About Us

THE CARPATHIAN FOUNDATION POLAND WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1999 IN SANOK AND REPLACED THE CARPATHIAN EUROREGION DEVELOPMENT FUND, OPERATING IN THE PODKARPACKIE VOIVODESHIP. THE FOUNDATION’S ESTABLISHMENT WAS MADE POSSIBLE THANKS TO THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT, PROVIDED FOR MANY YEARS BY THE MOTT FOUNDATION FROM THE USA. THE MISSION OF THE CARPATHIAN FOUNDATION - POLAND IS TO SUPPORT THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE MOUNTAIN AREAS OF THE PODKARPACKIE REGION. THE FOUNDATION FULFILS ITS MISSION BY IMPLEMENTING PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS INTENDED TO STIMULATE THE ACTIVITIES OF SELF-GOVERNMENTS, NGOS AND SMALL LOCAL BUSINESSES. TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE SPONSORS OF PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS, THE TARGET GROUPS, THE GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE AND THE ISSUES THE FOUNDATION’S ACTIVITIES CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING STAGES:

1999 – 2005

Sponsors : the Mott Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Soros Foundation (financing provided through the International Carpathian Foundation in Kosice and Budapest).

Geographical scope : the Podkarpackie Voivodeship.

Target groups : self-governments, NGOs.

Issues : civil society, self-governance, entrepreneurship, third-sector development, cultural heritage, cross-border cooperation, inter-ethnic dialogue and scholarships.

Total financial support : USD 1,431,313

Results : support provided to 220 projects, approx. 700 individuals trained, approx. 20 sites of historical interest revitalised, stimulation of entrepreneurship, strengthening of self-governments, strengthening of the NGO sector, promotion of Poland’s accession to the EU.

2006 – 2011

Sponsors : the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, the EEA Financial Mechanism, the Batory Foundation, the Polish-American-Ukrainian Cooperation Initiative, the Mott Foundation, the Fred Robey Family Foundation, the Visegrad Fund.

Geographical scope : the Podkarpackie Voivodeship

Target groups : self-governments, NGOs, entrepreneurs.

Issues : transfer of best practices, cross-border cooperation, entrepreneurship, promotion of the region, third-sector development and scholarships.

Total financial support : USD 4,030,210

Results : holding the Carpathian Expo in the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels for about 500 visitors, holding the 6 th edition of the international Carpathian Forum in Sanok attended by the total of 510 individuals from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine and Romania, submitting an Appeal to the EU authorities in April 2011 on the necessity of developing a special EU assistance programme for the Carpathians (drawing attention to the fact the Carpathians are Europe’s only mountain range, with a population of 14 million, with no Trans-European Transport Network), the signing of the Sanok Memorandum by representatives of Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine and Romania on the impact of the Schengen border on the deteriorated quality of living in the region, the training of 30 NGOs as part of the Carpathian Academy, organising two study visits in Norway, promotion of the CSR issues (corporate social responsibility) in the region, promotion of the public-private partnership issues.

2012 – 2014

Sponsors : the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme, Podkarpacki Bank Spółdzielczy, the forest divisions of Bircza, Głogów Małopolski and Leżajsk, individual sponsors.

Geographical scope : cross-border mountain areas of the Porkarpackie Voivodeship, the districts of Krosno, Sanok, Lesko, Bieszczady and Przemyśl.

Target groups : entrepreneurs, NGOs.

Issues : entrepreneurship, transfer of best practices, sustainable development, the region’s promotion – as part of “The Alps for the Carpathians” and “The People-friendly Carpathians” projects.

Total financial support : PLN 16,006,894

Results : conducting an analysis of the region’s potential in view of Swiss experience, awarding approx. 300 grants to support tourism and local production, organizing 20 internships in Switzerland, establishing the Partnership Sale and Marketing Network  for Local Products titled Made in Karpaty, an extensive promotion of the region, including production of a movie, promotion spots and a mascot promoting the region, a book release,   holding an international photo competition and a photo exhibition in cooperation with the National Geographic, launching and administering two information services www.alpykarpatom.pl and www.cozi.org.pl , running the Green Investment Service Centre, improving small tourist infrastructure in Bieszczady National Park.

