The Stefan Batory Foundation is an independent Polish nonprofit established in 1988 by American financier George Soros and Polish democratic leaders. Based in Warsaw at Sapieżyńska 10a, the organization holds public benefit status and operates as a grantmaker and advocacy institution focused on democratic development across Poland and Central Eastern Europe.
The foundation's work centers on three priorities: improving Polish democracy quality, strengthening civic participation, and fostering international cooperation. Rather than replacing state functions, it targets gaps where civil society actors can add distinct value. This approach reflects its stated principle of independence from political institutions.
The organization distributes grants to civic groups and informal organizations while conducting its own initiatives: public campaigns, institutional monitoring, advocacy work, and research publications. Its funding model combines endowment income with grants from foreign institutions, individual donations, and tax designations, though it remains dependent on external sources rather than domestic philanthropic wealth.
The foundation has faced intense scrutiny from Polish government media in recent years. When operating as administrator of a European Economic Area grants program distributing €37 million across roughly 600 projects over three years, the government selectively highlighted 16 grants to LBGTQ organizations while minimizing the program's broader focus on civic education, anti-discrimination work, and institutional monitoring. This illustrated tensions between the foundation's advocacy priorities and nationalist political movements.
The Batory Foundation maintains partnerships with European networks including the European Foundation Centre and Transparency International, positioning itself within broader transnational civil society infrastructure.