Telewizja Polsat was the first commercial TV station in Poland to engage in charity work. The Polsat Foundation was established in 1996, and has been helping to finance the treatment of seriously ill children for 16 years now. ’Wystarczy chcieć’ (Just Do It) was the motto adopted at the time of the Foundation’s inception.
The Foundation’s staff are aware that a child’s illness is a tragedy that has two dimensions – not only emotional, but also financial, since specialist treatment, innovative pharmaceuticals or expensive rehabilitation are well beyond most parents’ financial capacity. That is why, over the 16 years of its operations, the Foundation has been incessantly helping specific children, and saving the lives of the youngest who would not otherwise be able to recover. The Foundation tries to respond as fast as possible and to consider all the help requests it receives. So far, it has helped over 20,000 small patients and provided support to over a thousand hospitals and other medical facilities. Altogether, the Foundation has spent PLN 187.3m on the objectives laid down in its charter.
The Foundation’s most recognisable projects include:
- ‘Podaruj Dzieciom Słońce’ (Let the Sun Shine for the Children)
This is an annual, nationwide campaign carried out by the Polsat Foundation together with Procter&Gamble and Telewizja Polsat. Some of the income from sale of products bearing the sun logo has been assigned to address specific problems at Polish paediatric clinics and to support the treatment and rehabilitation of children under the Foundation’s care. Thanks to the campaign, in 1999–2007 equipment was purchased for 232 children’s wards and other specialised medical facilities dedicated to children. In 2008–2011, the collected funds were allocated to finance treatment and rehabilitation of 7,277 children with serious illnesses, as well as to purchase associated medical and rehabilitation equipment. Over the 14 years during which the programme has been run, more than PLN 65.6m has been donated for financing the treatment of children. - ’Jesteśmy dla dzieci’ (We Are for the Children)
This campaign features the children under the Foundation’s care in advertising spots in which they appeal for help, not only for themselves, but also for other sick children. Thanks to this campaign, the Foundation has collected PLN 53m, which was assigned in whole to finance the treatment and rehabilitation of children. - ’Mikołajkowy Blok Reklamowy’ (Santa’s Day Commercial Break)
This is an exceptional campaign, uniting large corporations and Telewizja Polsat viewers to jointly help sick children. On December 6th at 6.45pm, a special commercial break is broadcast by Telewizja Polsat, which is watched by millions of viewers. The proceeds from this special broadcast, calculated on the basis of the audience share, are donated every year for financing the treatment and rehabilitation of the children under the Polsat Foundation’s care. On December 6th 2012, the Santa’s Day Commercial Break attracted over 8.8 million viewers (i.e. 54.4% of viewers in the 16-49 age group), thanks to which over PLN 2m was collected. In 2012, the Santa’s Day Commercial Break could for the first time be watched on the Internet via the ipla application – 4,200 Internet users took advantage of that opportunity. The nine Santa’s Day Commercial Breaks broadcast so far have brought almost PLN 10.5m for the children the Polsat Foundation looks after. - ’Rodzina – Dom Budowany Miłością’ (Family – A Home Built by Love)
This is a social initiative run by the Polsat Foundation together with the Przyjaciółka Foundation, the purpose of which is to support private homes of state-certified caregivers and foster families, and to promote family-based forms of foster care. When it joined in the programme, the Foundation set itself the goal of giving each child the chance to be brought up in a family. If a child cannot be raised by its biological parents, the most desirable alternatives are a foster family or a private home of state-certified caregivers. For the six years that the programme has been run, over PLN 1.8m has been donated by the Foundation to support the programme.
The Foundation carries out global initiatives as well – in 2005 money was raised for child tsunami victims in Asia, and more than PLN 1.2m was given to the Polska Akcja Humanitarna Foundation to help children from Sri Lanka, one of the regions hit the hardest by the disaster.
Thanks to Telewizja Polsat, the Foundation can reach the people, sponsors, and volunteers without whom it would not be able to work. The Foundation’s operations are financed by funds collected in nationwide campaigns, by donations, and by numerous private and corporate grants.
All our efforts prove that we can truly help children only by joining forces. Saving children’s health and life is the Foundation’s primary mission. During the 16 years of its existence it has managed to directly help 20,341 children affected by serious illness, and thus also their families.
For more information on the Polsat Foundation, see www.fundacjapolsat.pl
Polsat Foundation’s account number:
INVEST- BANK S.A. O/WARSZAWA
21 1680 1248 0000 3333 4444 5555
