Leaders of Change Foundation

What Leaders of Change Foundation does

Leaders of Change Foundation (Fundacja Liderzy Przemian) is a Warsaw-registered Polish non-profit foundation established on February 29, 2016 by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation (PAFF). It administers a portfolio of educational exchange and leadership programs aimed at young professionals and local-government officials from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia (11 target countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan). Its flagship is the Lane Kirkland Scholarship Program, a two-semester postgraduate scholarship with professional internships, operating since 2000 and now producing roughly 36-40 scholars annually; complementary offerings include Kirkland Research (PhD-level research fellowships), Study Tours to Poland (10-11 day study visits for students from Moldova and Ukraine and short professional visits), FLEX, BiaFuS, the Belarusian Leadership School, European Solidarity Corps volunteering, and Ukraine-specific reconstruction training delivered through the 'Leaders of Reconstruction of Ukraine' project.

The foundation has no proprietary technology platform; its operating model is program administration, scholarship management, and study-visit coordination delivered through a permanent staff of approximately 11 people supported by a three-member board. Programs are co-delivered with a network of institutional partners: four Polish universities (University of Warsaw, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, University of Wrocław, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin), Fundacja Borussia (co-implementing STP), and on the Ukraine side, the Association of United Hromadas of Ukraine, Podolska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego, and partnerships with Polish municipalities including Długosiodło, Wieliszew, Załuski, and Serock. Outreach is conducted through annual open recruitment competitions promoted via Polish embassies, NAWA, UNESCO Uzbekistan, Kościuszko Foundation, and a cross-border alumni network of 1,145+ Kirkland graduates plus approximately 8,000 STP professional and 4,000 STP student alumni.

The revenue model is entirely grant-funded. The primary funder is the parent Polish-American Freedom Foundation (PAFF); co-funding is provided by NAWA (Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange), the CEI Fund at EBRD (supported by the Government of Italy), Solidarity Fund PL, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PLEDDG, and SKAT (Swiss Resource Centre). There is no commercial pricing for participants; scholarships are fully funded in cash and in-kind (e.g., 22,500 PLN total stipend over 9 months for Kirkland, plus ~5,500 PLN/month in in-kind benefits). Geographic eligibility explicitly excludes Poland-based applicants except for Ukrainian and Belarusian citizens arriving after January 1, 2025.

Name

Leaders of Change Foundation

Legal name

Fundacja Liderzy Przemian

Website

https://leadersofchange.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Leaders of Change Foundation is a Warsaw-based Polish non-profit that runs fully funded scholarship, research, and study-tour programs for young leaders and local-government officials from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, funded primarily by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation and delivered through four Polish universities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Philanthropy and International Scholarship Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

Keywords

• Scholarship programs
• Leadership development
• Study abroad programs
• Exchange programs
• Civil society programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Warsaw

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation / Grant Funding Model: Leaders of Change Foundation is a non-profit organization that does not generate commercial revenue. Its operations are funded entirely through grants and institutional funding from the Polsko-Amicańska Fundacja Wolności (primary funder), co-funded by NAWA (Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange), CEI Fund at EBRD (supported by the Government of Italy), and other institutional partners. No revenue from products or services is generated.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Leaders of Change Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that administers fully-funded scholarship programs, study visits, research fellowships, and professional internships for young leaders, students, and local government representatives from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia. Its flagship is the Lane Kirkland Scholarship Program — a two-semester postgraduate program in Poland — accompanied by Kirkland Research for PhD holders and Study Tours to Poland for professionals and students. All programs are funded by institutional grants led by the Polish-American Freedom Foundation (PAFF).

Product overview

Leaders of Change Foundation operates a platform-plus-programs model with the Lane Kirkland Scholarship as its flagship two-semester postgraduate program in Poland, supported by complementary offerings: Kirkland Research for PhD holders, Study Tours to Poland for both professionals and students from Eastern Europe, the Belarusian Leadership School, Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX), BiaFuS, European Solidarity Corps volunteering, Digital Group initiatives, and project-based activities supporting Ukrainian recovery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lane Kirkland Scholarship Program: Approximately 45 scholarships per year for postgraduate programs in Poland dedicated to young leaders from Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia
• Study Tours to Poland (STP)
• Kirkland Research
• Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX)
• European Solidarity Corps Volunteering

