L O C A L  B E A T

  Established in 1992, the REC's local operation in Warsaw originally shared office space with the Service Office of the Environmental Movement (SOEM). According to Local Representative Malgorzata Koziarek, a veteran REC staffer who has operated the Poland Office since its inception, this was a beneficial arrangement to start with. "It was good to work closely with a fairly experienced group," she explained. "They gave me a great deal of information and had many contacts in the environmental field."

  But circumstances have changed. Donations to the REC from foreign governments which largely supported the local grants programs are decreasing, especially for the four Visegrad countries. The Local Offices there must now work to expand the scope of their work beyond the grants programs and the NGOs in these countries must search for new sources of funds.

  "In the beginning it was easy," Malgorzata 'reminisces,' "donors were eager to give as much as they could." This support helped by establishing many good NGOs and starting several valuable projects, but the progress at this point is seen as somewhat superficial. Ironically Malgorzata, who was suffering with the flu at the time of this discussion, likened the situation to that of taking antibiotics. "When you have an infection normally you should take antibiotics for five days, but after the first day you start to feel better and by the third day you feel good, but if you stop at this point the problem will likely come back."

  As it was no big secret that foreign funding for the region would soon be drying up, Polish NGOs have already been searching for local sources, but often these funds are for projects only and offer little support for NGO operations. On the national level, there is a draft Law on Public Benefit Operation which is likely to enter the Parliament soon, at an MP's initiative, following current consultations with the NGO sector. The idea behind the law is to make public money (administered by various government levels) available to NGOs and to provide easier and more transparent access to those funds. In addition, a model of cooperation between the environmental Ministry and NGOs has been developed and approved. Ministry officials will announce the time schedule for putting it into practice during the National Environmental NGO Meeting in Kolumna in mid-May. The model also calls for transparent grant awarding procedures in the Ministry.

  Still most of the Polish NGOs may not have the capacity to apply for or manage such funds. According to Malgorzata, among Poland's estimated 600 environmental NGOs there are only a handful which are capable of managing large-scale, complex projects. Most are small, young organizations. Though much can be accomplished by these organizations locally and with limited resources, as exemplified by the numerous successful projects funded by the REC-Poland's local grants program.

  Fundraising is often a hugely time consuming endeavor and for the REC staff it is a new challenge, which can also be an uncomfortable one. "The REC in Poland is seen as an organization that gives money not one that looks for money," says Malgorzata. In addition, unlike in some other CEE countries, the Local Office in Poland is not an entirely unique operation, there are other organizations doing similar work and so competition for funds may be expected.

  A thin year for grants, yes, but not empty. The EU Phare Multi-Country Programme for the Environment has made up to 50,000 ECU available to NGOs in Poland and the Czech Republic for environmental projects in what is now known as the Black Triangle region. The REC will manage the Black Triangle Grants activities in the framework of its own Local Grants Program. Local Offices in Warsaw and Prague will administer grants of up to 4,000 ECU to eligible NGOs. The deadline for submitting applications is June 10 in Poland.