>>Statute

STATUTE

General Provisions

§ 1

The „Dzieło Nowego Tysiąclecia” Foundation, further referred to as the Foundation, was established by the Conference of Polish Episcopacy, further referred to as the Founder, under notarial deed drew up by a notary, operates under the Law of Foundations of 6 April 1984 (Journal of Laws  1991 No 46, item 203 with further amendments), the Act on the Relations between the State and the Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland (Journal of Laws  1989 No 29, item 154 with further amendments) and the provisions of this Charter.

§ 2

The Foundation has the status of legal person.

§ 3

The Foundation’s registered office is in Warsaw.

§ 4

The Foundation operates on the territory of the Republic of Poland.

The Foundation may establish organisational units abroad provided this is necessary to achieve its goals.

The Foundation operates for the general public.

§ 5

Activity of the Foundation is the subject to competence of the Minister of Science and Higher Education.

Regardless of the state supervision, the Conference of Polish Episcopacy exercises supervision on the Foundation as the Founder, in accordance with Article 58 of the Act on the Relations between the State and the Catholic Church in the Republic of Poland (Journal of Laws 1989 No 29, item 154 with further amendments).

On behalf of the Founder the supervision will be exercised by the Presidium of the Conference of Polish Episcopacy.

§ 6

The objectives of the Foundation are as follows:

  • supporting of the development of Christian culture and education, as well as Christian media in Poland,
  • raising the educational opportunities of young people from small towns and villages,
  • promotion of the teachings of John Paul II

§ 7

The Foundation fulfils its objectives by:

  • organizing and funding:
    • scholarships and prizes for people committed to the development of Christian culture and knowledge and Christian media in Poland;
    • support for the poor pupils and students from small towns and villages in access to education and culture;
    • scientific research;
    • conferences and seminars, events and competitions in Poland and abroad within the scope of the Foundation’s objectives;
    • the forum for developing, popularizing and supporting the Foundation ideals and goals;
    • activities of promoting and informing for the purpose of achieving the Foundation objectives;
    • camps and workshops;
    • cooperation with governmental institutions, local government institutions and other legal and natural person in Poland and abroad interested in realization of the Foundation objectives.

§ 8

For achieving its goals, the Foundation may support the activity of other legal and natural persons, whose objectives are similar.

The property and incomes of the Foundation.

§ 9

The Foundation’s capital is comprised of the statutory fund in the amount of 700,000 PLN (seven hundred thousand zlotys), and other fixed assets including real property and movable property acquired by the Foundation during its operation.

§ 10

  1. The Foundation’s income comprises of:
  • donations, inherited property and bequests.
  • subsidies
  • bank interest
  • incomes from real property and movable property

The Foundation’s incomes mentioned before are allocated entirely for realization of the Foundation objectives.

§ 11

If the Foundation is summoned to inheritance, the Board of the Foundation shall produce a declaration of intent regarding the acceptance of the inheritance up to the level of net assets provided that at the moment when the declaration of intent is to be made, it is clear that the assets of succession significantly exceed the succession debts.

§ 12

Legal and natural persons, who donate for the Foundation in the amount equal to at least 100,000 zlotys, shall obtain the title of the Honorary Donor of the Foundation.

The Foundation keeps the Book of the Honorary Donors, in which are kept the names of the Donors, who especially contributed to the development of the Foundation.

§ 13

The title of the Honorary Donor is personal.

The Board of the Foundation may divest the Donor of the title if his activity is contradictory to the Foundation objectives.

The Authorities of the Foundation

§ 14

The management of the Foundation is performed by:

  • the Council of the Foundation
  • the Board of the Foundation
  • Audit Committee

Members of the Foundation management should not be convicted by a final court judgement of having committed a deliberate crime or a tax offence.

Members of the Foundation Council and Audit Committee may not sit on the Board of the Foundation or be related to members of the Foundation Board by virtue of familial relation or subordination in an employment relation.

§ 15

The Board of the Foundation consist of eight to twelfth members appointed by the Founder with their own consent.

§ 16

Each of the Foundation members is appointed and dismissed by the Founder.

The Council of the Foundation is appointed for the period of three years.

There is a possibility of appointing a member of the Council during the aforementioned period until it completes and dismissing him at any time.

§ 17

The objectives of the Council of the Foundation include:

  • appointment of the President of the Foundation and his deputy from the members of the Council, with the first President being appointed by the Founder for a period of one year;
  • approval of the project of the Foundation’s activity and the budget for the following year;
  • accepting of the annual report of the Board of the Foundation and to give the vote of approval to the Board – after the favourable opinion on the report of the Audit Committee;
  • passing regulations on the project of including changes into the Foundation’s Charter;
  • granting and revoking of the title of the Honorary Donor;
  • establishing the rules of making an entry to the Book of the Honorary Donors;
  • approving the terms and conditions of employment of the workers of the Foundation;
  • awarding the honorary medals and other distinctions for the people with a significant contribution to the Foundation;
  • approval of the disposal of the part of the Foundation’s capital worth more than 100,000 zlotys;
  • approval of joining the trading company by the Foundation;
  • other matters mentioned in the Charter.

§ 18

The Council of the Foundation gathers twice a year at the ordinary meeting.

The extraordinary meeting of the Council of the Foundation may be called by the Board of the Foundation on its own initiative or at the request of two members of the Council, its chairman or at the request of the Audit Committee. An extraordinary meeting shall be held within 21 days from the date of submission of the application to the Board by the authorized entities.

§ 19

Resolutions of the Council of the Foundation shall be made by an absolute majority of votes in the presence of at least half of the members of the Council.
The President of the Council may, in special circumstances, order a written vote on the resolutions of the Council of the Foundation.

