OUR VOICE MATTERS

Ewa Kulik-Bielińska

Stefan Batory Foundation

Executive Director of the  Stefan Batory Foundation in Warsaw, Poland, a public benefit organization supporting the development of democracy and civil society in Poland and in Central Eastern Europe.

A leader of advocacy efforts to create enable legal environment for development of philanthropy and civic activism in Poland and Europe. Involved in drafting the Polish Law of Public Benefit and Volunteerism, Public Collection Law, Law on Associations and in developing recommendations for the reform of Foundation Law in Poland and for the establishment of European Foundation Statute to facilitate cross-border giving in EU. 

Author of articles on the NGO-government cooperation, foundation law, endowment building and philanthropy development, initiator and participant of numerous campaigns to boost civic activism and involvement of citizens in public life. 

Initiator and founder of Polish Donors Forum – an association of Polish private grantmaking institutions. in 2004-2008 a CSO sector representative at the first Council for the Public Benefit Activity, an advisory body at the Minister of Social Policy in Poland. 2010-2015 a member of the Working Group on Enabling Fiscal and Legal environment for the Civil Society at the Chancellery of President of Poland.

In 2014 – 2017  Chair of the European Foundation Center, an association of the leading European and international philanthropic institutions engaged in support of civil society, social justice, culture and research in Europe and globally.

Honored with the medal of the Minister of Education for activity in Solidarity underground movement of 1980’s; the Minister of Culture’s award for promotion of free speech; and the Order of Poland Restored (Polonia Restituta) for activity in the anti-communist opposition of 70’ and 80’s.