Polish Fundraising Association marks 20th anniversary & new board members

The Polish Fundraising Association celebrates its 20^th anniversary this year, an occasion that was marked at its recent Fabryka Fundraisingu and General Meeting, which also saw the election of new board members.

The new board comprises:

• Tomek Cholast: a crowdfunding practitioner, fintech expert, and entrepreneur with 20 years of experience. Co-founder of Zrzutka.pl and 4fund.com, he is in his element on the Internet and views technology as a tool for change.
• Anna Gryżewska: for whom NGOs are a passion and a major part of her professional life. She enthusiastically participates in the sector’s transition “from sweaters to suit jackets,” doing her best wherever she is needed.
• Aleksandra Marciniak: Press Officer, specialist in personal and organisational branding, a LinkedIn enthusiast, and a fanatic for work that truly matters. She specialises in fundraising communication.
• Miłka Szotek: a strategic optimist, ambassador of listening between the lines, and an enthusiast of discovering human potential. She believes that real fundraising starts with mindfulness, and that the strongest foundations are built on values and relationships.

Robert Kawałko remains at the head of the board. Twenty years ago, he was among 18 visionaries with a single dream: that a lack of money should never stand in the way of doing good. As president, he continues to be the guardian, promoter, and enthusiast of this vision.

The General Meeting of Members took place at the end of Fabryka Fundraisingu — an event that brought together 73 specialists in Allegro to discuss important, inspiring, and thought-provoking issues, and share their knowledge and experience.

Speakers included Maya Olszewska on the ethical certification system for NGOs, which will introduce a new quality mark, and Sylwia Kobayashi, who shared insights on how fundraisers can build relationships using empathy and the principles of Nonviolent Communication (NVC).

In expert circles led by Tomasz Chołast, discussions focused on attracting people to organisations, strengthening the brand, transitioning from a founder-led model to team management, and dealing with emotional overload and resource shortages.

The day also saw the presentation of diplomas to the graduates of the Professional Fundraiser Course CFR16 and the welcoming of new members. The icing on the cake was… a birthday cake to celebrate the association’s 20th anniversary.