The John Paul II Foundation was established by a Papal Decree on October 16, 1981 as a religious, educational, charitable and non-profit organization. Its official seat is located at the Vatican. The Foundation owns a building in Rome at 1200 via Cassia where the secretarial offices are located. The main goals of the Foundation include:

• preservation and development of Christian heritage and culture;
• collection and preservation of documents and propagation of the teachings of Pope John Paul II;
• assistance to Christian pilgrims on visits to the Holy See, particularly pilgrims from Poland and Eastern countries;
• providing educational assistance and scholarships to young intellectuals from Eastern countries to study at the Catholic University in Lublin, Poland.

Some specific activities include:

- The Center for Documentation and Research of the Pontificate of John Paul II serves to preserve the documents relating to John Paul II’s pontificate and to pass on this patrimony for future generations. The collected materials serve for leading scholarly researches, publishing studies and press articles, organizing symposia and exhibits. The Center's library has 30,000 volumes which are available to scholars researching the teachings of John Paul II.

- The Museum collection includes gifts offered to John Paul II by pilgrims. There are currently 10,000 items of memorabilia catalogued.

- Scholarships for students from Eastern Europe. The John Paul II Foundation prepares future intellectual leaders for the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It does this through scholarship assistance given to students attending the Catholic University of Lublin in Poland. The Foundation covers all the costs of education, and provides scholarships to 138 students from 8 countries. The students reside in the John Paul II Foundation Home. Over 700 students have completed their courses of study, received their academic degrees, and returned home to work. Of these, three are full professors and 67 have their doctorates.

- Short-term scholarships for individuals who come to Rome to do research on the teachings of John Paul II.

- The Summer University of Polish Culture serves individuals who are interested in Polish culture and live outside of Poland. It is intended primarily for young people who for the most part do not speak Polish but wish to learn about Polish culture, its Christian roots, and its relation to the whole world. Lectures are conducted in Polish and English.

- John Paul II Foundation - Casa per Ferie in Rome serves all pilgrims. The Home is host to scholarly meetings, the Summer University, and religious and cultural gatherings that relate to pilgrimages to the Eternal City. The Home is a place where the pilgrim experiences the religious and cultural dimensions of his pilgrimage.

- „Bullarium Poloniae” edits and publishes the documents that relate to the relations of Poland with the Apostolic See beginning with 966;

- „Ethos” - published in cooperation with the Institute of John Paul II at the Catholic University of Lublin. The purpose of „Ethos” is to present information and learned articles on the teachings of John Paul II and in this way serve people and culture.

The continuing financial help and support of the John Paul II Foundation from around the world makes all of this work possible.

The John Paul II Foundation seeks to cooperate with organizations and institutions that are dedicated to the promotion and promulgation of the teachings of Pope John Paul II in their Christian outreach and in cooperation with the Apostolic See.