Charities and NGOs in Poland
Poland has a strong nonprofit sector built around fundacje (foundations), stowarzyszenia (associations), and the special status of Organizacja Pozytku Publicznego (OPP, Public Benefit Organization). The sector is active in social welfare, child welfare, healthcare, refugee and humanitarian response (including the post-2022 Ukrainian refugee operation), environmental protection, and education reform. Whether you are searching for a comprehensive list of Polish charities, an OPP database, a fundacja KRS lookup, or a single verified Polish nonprofit to donate to, GiveRadar consolidates official KRS registration data, OPP status, financial information, news coverage, and an independent integrity score for every Polish NGO. Read about how GiveRadar works before you give.
How charities and NGOs are registered in Poland
Polish foundations and associations register in the Krajowy Rejestr Sadowy (KRS, National Court Register) at the regional court with jurisdiction over the entity's seat. The KRS is fully searchable online and contains statutes, board members, and core financial data. Tax-exempt status follows from the legal form, but the most consequential designation is OPP (Organizacja Pozytku Publicznego), which lets Polish taxpayers redirect 1.5% of their personal income tax (PIT) to a chosen OPP via the annual return. The list of OPPs eligible to receive 1.5% donations is published annually by the National Freedom Institute (NIW) based on KRS data as of November 30 each year. The 2026 list, applicable for donations from the 2025 tax year, was published on December 10, 2025.
Major causes and well-known Polish NGOs
The Polish nonprofit sector is dense and well-supported by 1.5% redirects:
- Children and family: Wielka Orkiestra Swiatecznej Pomocy (WOSP), Caritas Polska, SOS Wioski Dzieciece, and Fundacja Dzieciom "Zdazyc z Pomoca".
- Health: Fundacja Onkologiczna Alivia, Fundacja Rak'n'Roll, and Hospicjum dla Dzieci networks.
- Humanitarian and refugee response: Polska Akcja Humanitarna (PAH), Polskie Centrum Pomocy Miedzynarodowej, and Caritas Polska refugee programs for Ukrainians.
- Animal welfare: TOZ (Towarzystwo Opieki nad Zwierzetami) and Otwarte Klatki.
- Civic and rule-of-law: Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights Poland, Stefan Batory Foundation, and Fundacja Court Watch Polska.
- Disability and inclusion: Fundacja Synapsis, Fundacja Mam Marzenie, and Polish Association of People with Mental Disability.
- Environment and climate: WWF Polska, Greenpeace Polska, and Fundacja Dziedzictwo Przyrodnicze.
Compare two organizations side by side with our charity comparison tool, or browse best health charities in Poland and best disaster relief charities in Poland to narrow by cause.
How to evaluate a Polish NGO before donating
Polish NGO transparency is solid for OPP-status entities, but variable for the broader sector. Things to check before giving to any Polish NGO:
- KRS entry: every legitimate fundacja or stowarzyszenie has a KRS number; verify on the Court Register.
- OPP status: only OPPs are eligible for the 1.5% income-tax redirect, and OPPs are subject to additional reporting requirements.
- Annual financial reports: OPPs must publish them on their websites and on the NIW database.
- Audit: larger Polish NGOs are subject to mandatory audit under the Polish Accounting Act.
- Sanctions and watchlists: use our free charity checker tool to cross-reference every Polish NGO against OFAC, EU, and UN watchlists automatically.
Each Polish NGO profile on GiveRadar combines KRS registration, OPP status, financials, governance, and third-party signals into a single 0-100 integrity score. Read our integrity score methodology for the full weighting.
Poland NGO explorer: browse, filter, compare
This page works as a Poland NGO explorer: every Polish fundacja and stowarzyszenie we hold data on, ranked and filterable by voivodeship, cause area, OPP status, financial transparency, presence of a website, and size. Use the filters on the left to narrow by category (children, health, humanitarian, animal welfare, civic and rule-of-law, disability, environment, religion, advocacy, and more), and the search bar to find a specific organization by name or KRS number. The directory updates daily as we ingest new KRS data and enrich existing records with contact details, financials, programs, and news coverage. To compare Polish giving against other markets, browse all countries or jump straight to disaster relief charities globally.
Donating to charities in Poland
Most Polish NGOs accept BLIK, card, and bank-transfer donations directly through their websites or via platforms like Pomagam.pl and Zrzutka.pl. The signature giving channel for Polish taxpayers is the 1.5% PIT redirect: when filing your annual PIT, you write the OPP's KRS number in the dedicated section. Companies can sponsor NGOs and deduct up to 10% of taxable income. International donors typically give cross-border via Transnational Giving Europe or GlobalGiving. GiveRadar links to each NGO's official donation channel where available and flags fundraising pages that look unverified. For a structured donor walkthrough, read our donor due-diligence guide.