In his welcome address to the guests, winners and the Competition Committee representatives  Paweł Łukasiak, the President of the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland, emphasized that the Gala was a special social responsibility feast. “There should be as many places in Poland as possible where those who provide and those who receive assistance meet and together celebrate the effects of their cooperation,”  he said.

Next, the members of the Competition Committee presented this-year’s winners with the statuettes.

The „Benefactor of the Year” title in the 21st round of the Competition was awarded to:

• Zakład fotograficzny u Jarka – Jarosław Deka – for many-year cooperation with NGOs and involvement into numerous projects for the local community, including series of workshops for over 1,000 children and young people – in the “Local Involvement” category.
• ENERIS Ochrona Środowiska – for cooperation with NGOs in preventing exclusion of the blind and people with impaired vision from the process of active care for natural environment – in the “Innovation for the Community” category.
• Fundacja Orange – for cooperation with the Robisz.to Association that led to establishing FabLab powered by Orange – the first open digital manufacturing lab in Warsaw – in the “Social Project – Corporate Foundation” category.
• Samsung Electronics Polska Sp. z o. o. – for creation of modern technological incubator for several dozen start-ups and providing equipment that allows them to carry out their projects – in the “Social Project – Large Company” category.
• Jelenia Plast Sp. z o.o. – for many-year cooperation with NGOs benefitting seniors, the disabled and people in difficult economic situation – in the “Social Project – Middle-sized Company” category.
• ANTOJA Sp. z o.o. – for supporting the Drop of Sweetness project, under which children oncological wards and hospices are visited – in the “Social Project – Small Company” category.
• Tesco Polska – for mature and consistent strategy of social activities, which provide support for local communities and allow for participation in projects aimed at food waste prevention and distribution of its surplus, promotion of healthy eating, and teaching children where the food comes from – in the “Strategy – Large Company” category.
• KAREDENT Kamil Chorąży Sławomir Ławicki Sp. j. – for consistent and well-thought-out strategy of social activities aimed at creation of Healthy Smile Academy oral health program for children, and the all-year involvement in helping people and animals in Podlaskie Province – in the “Strategy – Small Company” category:
• Grupa Essilor – for involving 100 employee-volunteers and supporting them in the project of carrying vision screening tests in almost 4,000 children and teenagers from child care centers and providing them with almost 950 pairs of corrective glasses – in the “Employee Volunteering” category.

The Competition Chapter:

Henryka Bochniarz – President of Lewiatan Polish Confederation of Private Employers; Jerzy Karwelis – media market expert, mentor of Good Network Foundation; Jerzy Koźmiński – President and CEO of the Polish-American Freedom Foundation; Kazimierz Krupa – journalist specialized in economy, a partner in Drawbidge Law Firm, Joanna Luberadzka-Gruca, Chairperson of the Polish Donors Forum; Andrzej Malinowski – President of Employers of Poland; Anna Potocka-Domin – Vice-President of Business Centre Club,  Professor Bolesław Rok, Vice Director of the Business Ethics and Social Innovation Center at Koźmiński University; Marzena Strzelczak,  Director General, member of the Responsible Business Forum, and Kamil Wyszkowski – Director General of Global Compact Poland.

A host of the Gala was Aleksandra Kostka, and Sławomir Uniatowski was responsible for music and entertainment.

The Competition is organized by the Academy for the Development of Philanthropy in Poland. The Polish-American Freedom Foundation, supporting the competition since 2002, was the patron of the “Local Involvement” category that promotes social activities of firms which contribute to transformation of local communities  in cooperation with Act Locally Centers. The competition legal supervisor was EY.