Support to Ukraine
Over the past weeks, we have looked on in shock as an unprovoked attack on Ukraine has caused a humanitarian and political crisis. As of this writing, there have been thousands of civilian casualties and 2.6 million Ukrainians have left the country in haste becoming part of the largest refugee crisis in Europe this century. Those who remain are in daily danger of attacks from Russian forces, lack of food, water and heat.
There are a number of excellent organizations responding to this crisis in real time. The Battery Powered team, working in concert with Ukrainian members and other philanthropic partners, provides the below recommendations of organizations. Each is a registered 501c3 charity and can accept philanthropic donations, including from donor advised funds.
- Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Ukraine Humanitarian Crises Fund is a pooled fund that collects donations from individuals and foundations and, with their expert team, gets that money to the most effective organizations responding to the crises. This is a way to contribute to many organizations with one gift.
- Razom, Inc. is a U.S. based nonprofit dedicated to Ukraine and is focusing its emergency response on medical supplies for critical situations like blood loss. With a robust volunteer team of procurement and logistics specialists, they are able to get the right supplies into the right places in Ukraine.
- UNHCR is the United Nations organization dedicated to supporting refugees and internally displaced peoples. UNHCR and its partners are providing crucial humanitarian assistance and protection in Ukraine, including emergency supply kits, transit centers to assess the needs of newly displaced people, temporary shelter, and cash assistance to the most vulnerable families.
- World Central Kitchen is serving thousands of fresh meals to Ukrainian families fleeing their homes as well as those who remain in the country. They are set up at eight border crossings and are also supporting local restaurants preparing meals in eight Ukrainian cities. They also have teams on the ground in Romania, Moldova, and Hungary.
There are MANY other organizations equally worthy of support (e.g. CARE, Save the Children, International Medical Corps, Red Cross, and more); we purposefully kept this list brief as a rapid starting point for members interested in giving to the crisis in Ukraine.