“Equal Opportunities” is a program that has been running since 2001, created and funded by Polish-American Freedom Foundation. For 25 years, through open nationwide and regional grant competitions and training courses, it has been supporting social initiatives aimed at equalizing opportunities for a good start in adult life for children and young people from rural areas and small towns. As part of the program, non-governmental organizations (foundations and associations), as well as cultural centers and libraries, apply for grants for projects that stimulate the aspirations of children and young people, promote the development of their ability to achieve realistic goals independently, shape attitudes of activity and openness, and encourage action for the benefit of their own environment. Thanks to the projects implemented, young people have the opportunity to participate in activities that go beyond the standard educational offer.

“For over 25 years, PAFF’s goals have been realized thanks to cooperation with a group of Polish non-governmental organizations that act as the Foundation’s Program Managers. I would like to express my appreciation to the Civis Polonus Foundation, which in 2021, during the difficult time of the pandemic, not only took on the role of the Manager, but also made a significant contribution to the development of the program, including designing new training courses and development paths for coordinators and organizing four editions of the online debate ‘Ready for the Future’ in cooperation with the editorial teams of Onet.pl and Goniec.pl portals. Its involvement enabled the ‘Equal Opportunities’ program team, which today forms the Ready for the Future Foundation, to develop the competencies necessary for both professional continuation of the program and its further development,” emphasizes Radosław Jasiński, Program Director at PAFF.

The results of 25 years of the “Equal Opportunities” program include over 3,500 completed projects with the participation of approximately 156,000 participants (indirectly involving over 575,000 people), as well as the activation and integration of local communities around activities for children and young people.

“For 25 years, the ‘Equal Opportunities’ program has been making a real difference in the lives of young people throughout Poland, giving them space to discover their own potential and build self-confidence. It has reached maturity, which today provides a solid foundation for its further development. Our ambition is not only to continue pursuing its goals, but also to respond to new challenges and inspire future generations of young people,” says Paweł Walecki, President of the Ready for the Future Foundation, who has been involved with the Equal Opportunities program since 2007, first as a participant, then as a project coordinator, and now as Program Director.

The Civis Polonus Foundation completed the current edition of the “Equal Opportunities” program on January 31, 2026. From April 1, the new Program Manager – the Ready for the Future Foundation – will begin preparations to launch a new edition of the “Small Grants” competition.

For more information contact:

• Radosław Jasiński, Program Director, Polish-American Freedom Foundation, tel.: 607 309 737;
• Paweł Walecki, President, Ready for the Future Foundation, Director of the Equal Opportunities Program, tel. 507 612 690;