The Stefan Batory Foundation was named after the 16th-century king of Poland who epitomizes the spirit of European solidarity and culture. The foundation’s work focuses on enhancing the role of civil society in public life, promoting the rule of law and state transparency, and fostering international cooperation, particularly with states outside the European community. It supports organizations that work to involve civil society actors in decision-making processes and policy creation, equalize access to justice, and foster a culture of social tolerance.

To increase transparency and accountability in the public sector, the foundation supports organizations that engage in watchdog activities involving access to information, state expenditures, and scientific independence, among other issues. The foundation also runs an Internet portal that serves as a resource for watchdog organizations in Poland and throughout Central and Eastern Europe.

The foundation has been a leader in increasing civic participation in political affairs, particularly among young people. Its election-oriented activities have helped improve voter turnout, increased public knowledge of policy issues, and helped to advance campaign finance reform. Improving access justice is a key priority for the foundation, which works at the civil society level by supporting organizations that provide legal services to socially disadvantaged groups and also works with the government to increase the efficiency of the Polish legal system.

At the international level, the foundation works to make the EU more accessible to citizens of non-EU countries. In particular, it has been a strong advocate within EU policy circles for reform of restrictive visa policies.