Over the years, the rules for statutory financing of the activities of the Polish Red Cross have changed, as has our role and position in the state.

Fees from the sale of admission tickets.

In the interwar period, the Polish Red Cross held a privileged position in the state, benefiting from regulations of the act granting it donations from the sale of admission tickets to various performances, shows, concerts, spectacles, competitions, etc. Based on the act of January 28, 1932, on fees from public amusements and performances for the benefit of the Polish Red Cross, signed by President Ignacy Mościcki, a Regulation of the Minister of the Interior was issued, detailing the rules for paying fees to the Polish Red Cross. A fee was established for each ticket sold for theatrical, cinema, ballet, cabaret, concert, exhibition, circus performance, dance party, ball, folk party, sports competitions, and other so-called spectacles. The organizers of these events were required to collect additional fees, which they then paid into the municipal treasury. The municipalities transferred these revenues to the account of the Polish Red Cross twice a month. In this way, our organization had guaranteed permanent financial resources to conduct its statutory activities.

Court compensations.

In the post-World War II period, one of the sources of funding for social organizations, including the Polish Red Cross, became court compensations and monetary benefits awarded by courts in criminal proceedings against perpetrators of crimes. Compensation involved and still involves the obligation to pay a specified amount of money to the victim or another designated social purpose.

The possibility of the Polish Red Cross using funds from court compensations was created by the second Polish Penal Code of 1969. This code provided for mandatory compensation in case of conviction for hooliganism (Article 59 § 3) in the amount of 5000-50,000 PLN for the benefit of the Polish Red Cross or the victim or another social purpose. Optional compensation was also provided for defamation and slander (Article 178 § 3), which could also be awarded to the Polish Red Cross, the victim, or another social purpose.

The amendment to the code in 1985 expanded the range of situations in which compensation had to be awarded in amounts from 5000-50,000 PLN for social purposes related to health protection. These situations included conviction for intentional crimes against life and health or for other intentional crimes resulting in death; bodily injury or impairment of the health of the victim. The convicted person was to pay fees to the Polish Red Cross, the victim, or another social purpose. None of the compensations known to this code required a request from the victim and were determined ex officio, but in no case were they enforced ex officio and not subject to replacement by an alternative penalty. In case of its ruling, the court, without collecting fees, sent the enforcement title to the authorized entity for which the compensation was awarded. Under this code, it was the Polish Red Cross that was the main beneficiary of funds from court compensations, and the revenues from this title constituted significant amounts in the organization's budget.

The new Penal Code of June 6, 1997, introduced certain limitations and weakened the position of the Polish Red Cross. According to Article 47 §1–3 of the Penal Code, compensations could be awarded from perpetrators of crimes for social purposes related to health protection, environmental protection, and assistance to persons harmed in traffic accidents. Compensations could be granted to an institution, association, foundation, or social organization with national scope, listed in a special register maintained by the Minister of Justice. Therefore, both money from compensations and from monetary benefits were allocated by the court, choosing the entity that would receive them from a list of authorized "institutions, social organizations, foundations, and associations" maintained by the Ministry of Justice. Although the Polish Red Cross was listed among the privileged organizations, it was one of nearly 900 authorized entities.

In 2012, the existing Victim Assistance and Post-Penitentiary Assistance Fund was created. This is a targeted fund, managed by the Minister of Justice. One of the sources of funding for the fund is compensations and monetary benefits awarded by courts from perpetrators of crimes. These funds are distributed competitively among non-governmental organizations for assistance to victims and those leaving correctional institutions. The Polish Red Cross can, equally with other non-governmental organizations working for the above-mentioned individuals, apply for the allocation of these funds.

However, certain provisions remain in the Penal Code, albeit severely limited, concerning our organization. The Polish Red Cross was left with 2 types of compensations, although not exclusively:

• In the case of conviction for insulting another person using mass communication media, the court may adjudicate compensation for the benefit of the victim, the Polish Red Cross, or another social purpose indicated by the victim (Art. 216 of the Penal Code).
• In the case of conviction for slander, the court may adjudicate compensation for the benefit of the victim, the Polish Red Cross, or another social purpose indicated by the victim (Art. 212 of the Penal Code).

Along with the reduction of funds from compensations, a financial mechanism known as 1% was launched in Poland, which has been proven in other European countries. In 2003, with the adoption of the Act on Public Benefit Activity and Volunteering, a statutory possibility appeared for the Polish Red Cross and other non-governmental organizations to apply for public funds from a 1% income tax deduction from individuals. Non-governmental organizations, after meeting the conditions specified in the law, could obtain the status of a public benefit organization, allowing them to obtain these funds. The Polish Red Cross obtained the PBO status in 2005 and has since benefited from the rights related to the 1%.

The privileged position of our organization, statutory rights in obtaining funds for statutory activities essentially ended with the Second Republic of Poland. In the post-war period, the financial possibilities and the role of the organization gradually diminished. The Polish Red Cross ceased to be the only organization entitled to benefit from court compensations, and competition within the non-governmental sector grew with the emergence of new organizations. In 2011, before the fundamental reform of managing funds from court compensations, there were approximately 900 non-governmental organizations in the register of authorized entities maintained by the Minister of Justice, in addition to the Polish Red Cross, which together received about 30 million PLN from awarded compensations. Today, in the register of public benefit organizations entitled to receive 1% of taxes, there are over 8,200 PBOs that indeed receive over 660 million PLN collectively each year, nonetheless, the share of the Polish Red Cross in this global amount is small. Over the 100-year history of our organization, legal regulations, sources, and methods of financing activities have changed, and so has the role and standing of the Polish Red Cross.