On December 10, the “Social Detonator” conference took place in Warsaw, summing up the first edition of the FIO-Mazowsze Lokalnie Programme implemented by the Cooperation Fund Foundation, the Europa i My Association and the BORIS Social Initiatives Movement Service Office in 2014. Less than four months were enough for Mazovia to be swarming with local superheroes. 1,500 volunteers and nearly 1,600 people implementing projects selected for funding engaged over 30,000 more people in social and civic activity. All this within the first year of the “Civic Initiatives Fund – Mazowsze Lokalnie” program, which concluded on December 10, 2014, in Warsaw.
“While implementing the FIO-Mazowsze Lokalnie program, we realized how important grassroots action is for the residents of our region,” says Daniel Prędkopoowicz, the program’s coordinator. “The nearly 140 micro-grants we provided in the first call were intended to ignite social energy, motivate, stimulate, and ignite new ideas for action. And indeed, they did. This relatively small amount of funding (up to PLN 5,000 per project was available) often became the impetus for change,” he adds.
The conference entitled “Social Detonator” concluded the first edition of the “FIO-Mazowsze Lokalnie” Program, scheduled for 2014-2016. Nearly 120 people attended the closing ceremony: implementers of funded projects, representatives of non-governmental organizations, informal groups, and local leaders.
The meeting, organized by the operators of the “FIO-Mazowsze Lokalnie” Program, provided an opportunity to summarize activities in the area of civic initiatives and to outline a vision for further cross-sectoral cooperation in the field of regranting. Warsaw’s Deputy Mayor, Jarosław Jóźwiak, who attended the first part of the meeting, highlighted the city’s ongoing efforts in this area. “I am pleased that this type of regranting is already taking place on a larger scale in our voivodeship,” he added.
The need to stimulate social energy at the local level, including through grant competitions, was emphasized by all conference participants. “It’s at the local community level that we’re best able to identify needs and problems. This is also where we can solve them most effectively,” admitted Izabela Siander, the Voivode of Mazovia’s Plenipotentiary for Cooperation with NGOs and a member of the Mazovian Council for Public Benefit Activities. “Projects like these move local communities. By taking action, they infect each other with their activism,” shared Hubert Pasiak of the Local Culture and Activity Center Association in Krzesko. “As an ambassador, I observe the contagion not only in groups and communities, but also in entire villages,” he said.
During the conference, participants also discussed the extent to which micro-projects transform communities. Does implementing projects with a budget of around 5,000-6,000 PLN have the potential to initiate lasting social change? One of the panelists was Krzysztof Więckiewicz, Director of the Public Benefit Department at the Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, who, citing the latest data, pointed to the rebirth of those elements of social life that function at the local level. According to him, these details will determine the new order (the new world). “We are a society of startups,” said Krzysztof Więckiewicz. “We operate in such a way that, with a specific goal in mind, we want to maximize results.” When asked why the maximum funding amount of PLN 5,000 was set for the FIO – Mazowsze Lokalnie program and similar programs implemented under the first priority of the Civic Initiatives Fund, Director Więckiewicz replied: “Five thousand zlotys is a measure of the purchasing power of a grassroots initiative. We are simplifying procedures and providing funds that are intended to be an impetus for action.”
Referring to the discussion topic, Tamara Borkowska from the Marshal’s Office pointed out that such initiatives demonstrate a beginning change in citizens’ mindsets and attitudes. – By funding grassroots initiatives, people can influence the status quo of local communities, to change them.
Summing up the conversation and pointing to the future of programs like the Mazowsze Lokalnie (Masovia Locally) Fund, Krzysztof Więckiewicz noted: “The process of deconcentration and decentralization of public money is ongoing. If the regranting system proves successful, this very method of capitalizing this type of support for grassroots initiatives will be possible. We are very pleased that the FIO has finally utilized the crucial instrument of regranting, transferring funds to local communities through operators from the non-governmental sector. This guarantees a certain rationality in the spending of public funds. These programs also demonstrate how, with a small amount of money, a multiplier effect can be achieved, that is, multiplying the funds from micro-grants. Achieving results that have a more social than financial dimension, for example, we’re talking about established bonds and built social trust.”
As part of 139 subsidized projects implemented in 37 counties of the Masovian Voivodeship, 29 locations (playgrounds, courtyards, community centers) were created, renovated, and revitalized, 17 concerts, 190 open events (picnics, harvest festivals, meetings), and 1 reconstruction. 747 activities were conducted, over 2,000 publications were published, and 7 films were created. “The scale of the results would not have been so impressive without the nearly 1,500 volunteers involved in the projects and the numerous partners supporting project activities,” notes Daniel Prędkopowicz. Project implementers include not only young non-governmental organizations but also informal groups, including scouts, representatives of rural associations, horseback riding enthusiasts, lovers of regional cuisine, conscious parents, photography and craft enthusiasts, and active seniors. The program also involved 34 experienced organizations and institutions, who served as FIO ambassadors, providing information about the competition and directly assisting local implementers. “The program would not have achieved such spectacular success without the involvement of the FIO Ambassadors,” says Jacek Ostrowski, President of the Cooperation Fund Foundation. “Together with our implementers, the Ambassadors created a network of local superheroes, thanks to which our activities gained profound meaning,” he admits.
The next edition of the FIO-Mazowsze Lokalnie Program will launch in spring 2015. The organizers plan to allocate approximately PLN 800,000 for the implementation of approximately 200 micro-projects supporting young NGOs and informal groups operating in the Masovian Voivodeship.
More information about the Program can be found on the Project website: www.mazowszelokalnie.pl.
