On May 19, for the first time in Poland, the “Giving Circle” crowdfunding event was held in Galeria Freta in Warsaw. The event was organized by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland in cooperation with the Funding Network; the Polish-American Freedom Foundation was the partner of the event as part of the “Act Locally” Program. The special guests were Frederick Mulder CBE, President of the Frederick Mulder Foundation and TFN founder, and Eugenie Harvey, TFN International Director
The “Giving Circle” is an innovative form of participating philanthropy, invented by the British organization called The Funding Network (TFN). Each “Giving Circle” event is held according to the same pattern. It’s kind of an auction: participants may (if they want to) grant funds for initiatives presented on stage by leaders who try to convince the audience that their project is worth supporting. It makes the opportunity to meet representatives of business, culture, NGOs and public institutions who can offer a donation for a project selected by them.
The idea of holding a “Giving Circle” event in Poland was born during the training for Act Locally Centers (participants in PAFF’s “Act Locally” Program) held in March 2016. It was then that Eugenie Harvey, TFN International Director encouraged the participants to use that method of crowdfunding, emphasizing that it is very effective and popular in the United Kingdom, but also in other countries such as the United States and Australia. Next the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland, the “Act Locally” Program Manager, was affiliated at TFN and received a grant for the first “Giving Circle” event in Poland.
The meeting attended by Frederick Mulder, CBE, President of the Frederick Moulder Foundation and TFN founder and Eugenie Harvey took place in Galeria Freta in Warsaw on May 19. It was attended by 130 representatives of various environments. The meeting was conducted by Grzegorz Nawrocki, an independent journalist.
Donators could support four civic initiatives. The organizers assumed that each of them should get support of PLN 2,000, however the total amount raised turned out to be three times higher (over PLN 24,000). The most popular projects were “A reading room at Różycki Bazaar” presented by Fundacja Zmiana [the Change Foundation] (PLN 7,700) and “A dog-assisted therapy with Zuzia”, presented by Iwona Nowak, representing the Act Locally Center – Sochaczew District NGOs Coalition (PLN 6,300). The remaining two projects: “Win life thanks to dreams” project of Integration Academy Foundation and “Do it yourself project” of Orange Workshop at Sokołowsko received PLN 5,200 each. More information about the projects supported at “Giving Circle” is available at: http://givingcircle.pl/
Next events of that type will be organized by two Act Locally Centers – Stowarzyszenie Kraina Świętej Anny [Saint Anna Land Association] and Dębica Business Club – that have won the competition for organization of locally held Giving Circle events.
The Polish-American Freedom Foundation was the partner of the event as part of the “Act Locally” Program. The “Giving Circle” was also supported by the Orange Foundation.
