11 Mar Ukraine: How to help

Posted at 03:17h in Good Ideas For the Taking by

Ukraine: How to Help

At Ethos Giving, we are always looking for ways to share our processes to help supercharge and expedite social impact work. 

If you or your organization are looking to help Ukrainian refugees, there’s no time to waste. That’s why we are sharing this quick cheat sheet, which shares how we help our clients identify the most strategic ways to help now and in the longer term, as well as some impressive examples of businesses stepping up that we think can provide inspiration or a model for anyone looking to provide support.  

Process:
  1. Identifying and vetting opportunities: As with any emergency situation, when selecting a partner organization, the first step should be to confirm that they have an established presence in the region. Questions to ask include:

  • Were there boots on the ground prior to this crisis?
  • Do they have established relationships and a high quality track record in the country? 
  • Do these relationships and expertise lend value to the matter at hand? 
  • Does the organization have the necessary linguistic abilities, cultural competencies, and geopolitical understanding? 
  • Are you able to confirm that the organization is reputable? Ways to do so include identifying previous donors, consulting online tools (ie: Guidestar), and contacting the organization directly.  Unless you are very confident in the source, we recommend avoiding programs that share funding directly with an individual. 

  1. Strategic budget allocation: Sadly, this is not likely to be a short-term situation. Effects will continue to reverberate in this region for some time, and refugees are likely to relocate throughout the world, including in North America, in coming months. Keep this in mind when thinking about your engagement. While resources must of course be directed to immediate emergency need, it is also prudent to consider your mission and whether it might make sense to budget for longer-term support, whether that’s housing, food access, education, or other resettlement support. 

  1. What to give: Of course, cash donations are critical. That said — it’s possible you’re uniquely positioned to contribute something else of value – which, in some cases, may be even more impactful in real time (see various examples illustrated below). If planning to offer a specific resource instead of giving to general operating costs, it’s crucial to first coordinate with on the ground partners to confirm there is a need and the ability to receive the goods, services, etc. you are ready to deploy.  

Below are some specific examples of strategic corporate giving — we will continue to update this list.

  • SpaceX Starlink User Terminals Arrive in Ukraine: Ukraine is suffering mass power outages and loss of internet service. Elon Musk is providing the country with a crucial backstop in the form of satellite-based internet constellations, which can remain active even when infrastructure on the ground is ravaged. 

  • Microsoft: Digital Technology and the War in Ukraine: Microsoft is supporting Ukraine across multiple areas: Protecting Ukraine from cyberattacks and state-sponsored disinformation campaigns, offering humanitarian assistance, and actively supporting its employees in the region. 

  • Shutterstock:  Shutterstock is supporting Ukraine by making emergency grants directly to Ukrainian photographers, videographers, 3D Artists, iIllustrators and musicians who are contributors to the site. 

  • Novo Nordisk: Novo Nordisk has donated life-saving medicine for diabetes and hemophilia from their current stock in Ukraine to the Ministry of Health.

  • Vodafone:  Vodafone will offer free connectivity to 200,000 Ukrainian refugees arriving in the UK.

  • FedEx: FedEx has allocated $1 million for in-kind shipping to nonprofit partners working to transport critical supplies. FedEx is working with Direct Relief to provide in-kind support of a charter flight containing urgently needed medical supplies. 

  • Talbots:  US-based retailer Talbots is shipping 8,000 items to help Ukrainians through Give Back Box Charity Inc.

  • Adidas: Adidas is donating 1 million euros ($1.09 million) to refugee and children’s charities, and has donated clothing to the Global Aid Network for people in Ukraine and neighboring countries. 

  • L’Oréal: L’Oréal is providing hygiene products to incoming refugees, aiming to donate 300,000 products over the coming weeks.

  • WME: In lieu of its large annual Academy Awards party, WME’s leadership has elected to donate $1 million to UNICEF to support Ukrainian civilians. 
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