Presentation of medical equipment at the 27th Grand Finale. photo by Michał Złotowski

The Foundation Publishes Financial Reports

09 January 2020

It is customary for the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity to publish financial reports detailing the charity's medical purchases in the run-up to the Grand Finale fundraiser.

The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation strives to be open, transparent, and conscientious about the way in which it spends the money donated by the members of the public. We have always upheld the view that our charity is entrusted with the public funds in order to buy medical equipment for public hospitals.

The Foundation publishes detailed financial accounts which show how the funds raised at the previous Grand Finales have been allocated. Due to the nature of our work, we can announce complete financial reports once all obligations undertaken by the manufacturers of medical equipment are duly fulfilled: equipment is manufactured according to our requirements, delivered and installed at the hospitals we selected, and, if required the medical personnel should be trained on how to use the new devices. In the case of sophisticated devices, such as CT or MRI scanners, which require separate suites to be installed at hospitals, the process between the initial purchase and actual delivery of equipment can be extended. That is why the process of our financial reporting takes up to a year and a half.

Financial reports we published on our websites include both: our purchases and financial obligations we undertook. The data include how much we spend by the end of 2019 and how much funds will be paid once all our contracts are duly fulfilled. In this case, the payments will be made in 2020 or, in some cases in 2021 - especially in case of devices such as MRI and CT scanners, which require adjustments to be made to the hospital buildings. That is why these reports differ from the reports we are required to send to the Polish Ministry of Interior and Administration. The report filed with the Ministry contains only the actual expenditure made in a given year. The reports we present ahead of the Grand Finale are more detailed and show how exactly the money has been spent.

Krzysztof Dobies, Press Officer, GOCC Foundation

25th Grand Finale took place in January 2017. The medical objective of the public fundraiser was supporting paediatric hospitals and helping geriatric wards provide elderly patients with medical care in dignified conditions. We raised PLN 105 570 801, 49 (over EUR 25 000 000). Today we can publish the complete financial report of the 25th Grand Finale because all contracts were duly fulfilled and all pieces of equipment are currently working in public hospitals across Poland.

The majority of funds raised at the 25th Grand Finale went towards the purchase of hospital beds for paediatric wards, electrocardiographs, ultrasonography machines, infusion and large volume pumps - equipment donated to children's hospitals in the country. Recliners, lounge chairs, and nursing chairs were another significant purchase made with the funds raised in 2017. We donated over 5 000 pieces of furniture so that parents accompanying their children at hospitals can rest and bond with children.

25th Finale was the last edition of the fundraiser held to support the purchase of equipment and furniture for geriatric wards and long-term care wards. We bought 2086 beds, 400 wheelchairs, 115 inhalers, 117 syringe pumps, and 722 anti bedsore mattresses. We donated equipment for PLN 25 327 142, 11 to geriatric and long-term care units.

What is more, the money we collected in winter of 2017 went towards the running of our medical and educational initiatives and was used to finance the purchase of rehabilitation equipment we donate to individual children throughout the year.

It is important to note that the costs incurred by the organization of the public collection amounted to PLN 4 053 624,01.

Financial report of the 25th Grand Finale

26th Grand Finale took place in January 2018. We raised money to ensure equal access to neonatal care for all children born in Poland - we aimed to buy modern medical devices for neonatal units across the country. The charity drive brought PLN 126 373 804, 34 (over EUR 37 000 000). Today, we can publish a partial financial report of the 26th Grand Finale. It means that we are still waiting on some contracts to be fulfilled and equipment to be installed.

It should come as no surprise that the majority of the money went towards the purchase of closed incubators, transport incubators, neonatal resuscitation units, volume infusion pumps and hundreds of medical devices which are essential when saving the lives of the youngest patients. We bought equipment for PLN 91.862.895,72. The remaining funds went towards the running of our medical and educational programmes. Three of them - insulin pump treatment for women with diabetes, newborn screening programme, and prevention and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity programme focus on the health of newborn babies. We were able to donate equipment to nearly all neonatal wards in Poland.

What is more, the Board of the Foundation decided to set aside PLN 2 517 879, 73 to be allocated in 2020.

Partial financial report of the 26th Grand Finale

27th Grand Finale took place in January 2019. That record-breaking fundraiser aimed to support paediatric wards. We raised PLN 175 938 717,46 (over EUR 46 000 000). The Orchestra used PLN 152 217 365,18 to buy 9 MRI scanners, 13 CT scanners, 15 RTG machines, equipment for MRI suites. The charity effectively replaced old scanners, which have been donated to hospitals years before. Part of the funds went towards financing medical initiatives, educational programme and purchase of rehabilitation equipment.

PLN 2 380 146,04 was set aside for additional purchases, which will take place in the upcoming year.

Partial financial report of the 27th Grand Finale

The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity enjoys overwhelming public support and trust. The key to our permanent position of the most trustworthy organisation in the country lies in how consistently we show how effectively the money is spent. Each piece of equipment we donate is branded with our logo so that everyone can see the effects of our work. We also publish detailed financial accounts showing how much money went towards the aim of each fundraiser and what were the costs of holding the collection. On top of filing all necessary documentation with the Ministry of Interior and Administration, which require from readers accounting and financial background, we decided to publish financial reports on our website. What is more, you can browse our site for a list of hospitals and equipment we donated. We post photos showing the equipment we gave as well. All in all our benefactors see for themselves that each donation is crucial and the effects of our work can be found in all children's hospitals in Poland

Krzysztof Dobies, Press Officer, GOCC