Project KIK/31 titled “The People-friendly Carpathians – a Local Partnership Initiative for the Sustainable Use and Protection of Mountain Areas of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship”

To implement the project in the years 2012-2014 the Foundation received the funding               of 794,162 Swiss francs as part of the Swiss-Polish Cooperation Programme.

In the past the environmental protection approach was largely determined by striving for rapid economic growth at any cost. The “either economic growth or environmental protection” thesis was held in popular belief. For a long time no one had tried to combine those two aspects, assuming them to be totally contradictory. Consequently, the project “The People-friendly Carpathians” was developed to address those issues. Its objective was to promote solutions beneficial for both people and wildlife, especially in the context of the EU Natura 2000 Directive, seen by the local communities as an obstacle to economic growth.

The project beneficiaries consisted of representatives of self-governments, national and landscape parks, NGOs and communities from the 4 districts:

  • the Sanok District, the communes of Bukowsko, Komańcza, Tyrawa Wołoska, Sanok, Zagórz, Zarszyn,
  • the Przemyśl District, the communes of Bircza, Dubiecko, Krasiczyn, Krzywcza, Przemyśl,
  • the Lesko District, the communes of Baligród, Cisna, Lesko, Olszanica, Solina,
  • the Bieszczady District, the communes of Czarna, Lutowiska, Ustrzyki Dolne.

Project partners

  • Bieszczady National Park,
  • Mountain Volunteer Rescue Service – Bieszczady Group,
  • Environmental Partnership Foundation.

Project objectives

Objective 1: Awareness raising and education of the society through:

  • Organisation of a study visit to exemplarily managed areas in Europe covered by the Natura 2000 Programme and to flagship areas in Switzerland where there are a number of positive practices of combining the high standard of living and the neighbourhood of nature,
  • Undertaking preventive and publicity measures related to safe forms of tourism in protected areas,
  • Organisation of trainings as part of the platform for biodiversity titled the Green Investment Service Centre,
  • Organisation of an international seminar concerned with the Natura 2000 Directive.

Objective 2: Preventing local conflicts at the junction of natural protection/ investments by establishing the platform for biodiversity titled the Green Investment Service Centre through:

  • Provision of technical support to projects concerned with green investments, professional advisory services at the junction of investments and nature conservation and administering the information service www.cozi.org.pl .

Objective 3: Conducting necessary investment activities within Bieszczady National Park aiming at reducing the local economy’s pressure on the most valuable areas of the Polish part of the Carpathians within the Park through:

  • Alteration and extension of the farm building in Wołosate and converting it into an information and education facility.
  • Construction of the parking systems in Wołosate, Ustrzyki Górne and Brzegi Górne.
  • Installation of daily pedestrian traffic sensors  and motor traffic recorders.
  • Construction of Poland’s first dry ecological (Alpine-type) toilets on the Bukowska Pass and the Wyżna Pass (starting point for Połonina Wetlińska climbs).
  • Construction of a 300-metre footbridge on the peat bog in Tarnawa Niżna.
  • Construction of a wooden resting shed in Tarnawa Niżna.
  • Upgrading of the car parks in Tarnawa Niżna and Bukowiec.

OVER THE FIFTEEN YEARS THE FOUNDATION THROUGH ITS PROGRAMMES TARGETED THE REGION INHABITED BY TWO MILLION PEOPLE. THANKS TO THE PROGRAMMATIC CONCEPT, FINANCING FORMULA AND PROCEDURES DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS OF OPERATION, THE CARPATHIAN FOUNDATION IS SEEN AS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST IMPORTANT INSTITUTIONS OF THE NON-GOVERNMENT SECTOR IN PODKARPACKIE. THE FOUNDATION ALSO SPECIALISES IN PROVIDING TECHNICAL SUPPORT IN ACQUIRING EU FUNDING THROUGH CONSULTATIONS, TRAININGS AND STUDY VISITS.