Under the thematic path, the funds for carrying out local grant competitions that will award initiatives in the area of ecology will be given to the following 10 Act Locally Centers in 6 provinces:

• Wrzosowa Kraina (Heather Land) Foundation of Chocianów (Dolnośląskie province);
• Bieszczady Foundation of Ustrzyki Dolne (Podkarpackie province);
• Young People Together Płock Region Local Fund Foundation of Płock (Mazowieckie province);
• The Spirit of Mountains Partnership Local Action Group of Kowary (Dolnośląskie province);
• Niemodlin Forest Partnership of Niemodlin (Opolskie province);
• W.A.R.K.A. Association of Warka (Mazowieckie province);
• Valley of Stobrawa Local Action Group Association of Kluczbork (Opolskie province);
• Kaczawa Association of Dobków (Dolnośląskie province);
• CRIS Social Initiatives Development Center of Rybnik (Śląskie province);
• Science for Environment Foundation of Koszalin (Zachodniopomorskie province);

These Act Locally Centers will announce competitions addressed to representatives of local communities (both formal and informal groups) and select projects in the area of ecological issues and aimed at common good. The winners will receive grants of PLN 3,000 for implementation of their project. The total fund earmarked for Act Locally and Ecologically thematic path is PLN 120,000. Thanks to cooperation with the WWF Poland Foundation Act Locally Centers will get substantive support and access to ecological education tools.

According to President of the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland (ARFP) Paweł Łukasiak, Act Locally Centers help to finance on the average about 900 projects implemented all over Poland annually but only a small part of them are ecological projects. The ARFP President said that creation of pro-ecological cooperation networks consisting of NGOs, donors, local leaders, local governments, media and volunteers will lead to permanent and effective inclusion of environment protection  issues into local community development.”

In turn Irka Jazukiewicz, one of the coordinators of the WWF Poland Foundation’s ecological education hopes that the extensive experience of WWF can be successfully used in cooperation with the “Act Locally” Program, which shall lead to new initiatives and getting new partners, and thus to increasing ecological awareness of residents of villages and small towns. WWF is an international organization established in 1961.

“Act Locally” is a program of Polish-American Freedom Foundation managed by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland in cooperation with the network of 78 Act Locally Centers. Over 21 years of running the program, more than 12,000 local projects have been supported. The projects were implemented by over 4,000,000 participants, including about 230,000 volunteers.