Organization of the work of the Council is regulated by the Regulation.

§ 20

The Foundation is ruled by its Board, according to its Charter.

§ 21

The Board of Foundation consist of three to seven persons, including the president and at least one vice-president.

The Board of Foundation is called by the Council of the Foundation for the period of four years.

The Council of the Foundation may appoint a member of the Board during the aforementioned period until it completes.

Aforementioned decisions of the Council of the Foundation come into force after they are accepted by the Founder.

The First Board, consisting of three persons and the President of the Board is appointed by the Founder. The number of its members may be completed during the time of tenure. After this time the Board shall perform its duties until the new Board is appointed.

§ 22

The Board of the Foundation is obliged and entitled to take all actions and to manage the affairs of the Foundation, in accordance with the Charter.

The responsibilities of the Board of the Foundation are:

  • implementation of the objectives of the Foundation, in accordance with the Charter;
  • representing of the Foundation outside;
  • preparation of the project of the organizing regulation of the Foundation;
  • preparation of the project of activity and budget for the following year;
  • reporting on the annual activities and financial statement;
  • accepting of donations, grants and bequests;
  • managing the Foundation’s budget, conducting financial affairs according to the principles of proper management and to achieve the objectives of the Foundation;
  • preparation of projects relating to granting of the titles, medals and other distinctions for people, who especially contributed to the development of the Foundation.

The Board may determine the detailed Rules of its mode of operation, which is to be consistent with the Charter.
The Board of the Foundation provides working conditions for the Council of the Foundation and the Audit Commission.

§ 23

Resolutions of the Board of the Foundation shall be made by an absolute majority of votes in the presence of at least half of the members of the Board.
The President of the Board may, in special circumstances, make urgent decision, however such a decision requires the approval at the next meeting of the Board.

To make declarations of will and to sign for the Foundation, two Board members, one of whom is President or Vice-President are required.

One person authorized by the resolution of the Board can make a declaration of will on behalf of the Foundation at the ordinary meeting.

§ 24

The Board of the Foundation is entitled to appoint proxies.

§ 25

The Board, in agreement with the Council of the Foundation, can invite people who especially contributed to the development of the Foundation for the Honorary Committee of the Foundation.

§ 26

The supervisory body of the Foundation is the Audit Committee, which every time is the composition of the Economic Council of the Conference of Polish Episcopacy that is three Conference members elected for five years by the Plenary Assembly of the Conference.

§ 27

The responsibilities of the Audit Committee are:

  • supervision of the Foundation’s activity in realization of its objectives;
  • supervision of the budget and financial activity of the Foundation;
  • reporting to the Board about the results of the audit;
  • submitting reports and opinions to the Council of the Foundation at least once a year.

The Audit Committee once a year, until the end of the June, present a report on the previous year to the Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Polish Episcopacy about the activity of the Foundation.

§ 28

The Audit Committee gathers two times a year, if necessary at the request of the Founder, the Foundation Council or the Board.

The Audit Committee expresses its opinion in the form of resolutions adopted by an absolute majority of all members.

§ 29

Members of the Foundation Bodies receive no remuneration for performing their functions; they are entitled to the reimbursement of the costs related to the meeting of the particular body, not higher than average monthly salary in the enterprise sector announced by the President of the Central Statistical Office for the previous year.

Member of the Board may be the employed Foundation worker with the retention of the provisions of Art. 17, point 7 of the Charter.

For the members of the Foundation bodies, employees or persons to whom the employees are married or in a relationship of direct kinship in a straight line, consanguinity or affinity in the collateral line to the second degree, or are related by adoption, custody or guardianship it is prohibited to:

  • obtain a loan form the Foundation;
  • issue liability security with the Foundation’s assets
  • acquire the assets of the Foundation on other grounds other than those that apply to third persons, especially, if such transfers are made free-of-charge or under preferential conditions;
  • use the assets of the Foundation on other grounds other than those that apply to third persons, unless such usage is directly provided for in the statutory objective of the Foundation;
  • sell goods or provide services to the Foundation on the grounds other than those that apply to third persons, or at prices higher than on the market.

Final Provisions

§ 30

The Founder reserves the right to introduce changes to the Charter and the objectives of the Foundation.

§ 31

The Foundation may merge with another foundation with similar objectives – on conditions specified in the agreement of both foundations, with the retention of other the provisions of the Charter.

The Board of the Foundation decides on the aforementioned merger – after obtaining the opinion of the other bodies. Resolution of the Council of the Foundation for validity must be approved by the Conference of Polish Episcopacy.

The agreement mentioned in the paragraph 1 is concluded by the Board on behalf of the Foundation.

§ 32

The Foundation is subject to liquidation in case of obtaining the objectives of the Foundation or exhaustion of funds and assets of the Foundation – in the manner specified in paragraph 2 and 3.

The Founder undertakes the resolution on the liquidation of the Foundation – at the request of the Council of the Foundation

The liquidation shall be carried out by a liquidator appointed by the Founder, who also determines the disposal of the remaining property in the manner specified in Art. 6 of the Charter.

§ 33

The Charter of the “Dzieło Nowego Tysiąclecia” Foundation was approved during the 302 Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Polish Episcopacy, held in Częstochowa, on 25-26 November 1999.


Amendment of the Charter has been made during the 354 Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Polish Episcopacy, held in Zakopane, on 15-16 March 2011.
Amendment of the Charter has been made during the 368 Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Polish Episcopacy, which was held in Warsaw on 11-12 March 2015.

+ Stanisław Gądecki

Archbishop of Poznań

President of the CPE

+ Artur G. Miziński

Secretary General of the CPE

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