OUR VISION AND ACTIVITIES

The Pontis Foundation has operated in Slovakia for 25 years and is one of the largest non-corporate foundations. During that time, we implemented dozens of projects that helped make Slovakia a better country for everyone and connected vital players in critical topics.

Strong bonds for positive changes

The mission of the Pontis Foundation is to create strong, meaningful connections and bring about positive change in our areas of focus, which are social innovation, philanthropy and responsible entrepreneurship.

Our strategy is to foster equal partnerships with all stakeholders involved. We strive to build expertise in our areas of focus, introduce emerging trends, and prioritise long-term impact. By doing so, we aim to inspire others and attract collaborative opportunities that align with our mission.

The leitmotif of our work is the Chmarošský Viaduct near Telgárt.

It has its reason. The viaduct is part of the beautiful and specific Horehronie region. It was created to connect territories and people. The whole region participated in its construction, and as part of the Telgárt loop, it was a unique innovation. Until now, it has been a symbolic place that points to the strength and endurance of the region.

We believe that we are this way too. We want to connect, bring trends and inspire. Just as the Chmarošský Viaduct has pillars, we also stand on three pillars. These are responsible entrepreneurship, social innovation and philanthropy. The pillars „stand“ in various societal environments – we work with individuals, companies, public administration and civic organisations.

Our strategic topics

Our activities

We focus on activities that bring meaningful connections in our key areas of focus, namely social innovation, philanthropy and responsible entrepreneurship:

• We help organizations grow in Impact Lab’s acceleration and incubation program, where we connect them with other experts and leverage the tools of the start-up community;
• We run an extracurricular centre titled Open Future. It focuses on the development of children’s entrepreneurship skills; they meet interesting personalities, visit inspiring places and are looked after by skilled mentors;
• We organise events such as Via Bona Slovakia, Our Town, Impact Summit, and Impact Talks, which serve to bring examples of good practice and opportunities for networking;
• We are the ambassador of the global #GivingTuesday campaign for Slovakia. The campaign connects those who want to help with those who need help;
• As part of Impact Philanthropy, we provide philanthropic consulting to major funders on how to donate with long-term impact;
• We create a space for training, consultations and long-term cooperation, where we connect experts with civil organisations;
• We manage endowment funds, within which we meaningfully redistribute funding from companies to organisations, schools, kindergartens, municipalities, and individuals;
• We build a network of responsible companies in our Business Leaders Forum association and the Companies to the Community platform, which, thanks to our partnership, are well-versed in meaningful CSR;
• We are the national administrator of the Diversity Charter, which any employer can join to support the creation of inclusive workplaces.

THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A STRONG UNDERSTANDING AND PRESENCE IN THE CORPORATE, CIVIL, AND PUBLIC SECTORS.