2015 was a special year for the Cooperation Fund Foundation, celebrating its 25th anniversary. Over the past quarter-century, the Cooperation Fund has played a significant role in the systemic transformation taking place in Poland. Established as a special institution tasked with managing international aid funds, the Foundation has been involved in reforming the Polish administration, the education system, developing entrepreneurship and agriculture, and combating social exclusion. On June 26, 1990, then-Minister-Member of the Council of Ministers, Professor Witold Trzeciakowski, signed a notarial deed establishing the Cooperation Fund Foundation. The original purpose of the Foundation, as stated in this deed, was: “…to stimulate and support democratic transformation and the development of the Polish economy and social development based on funds, including foreign exchange, from international institutions, foreign government and private institutions, and other sources.” This goal was made possible thanks to funds from, among others, international institutions and foreign government institutions.
The 25-year history of the Cooperation Fund Foundation encompasses the implementation of hundreds of projects significant to the goals set for the Foundation in its founding act and subsequent statutes. The Foundation’s 25-year history can be divided into three stages:
The years 1990–1997 – a period during which the Foundation carried out tasks related to supporting systemic transformation, in collaboration with numerous partners from public administration, social partners, and non-governmental organizations. This also marked the beginning of the Foundation’s involvement in activities related to preparations for European Union membership and increasingly close cooperation in this regard with institutions responsible for Poland’s accession preparations – initially the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for European Integration and Foreign Aid, later the Office of the Committee for European Integration.
The years 1997–2007 – a period of the Foundation’s particular involvement in preparations for European Union membership, particularly through the activities of the Financing and Contracting Unit, which was responsible for implementing institutional development projects under the PHARE program, supporting the preparation of the Polish administration for operation within the EU and the implementation of its acquis communautaire. During this period, the Foundation also coordinated programs in education and agriculture, which became precursors to those implemented in Poland after accession to the EU. The years 2004–2010 saw the gradual phasing out of pre-accession programs, which were replaced by projects financed from structural funds. The Foundation continued to play a significant role in supporting public administration in managing EU funds. This was a period of significant change in the Foundation’s operations. From an institution that had previously largely acted as a distributor of EU funds, the Foundation itself became a grantee, applying for funds for the implementation of numerous projects it proposed through competitive procedures, on an equal footing with other entities.
From 2010–2015, as the nature of the Foundation’s tasks changed, significant changes occurred in its organizational structure and funding sources. As a result, the Foundation is now a self-financing organization that does not receive any specific government subsidies. Currently, it is also developing new areas of activity that respond to current challenges, and is flexibly and dynamically adapting its structure to the tasks it undertakes.
We invite you to read the electronic version of the report, available on our website in the publications tab.
The printed version of the report is available at our headquarters at Górnośląska Street 4a.
