Since the start of the full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, Ukrainian community foundations have been working to the best of their abilities under challenging circumstances to support their communities. In Ukraine, there are two types of NGO registration: a public organisation or a charitable organisation. Both types are exempt from taxation, but only if they receive the appropriate non-profit status. Community foundations in Ukraine are promoted as a practice without a specific legal model. They began to emerge mainly due to the School of Community Foundations from ISAR Ednannia and the Mott Foundation. In 2014, community foundations decided that they needed a network that would support their activities and develop new community foundations, and thus the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development was created, which currently unites 15 community foundations and initiated a new School of Community Foundations in 2024. Before February 2022, approximately 70% of community foundations’ funding came from local resources and only 30% from international resources. Currently, the picture is the opposite – community foundations receive most of their funding from international partners: Mott Foundation, GFCF, Global Giving, Foundation de France, Robert Bosch Foundation, etc.
We spoke with representatives from three community foundations across Ukraine to provide a comprehensive picture of their work: the Kherson Community Foundation “Zakhyst” (whose community was under occupation until November 2022 and is currently located just two kilometres from enemy forces), the Kharkiv Community Foundation “Toloka” (in the frontline regional centre), and the Community Foundation «Podilska hromada», situated in central Ukraine but still affected by repeated shelling.
Kherson Community Foundation “Zakhyst”
With the onset of the full-scale invasion in 2022, the foundation’s primary activity became humanitarian aid. It supports both those who remain in Kherson and those who were forced to leave. Assistance is provided in collaboration with local authorities, who help assess the community’s needs. For example, the foundation installed a protective barrier made of concrete blocks in front of social institutions operating in Kherson.
“The level of trust from the community, authorities, and local media has changed. We are now one of the most well-known civil society organisations in our region,” says Larysa Polska, head of the community foundation.
According to Larysa, the biggest challenge today is the economic decline affecting Ukraine, which reduces the capacity to support civil society and charitable organisations. Another challenge is the community’s dispersion – Kherson’s population has dropped to about 70,000 from 300,000 before the full-scale invasion. The foundation has taken on the mission of uniting residents in an online format to motivate them to return to Kherson. To achieve this, it created the web platform “Hear the Kherson Community,” which provides up-to-date information on events, announcements, and emergency contacts. More importantly, the platform enables the foundation to conduct regular surveys to assess the needs of Kherson residents.
“We will return to Kherson, and there will be a lot of work ahead in rebuilding our community. We are already investing in our recovery — organising discussion panels, supporting cultural programs, and planning our steps for after the victory,” says Larysa.
“We have been closely cooperating with the German Children’s Fund even before the full-scale invasion. For two years, we held Peace Schools together, educating students in the Kherson region. Thanks to this partnership, we now support families with children from Kherson,” Larysa adds. The foundation also collaborates with Maecenata Stiftung and Knauf, allowing it to support the community that remains just 2km from Russian forces.
Kharkiv Community Foundation “Toloka”
“With the beginning of the full-scale invasion, our areas of work expanded significantly. We increased our support for the military and started providing humanitarian aid, as our community is one of those that receive vulnerable populations. We also began supporting medical institutions. In 2022, this support was situational, but now we run comprehensive programmes, including facility renovations, equipment procurement, and more. Currently, humanitarian projects make up 40% of our budget, followed by education and culture at 37%, and strengthening the foundation’s operations at 8%,” said Maria Horbonos, head of the community foundation.
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, the legislative level has added to the scope of charitable activities the area of “promoting the country’s defense capability and mobilisation readiness, protection of the population in emergency situations of peace and martial law.” On this basis, many Ukrainian nonprofit organisations support the defence forces in various ways: some buy cars, some buy drones and ammunition, some weave camouflage nets and make trench candles. The needs and resources of communities vary depending on their proximity to the front line.
Despite these shifts, the Kharkiv Community Foundation remains focused on supporting local culture and developing philanthropy. However, its biggest challenge is the proximity to the front line – about 20 kilometres away – leading to constant shelling, prolonged air raid alerts, and power outages that affect all aspects of community life.
“Our team is also very dispersed. Since 2022, we have not had a single in-person meeting with the whole team. We do our best to compensate for this and adapt to the conditions we are in,” Maria explains.
In these difficult times, the foundation’s resilience is driven by three key factors: shared values, diversified funding, and flexibility.
“In post-war recovery, we will undoubtedly take on new areas of work. We will face new challenges, and we need to start addressing them today,” Maria says about the foundation’s future role.
Community Foundation «Podilska hromada»
Although the Community Foundation «Podilska hromada» is based in Vinnytsia, a central Ukrainian city, its work has also expanded to include supporting the Defence Forces and humanitarian aid. Additionally, many new organisations and volunteer initiatives have emerged, which the foundation actively supports.
“Our community knows us, and people come to us on their own. 2022 and 2023 gave us a significant boost in recognition,” says Olena Danilova, head of the foundation.
The team remains resilient in wartime thanks to shared values and a strong sense of collective purpose.
“We are among those who will play an active role in Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction—not only in our own community but also by helping others. We feel that if we are strong and experienced, we must support others. Even now, we are actively helping other foundations, such as the Kherson Community Foundation. It’s not just about providing humanitarian aid; it’s about consistent engagement and mutual support,” Olena explains.
During a missile strike on Vinnytsia in July of 2022, the Community Foundation «Podilska hromada» was one of the first responders at the scene of the tragedy. They immediately mobilised community resources – securing helmets for rescuers, coordinating volunteers to clear debris, and arranging food for emergency service workers.
“People were amazed at how one foundation could have access to so many different resources. And I told them—this is what a community foundation is all about. We don’t own all these resources; we know where to find them and who to call,” Olena says.
Supporting Ukrainian Community Foundations
The main problems for community foundations in Ukraine today are the lack of funding and human resources, as many Ukrainians have been mobilised and many have been forced to move abroad. Another significant issue is that those who stayed in Ukraine are experiencing physical and emotional fatigue from constant stress and sleepless nights. Therefore, we are currently focusing a lot on developing human and social capital in Ukraine and local philanthropy, as well as supporting those who help others.
More information on Ukrainian community foundations, their work on ways to support them: through the National Network of Local Philanthropy Development: https://www.philanthropy.com.ua/en/
This article was first published in Stiftungswelt. You can find the original publication here.
