Although the literature on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) is abundant, relatively little research was conducted on the CSR practices of the Central Eastern European (CEE) firms so far. Sustainability concept is gaining on importance in this region, thus the study of CSR practices employed by Polish organizations may contribute to the enrichment of the research on the subject. The aim of this study is to present the development of sustainability concept in CEE as well as CSR practices of the firms based in Poland, in particular the financial sector companies. The main part of the work consists of a case study analysis with regards to the CSR practices adopted by six biggest banks operating in Poland. The findings are interesting especially because they present the banks' involvement in CSR and sustainability management practices in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.