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,145+ graduates from 13 countries since 2000
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stowarzyszenie Połączonych Gromad Ukrainy (Association of United Hromadas of Ukraine)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2026Partnership for infrastructure project exchange between Polish and Ukrainian municipalities. Jointly organized study visits for Ukrainian local government representatives to learn about Polish EU-funded infrastructure projects. Ukrainian parliamentary deputy Vitaliy Bezhyin also participated.
• Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 April 2026Met with Ukrainian local government representatives during the Polish study visit to present BGK's infrastructure financing framework, relevant for Ukrainian municipal investment projects.
• Białoruska Szkoła Liderska (Belarusian Leadership School)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Fundacja Liderzy Przemian was a partner in the Belarusian Leadership School project — a comprehensive development program for Belarusians actively working in Poland. 14 participants developed leadership competencies, practical skills, and social initiatives. Funded by PAFF.
• Podolska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego (Podolia Regional Development Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Ukrainian partner implementing the 'Leaders of Reconstruction of Ukraine' project jointly with Fundacja Liderzy Przemian. Provided local training facilities in Vinnytsia and organized study visits for Ukrainian municipal representatives. Also partner in the 'Central European Initiative for Ukraine's Future' project.
• NAWA – Polish National Agency for Academic ExchangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAWA is a key institutional partner providing financial support for the Kirkland Scholarship Program and related academic exchange activities. Zofia Sawicka, former NAWA Deputy Director (2017-2024), serves on the foundation's Board. NAWA also facilitates visits of Ukrainian higher education administrators.
• Fundacja Borussia (Olsztyn)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundacja Borussia co-implements the Study Tours to Poland (STP) program for students. Borussia coordinates the on-the-ground logistics, recruits Polish NGOs to host study visits, and manages student recruitment in Moldova and Ukraine. Ewa Romanowska from Borussia serves as STP student program coordinator.
• Lech Kaczyński National School of Public Administration (KSAP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporting partner, providing institutional connections for public administration training and capacity building programs.
• Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences (IFiS PAN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner institution, providing academic affiliation for Kirkland scholarship recipients in Warsaw.
• European Solidarity CorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Solidarity Corps is listed as a partner. The foundation hosts volunteers under the ESC program (e.g., ACT NOW project for developing online resources for the European Solidarity Corps).
• Kościuszko FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporting partner, contributing to scholarship and exchange programs between Poland and the US.
• UNESCO UzbekistanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporting partner, assisting with outreach and recruitment for Kirkland programs in Uzbekistan.
• Embassy of the Republic of Poland in UzbekistanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a supporting partner, facilitating program promotion and candidate recruitment in Uzbekistan.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fulbright Program: US government flagship international educational exchange, offering postgraduate scholarships, research grants, and professional programs in/with the US — comparable scholarship model and competing for the same Eastern European mid-career professional cohort.
• Open Society Foundations: Global philanthropic foundation with deep programming across Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia supporting civic participation, higher education, and democratic governance — broader geographic and thematic scope but operates in the same regional talent pool and competes for similar donor relationships.
• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): Germany's national agency for international academic exchange, running scholarship and research programs for students and professionals from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia — comparable scholarship product, larger scale, and overlapping target countries.
• Polish-American Freedom Foundation (PAFF): Parent funder and broader grantmaking foundation operating Polish-American development programs across the region — same mission, larger scale, and the structural funder of Leaders of Change Foundation's flagship programs.
• CEI Fund at the EBRD: Central European Initiative's development fund administered at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, supporting Central and Eastern European integration, leadership, and capacity-building — already an active co-funder of Leaders of Change Foundation's Ukraine programs and operates a comparable regional model.

Direct peers

• Kościuszko Foundation: Polish-American cultural and educational foundation offering scholarships and exchange programs between Poland and the US, including the Kościuszko and exchange programs — comparable scholarship-administering model and Polish-American bilateral focus.
• Visegrad Fund: Public international fund created by the V4 governments (Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary) that grants scholarships, study visits, and exchange programs for citizens of Eastern Partnership and Western Balkans countries — directly comparable regional focus, scholarship product, and target beneficiary profile.
• IREX: US-based international development and educational exchange organization operating scholarship, leadership, and civic engagement programs across Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia — the same target geographies and beneficiary profile as Leaders of Change Foundation, with a similar multi-donor institutional funding model.

Emerging players

• European Endowment for Democracy: EU-funded organization supporting civil society, independent media, and democratic actors in the Eastern Partnership and Southern Neighborhood — overlapping target geography and beneficiary base with a more political-advocacy framing.
• Westminster Foundation for Democracy: UK-funded democracy-support foundation assisting parliaments, political parties, and civil society in transition countries, including Eastern Europe and Central Asia — comparable civic-leadership development focus with different delivery model (party-to-party rather than scholarship-based).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StudyTourstoPoland2011
• Instagraminstagram.com/studytourstopoland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leaders-of-change-foundation-pl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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