time, a training course was set up for NGO’s and informal groups (of pupils, students, artists, senior citizens, parish circles, and so on), who were interested in getting financial support from the Grant Fund. The purpose of this training was to improve competencies and to help the local social organisations in applying for grant funding. Each organisation wishing to arrange a project (such as a concert, exhibition, open air painting, or sport competitions) could apply for financial support in form of small or big grant. Additionally, groups of people with common hobbies and passions as well as informal organisations could apply. The Committee of Funds has documented all applications, making a ranked list of institutes which were eligible to receive financial support. These organisations have to transfer their ideas to the project, create a budget, foresee expenditures, settle funds, define groups of receivers and promote themselves in media, look for additional sponsors and engage volunteers. Thanks to the funds, several hundred projects were able to be realised and have enriched what the town and region have to offer economically, culturally and also in terms of sports and recreation. The project is an authentic and clear example of how to create and promote a civic society. It is worth adding that donors have had no influence on the distribution of finances. Ostrów Wielkopolski’s Grant Fund project received a special award at the domestic stage in the ‘European Prize for Enterprise’ on 13 February 2009.
| Award info | |
| Award category: | partnership working |
|---|---|
| Award type: | submission |
| Award year: | 2009 |
| Project type | |
| Sector: | Public administration, modernisation, institutional affairs, reform |
| Type of activity: | |
| Keywords: | Civil society, social responsibility, self-government |
| Short English description: | The purpose of this Fund is to financially support projects prepared by non-governmental organisations (NGO) |
| Further information | |
| Organisation: | Community and Town of (Gmina i Miasto) Ostrów Wielkopolski |
| Other applicants: | |
| Homepage: | |
| Level of government: | local level |
| Size of organisation: | >100 |
| Number of people involved: | |
| Country: | Poland |
| EU membership: | EU member |
| Language code: | en |
| Start date: | |
| End date: | |