NGOs’ activities

In 2017, the number of grants awarded to non-governmental organisations for the implementation of public tasks amounted to 1,187 annual grants and 73 multi-annual grants.

Cooperation of the City of Poznań with non-governmental organisations

The City of Poznań supports the activities of the 3rd sector, financially and organizationally, in terms of public tasks in order to meet the existing social needs of the residents, based on the “Annual Cooperation Programme of the City of Poznań with Non-Governmental Organisations” and adopted for the first time in 2016 “Multi-Annual Cooperation Programme of the City of Poznań with Non-Governmental Organisations for 2017-2020”.

In 2017 non-governmental organizations obtain 1 187 annual grants and 73 multi-annual grants for public tasks realisation.

Diagnosis of non-governmental organisations and voluntary service

In 2017, a diagnosis of the third sector and the voluntary service in Poznań was prepared. According to the Statistics Poland, almost 4,000 non-profit entities (foundations, associations, church organisations, sports clubs) are registered in the city. The register of ordinary associations kept by the Mayor of the City of Poznań included over 650 entities. According to data of the National Court Register (this register does not include church organisations or ordinary associations), there were approximately 2.5 thousand organisations registered in Poznań. Based on the research and analysis of statistical data, it can be assumed that between 1.5 thousand and 1.8 thousand non-governmental and church organisations are active in Poznań.

Areas of activity represented by the third sector in the largest number are the following:

• science, higher education, education and school system (27%),
• culture, art, protection of cultural goods and national heritage (25%),
• supporting and popularising physical culture and sport (19%).

The financial situation of Poznań’s third sector can be assessed as rather good – more than half of such entities have the capacity to provide funds for their own operations at the beginning of each calendar year, however 40% have difficulties with that, including 20% – large ones. More than half of the studied organisations do not employ employees at all, and less than 20% of entities employ (in various legal forms) from 1 to 3 employees.

The activity of the organisations in acquiring financial resources for the operation (in the form of grants and subsidies) is not high – in 2016, 14% of entities participating in the study did not implement projects at all, and 60% did not carry out any projects co-financed by the City of Poznań. On a yearly average basis, organisations from Poznań carry out from 1 to 3 projects, a similar group implements urban projects in a similar number. Usually, the value of these projects oscillates around PLN 10 thousand.

Poznań Centre for Supporting Non-Governmental Organisations and Volunteering

One of the tools supporting non-governmental organisations, and thus indirectly supporting development of civil society and getting the residents involved in social life, is the Poznań Centre for Supporting Non-Governmental Organisations and Volunteering, also known as the “Bukowska Centre.” In 2017, the Centre was managed by three NGOs selected in the competition, which have been active in development of civil society in Poznań for years (the Wielkopolska Coordinating Council the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations, the Wielkopolska Forum of Organisations of People with Disabilities, the Association Na Tak).

The offer of the Poznań Centre for Supporting Non-Governmental Organisations and Volunteering includes:

• promotion and development of partnership between the local government and non-governmental organisations, and within the community of NGOs,
• increasing knowledge and skills of representatives of non-governmental organisations operating in Poznań in the field of their functioning, and professionalisation of NGOs from Poznań,
• counselling for representatives of associations and foundations in organising and promoting activities,
• support in setting up a non-governmental organisation,
• conducting training, thematic meetings and specialist advice for representatives of NGOs and volunteers,
• providing premises for work to Poznań’s non-governmental organisations or grass roots initiatives, as well as space for training and conferences,
• mediation in the field of volunteering,
• support for NGOs employing people with disabilities,
• free legal advice for people with disabilities.

The space of the Centre for Supporting Non-Governmental Organisations and Volunteering also includes the Centre for Local Initiatives, the Centre for Urban Volunteering and 2 points of free legal assistance.
In order to integrate and promote the community of NGOs and people involved in social activities, the City of Poznań organises cyclical events and social campaigns, such as:

• Poznań’s Day and Week of Non-Governmental Organisations, whose objective is to promote local organisations and present their activities to a wider community; in 2017, the event was initiated by the Day of Non-Governmental Organisations with the presentation of associations, foundations and sports clubs at the stands on Plac Wolności; non-governmental organisations organised numerous workshops and speeches, games for children, research and consultations; during the Week of Non-Governmental Organisations one could attend 31 events (trainings, meetings, workshops, lectures, presentations) at the seats of the organisers,
• the Poznań Volunteer of the Year competition, which took place in a modified formula and was advertised by a social campaign promoting voluntary service under the slogan “People with good written on their faces;” winners of the competitions from previous years and actor Michał Grudziński took part in the campaign; the result of their joint work was a film about voluntary service available on the youtube.pl platform; over 80 applications for the competition in 6 categories were received,
• the INICJATORY competition for the best non-governmental initiative implemented in Poznań; actions undertaken in the previous year could be submitted for the competition in 5 categories: education, culture, sport, environment and health,
• the Week of Non-Governmental Organisations.

Amounts allocated for subsidies for non-governmental organisations in 2017 in accordance with the provisions of the Annual Cooperation Programme

Source: resolution of the Poznań City Council No. XXXVI/613/VII/2016.

Non-governmental consultative and opinion-forming bodies

Social advisory and opinion-forming teams

In 2017, there were 10 advisory and initiative teams that included representatives of non-governmental organisations:

• Poznań’s Council for Charitable Activities,
• the Senior Citizens City Council,
• the Municipal Social Council for Disabled People,
• the Large Family Council,
• the Youth Consultation Council by the Mayor of the City of Poznań,
• 5 civil dialogue commissions.

The activity of the Jeżyki Youth Council, being a youth organisation created on the basis of the Children’s Civic Budget, which includes representatives of schools in Jeżyce, was inaugurated. The Council was covered by the patronage of the Poznań’s Council for Charitable Activities, and its activities were co-financed from the resources of the Centre for Local Initiatives.

Public consultation

In 2017, the Poznań City Council adopted a resolution on the principles and procedure for conducting public consultations in the city of Poznań. During the year, the City of Poznań conducted 79 public consultations with the residents, using the public space and the Internet, including the rebuilt Internet Social Consultation Platform and the Metropolitan Social Consultation Portal. On average, 40 people participated in each consultation; 6 consultations with non-governmental organisations took place, and the number of organisations participating in them was 13.

Other forms of social dialogue included: permanent consultation on planning decisions and road investments, as well as one-off consultation concerning various projects important for the residents, direct meetings of the Mayor with the residents of housing estates, the draft Poznań Civic Budget (PBO).
Work on launching the Open Poznań project in 2018 – a modern internet platform for communication with the residents – continued.

Poznań Civic Budget

In 2017, as part of the PBO, which was increased to PLN 18 million, 325 projects were submitted, for which 45.1 thousand votes were cast. The City of Poznań carried out activities to encourage residents, especially seniors and young people, to participate in the PBO, among others, through the Marathon of Writing Applications campaign, the Poznaj Poznań high school project, the PBO18 Results Announcement Gala event.

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