About us

Effectus Papilionis Foundation was established in 2005 as the initiative of a group of young Poles in London. For over 15 years, we have been motivating talented and ambitious young people from small towns and villages and supporting their education. During this time, we have provided support to over 1,000 students from the remotest corners of Poland. Our graduates are pursuing their careers at leading Polish and overseas universities (including the University of Oxford, the University of Warsaw, and the Poznań University of Economics and Business) and are fulfilling their professional dreams by pursuing various career paths.

The Effectus Papilionis Foundation is an apolitical, independent and registered Public Benefit Organization. The Foundation is not engaged in any business activity and relies on the work of volunteers.

Financing

Effectus Papilionis Foundation relies on institutional and individual donors. We raise funds from regular events for Institutional Partners (e.g. Dodgeball Tournament), individual payments by Donors and Patrons, and transfers of 1,5% of personal income tax. The funds donated go straight to supporting our key work, with minimal administrative burden.

Effectus Papilionis Foundation is an apolitical, independent and registered Public Benefit Organization. The Foundation is not engaged in any business activity and relies on the work of volunteers.

1
Institutional
Partners
2
Donors &
Patrons
3
1,5% Income
Tax

Articles of the Association

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Operating model

Education in Poland needs considerable support, and resources are limited. We focus on high priority activities, i.e. those with the highest ratio of potential benefits to expenditures. We believe that these are scholarship programmes, motivational weekends and supporting English language learning. Every year we try to reach the most talented students with our offer and, in cooperation with local educational authorities and heads of school, we recruit students for our programs. Every year, we carefully select a small group of Scholarship Holders from a wide range of applicants.

Pillar 1:
Scholarship Programme

Pillar 2:
Motivational Weekends

Pillar 3:
English Courses

Pillar 1:
Scholarship Programme

We invite the most talented students to the scholarship program, those in whom we see the greatest potential for development and the most effective use of financial support. They receive annual scholarships, and provide proof of purchase for all their spending. Scholarships funds can be used for purchasing scientific materials, courses and educational trips and for participation in a school’s social life.

Pillar 2:
Motivational Weekends

All our Scholarship Holders are invited to motivational weekends, during which they take part in educational workshops, activities and games supporting whole-person development, and spend time with people who have overcome adversity to achieve personal and professional success. The culminating moment of each weekend is a workshop with professionals in different fields who reveal the secrets of their career paths.

Pillar 3:
English Courses

A knowledge of English - the ability to obtain information and communicate freely - largely predetermines success or failure in the future. Currently, knowledge of English is an essential requirement for joining almost any prospective profession and opens the door to the information society through an understanding of the surrounding world. By organizing English classes for children and young people from disadvantaged areas, we provide them with equal treatment. We make sure that the courses are focussed on fluency and communication in English.

Team

Cezary
Pietrasik

Cezary is one of our co-founders and the President of the foundation. He is also the founder and president of Healthdom, a San Francisco-based digital preventive medicine platform that uses genetic research, behavioral and demographic data to prevent disease. Previously, Cezary was an investor in Warburg Pincus, and worked for Mid Europa Partners, JP Morgan and McKinsey. He published the book "Civic Army", postulating reforms in the Polish defence doctrine after the occupation of Crimea by Russia.

Katarzyna
Rozenfeld

Kasia is one of the co-founders of the Foundation and a member of the management board. She is a leader with over 25 years of experience working with companies from the energy and consulting sectors, the chairwoman of the supervisory board of a large infrastructure fund, a coach and a leadership skills mentor. In her personal life, she is a mother and a lover of Africa.

Krzysztof
Darmetko

Krzysztof is one of the co-founders of the Foundation, a member of the management board, and an expert in the field of medical prevention, managing the Healthdom team. Previously, he worked in the banking sector, where he was responsible for online banking systems. In his personal life, he is married with four children.

Anna
Matsiyeuskaya

Ania has been the Foundation’s co-ordinator since 2017. Professionally, she is a lawyer specializing in company law, mergers and acquisitions. Parallel to her work in a leading law firm, she teaches commercial law at the University of Warsaw. She is also an art lover and opera singer.

Honorary Council

Dariusz Greszta

Partner in the Warsaw office of CMS Cameron McKenna. He specializes in securities law, mergers and acquisitions and company law. He graduated from the Faculty of Law and Administration of the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, holds an LL.M diploma awarded by the University of Houston in Texas.

Peter Driscoll

Former Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and former President of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Poland. Previously a specialist of the International Monetary Fund. Peter Driscoll is a graduate of the Department of Philology at the University of Cambridge and Helena Business College.

Adam Krasoń

Certified Auditor and President of PricewaterhouseCoopers in Poland with several years of experience in the field of auditing, with international experience (e.g. in pwc's Washington office). Adam Krasoń is also a Certified Auditor in England.

Sławomir Lachowski

Founder of mBank (the first Polish online bank) and pioneer of mobile banking in Poland. Sławomir Lachowski graduated from the Warsaw School of Economics, as well as numerous courses at INSEAD and Stanford University in California.

Jerzy Woy-Wojciechowski

President of the Polish Medical Association, the greatest authority in the field of nuclear medicine. In addition, the founder of the ESKULAP Theater and singer.