National and ethnic minority organizations during the pandemic

Organizacje mniejszości w czasie kryzysu – wnioski z pandemii

The COVID-19 pandemic was a test for the entire system—but not everyone went through it in the same way. Organizations of national and ethnic minorities found themselves in a particularly challenging situation: caught between the growing needs of their communities and institutional and financial constraints.
This report was created to understand this reality and translate it into concrete recommendations. Prepared by the Jewish Association Czulent in cooperation with the minority side of the Joint Commission of the Government and National and Ethnic Minorities, it shows how the crisis affected the functioning of organizations—and what systemic solutions are needed to better respond to similar situations in the future.

The pandemic not only halted many activities—it also revealed what had previously been less visible.

Gaps in access to technology, limited capacity to operate online, difficulties in maintaining project continuity, and inflexible funding mechanisms. For many organizations, this meant the need to rapidly reorganize their work—and sometimes to suspend certain activities. At the same time, the role of these organizations as a source of support for their communities increased.

The report is based on the experiences of the organizations themselves. The study included dozens of entities representing different minorities, who shared their perspectives—both in terms of everyday challenges and their expectations toward the state and public institutions. This made it possible not only to describe the situation, but also to understand the mechanisms that failed during the crisis.

The study clearly shows that the greatest challenge was not the crisis itself—but the lack of flexible, systemic solutions. Organizations point, among other things, to the need to simplify procedures, improve communication with grant providers, secure funding for operational costs, and invest in digital tools. The crisis demonstrated that without such mechanisms, even the most committed organizations operate under conditions of uncertainty.

Particular attention was also given to education. It was in this area that the pandemic most clearly exposed inequalities—both in access to technology and in the treatment of minority education within the education system. For many communities, this meant a real risk of weakening efforts to preserve their identity.

However, the report does not end with diagnosis. Its key component is a set of recommendations—concrete proposals for systemic changes that can increase the resilience of minority organizations to future crises. These cover areas such as education, as well as funding mechanisms, communication, and cooperation with public administration.

At Jewish Association Czulent, we work precisely at the intersection of lived experience and systemic change. Our actions are driven by real needs—those expressed by the organizations, communities, and individuals we collaborate with. We combine research, advocacy, and practice to create solutions that not only describe reality, but actively transform it.

This publication is one such intervention. It shows that a crisis can be a turning point—if it is used to build better, more resilient, and more equitable solutions.

This publication was developed as part of the project ‘Nationality, Ethnicity, and Coalition Building: Agenda Setting as a Mechanism for Collaboration Among Minority Groups in Poland,’ implemented by the Jewish Association Czulent, the Zustricz Foundation, and the Jaw Dikh Art Foundation.

The project is funded by the Stiftung ‘Erinnerung, Verantwortung und Zukunft’ and the Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund.