Janta Endowment Fund

The Polish Arts Club of Buffalo is privileged to steward the Janta Endowment Fund, an extraordinary gift from Walentyna Janta-Połczynska, a remarkable figure in Polish WWII history.

On June 1, 2016, Mrs. Janta awarded the Club a $100,000 five-year Challenge Grant designed to strengthen our mission of promoting Polish arts, literature, and cultural heritage across Western New York.

Walentyna Janta-Połczynska served the Polish government-in-exile during World War II, where her exceptional translation skills supported intelligence work and underground radio broadcasts to occupied Poland. Her husband, Aleksander Janta-Połczyński, was a celebrated writer, poet, traveler, and journalist—widely recognized as a pioneer of modern Polish reportage.

After the war, the Jantas settled in the United States and lived in Buffalo for seven years. During that time:

• Aleksander served as the third president of the Polish Arts Club of Buffalo (1949–1951).
• He also led what is now the American Council for Polish Culture.
• He played a key role in establishing the Polish Room Collection at the University at Buffalo in 1955.

Their contributions left an enduring cultural imprint on Western New York.

Purpose of the Fund

Originally, Mrs. Janta specified that proceeds from the endowment be used to:

• Stage or promote plays in the Buffalo/WNY region—in English or English translation—by Polish or Polish-American playwrights.
• Invite distinguished writers, poets, and playwrights to give lectures and readings at local colleges, universities, and cultural venues.

Following Mrs. Janta’s passing on April 2, 2020, at age 107, the executor of her estate further broadened the intended use of the fund. Beginning in 2021, the endowment may also support:

• Theatre and musical performances
• Lectures and cultural presentations
• Exhibitions across the seven fine arts: painting, sculpture, music, dance, poetry, literature, and architecture
• Programs exploring Polish history and the contributions of Polonia

A Gift Rooted in Gratitude

During a 2024 commemorative event at Buffalo’s Twentieth Century Club, Janta biographer Michał Folega reflected on Mrs. Janta’s lasting connection to Buffalo. When asked why she chose to leave such a generous legacy to the Polish Arts Club, he shared her sentiment:

The years she spent in Buffalo were among the happiest of her life, and she wished to ensure that the Club would always have the means to share Poland’s rich cultural heritage with Western New York.

Today, the Janta Endowment Fund is entrusted to the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, safeguarding its growth and ensuring the Polish Arts Club’s vibrant future.

Support the Janta Endowment Fund

Those wishing to contribute to the continuation of this cultural legacy may be made through our online donation form, or sent by mail to:

Polish Arts Club of Buffalo, Inc.
Janta Fund
P.O. Box 259
Buffalo, NY 14207-0259