These are basic facts about the NGOs in Poland , based on research conducted in 2002 by Klon/Jawor Association on a representative sample of associations and foundations.

The information regarding the Polish non-governmental (NGO) sector presented here is based on research carried out in 2002 on a random, representative and stratified sample of associations and foundations in Poland. The data was collected by the Polish Sociological Society's Research Department over the period 21 June - 13 September 2002.

The research project was designed by a team at the Klon/Jawor Association in cooperation with the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, and received support from the Polish-American Freedom Foundation, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP).

• There are over 36,500 associations and over 5,000 foundations registered in Poland.
  
• At least 58% of the total number of NGOs registered are active. In the case of 10% of the registered NGOs it was found that they are not engaged in any activities.
  
• 91% of the NGOs were founded after 1989, whereas 30% of the NGOs are less than three years old.
  
• 49% of the total registered NGOs have their seat in large towns (current and former voivodship capitals).
  
• The greatest number of associations and foundations indicate that among the most important fields of activity are sport (59.3%), education (48,2%), health protection, rehabilitation and assistance to the disabled (32,6%), as well as culture and the arts (27,4%).
  
• Over half (55%) of the NGOs do not employ full-time paid personnel.
  
• 35% of the NGOs employ staff on the basis of a labour contract. The total scale of employment in NGOs can be estimated to correspond to approximately 62,000 FTE positions, which is amounts to 0.58% of total employment outside the agricultural sector.
  
• Volunteers (non-members of the associations) participate in the work of half of the NGOs. We estimate their number at about 1.6 million. Last year one volunteer worked an average of about 18 hours a month in an NGO.
  
• Half associations have no more than 46 members. One in four associations has 100 or more members, whereas about 5% of them have over 750 members.
  
• In 2001, the revenue of half of the NGOs did not exceed PLN 19,000.
  
• In the case of all association and foundations the financial means for 2001 were made up principally of: public sector funds (local and regional government) - 19.6% of the NGOs' income; public sector funds (central government) - 13.5%; donations from individuals and firms - 16.5%; income from economic activity - 10.4%. Funds from foreign donor funding, such as that of the European Union, amounted to 5.7% of the sector's income.
  
• 57% of the NGOs feel that the introduction of the law on public benefit organisations will improve the situation of NGOs, 3% disagree, while the remaining NGOs feel that there will be no change or express no opinion. 62% of the NGOs express a desire to gain recognition as a public benefit organisation, while 54% consider that they already fulfil the requirements required to achieve this.
  
• 69% of NGOs use computers in their work. 33% have internet access in the NGO's office, with another 11% making use of internet access outside the office in respect of their NGO's activities.
  
• Difficulty in having the basic financial or material means required to work is the problem that most (78%) NGOs feel they face more often than any other. In the opinion of 68% of the organisations, unclear and unstable legal regulations regarding the NGO sector are a serious problem. The same number of organisations considers unclear rules regarding cooperation with public administration to be a problem.