12.07.2019
PKN ORLEN to support local community initiatives under ‘My Place on Earth’ programme
The ORLEN GIFT FROM THE HEART Foundation has invited applications for the second edition of ‘My Place on Earth’, a programme designed with local communities in mind. Applications for grants supporting community initiatives may be submitted by NGOs and local government institutions from all over Poland by September 9th 2019. The amount allocated this year for what is PKN ORLEN’s largest grant scheme is PLN 2m.
Grants of PLN 4,000, PLN 7,500, PLN 10,000 and PLN 15,000 will be awarded by the ORLEN GIFT FROM THE HEART Foundation to projects in the fields of environmental protection, sports, health promotion, counteracting social exclusion, safety, education, heritage preservation, culture and art. Eligible beneficiaries include NGOs, schools, kindergartens, libraries and institutions of culture.
“The first edition of the programme made us realise there are scores of great community initiatives being implemented in Poland every day. We got to know many remarkable projects and met with outstanding local leaders, who are dedicated and highly motivated people with ideas on how to make a positive difference for their communities. PKN ORLEN, together with the ORLEN GIFT FROM THE HEART Foundation, will make every effort to help them turn these ideas into reality,” says Agata Górnicka, Head of the External Relations Office at PKN ORLEN.
The winning projects in this round will be selected by a judging panel consisting of representatives of the ORLEN GIFT FROM THE HEART Foundation and PKN ORLEN. Priority will be given to projects standing out for their originality and promising to effect the most significant change for the better within a local community, while encouraging residents to join in the effort. The winning projects will have to be implemented between October 1st 2019 and June 14th 2020.
‘My Place on Earth’ will be accompanied by 50 meetings at ORLEN stations throughout Poland, during which local residents will be able to learn more about participation rules, consult their ideas with experts and take part in many fun activities prepared by the Foundation.
The first edition of ‘My Place on Earth’ attracted great interest, with over 1,000 applications received in just two weeks and grants awarded to almost 300 projects. The programme also received positive feedback from local communities, who recognised the simple and friendly application form, no own-contribution requirement and a wide range of project themes. For details of the programme, visit http://www.orlendarserca.pl/
PKN ORLEN and its ORLEN GIFT FROM THE HEART Foundation have provided support to local communities throughout Poland for many years now. Some of their initiatives include fire service support, with 360 firefighting units awarded an unprecedented PLN 2m in grant money. The Foundation helps children in foster care homes by organising holidays at the Polish seaside. It also supports young people in pursuing their education through scholarships for talented youth and university students (including the BONA FIDE scholarship programme), as well as special scholarships (including ‘Scholarships for Fellow Countrymen’ offered to university students from the former eastern borderlands of Poland who have Polish roots).
