When Eurasia Foundation transformed its office in Kyiv, Ukraine, into the independent East Europe Foundation (EEF) in 2007, one of its first priorities was ambitious, given the local environment for governance: to establish a locally focused, internationally constituted, fully functioning board of trustees.

EEF is the fourth in a series of five foundations established by Eurasia Foundation in the former Soviet Union since 2004. These locally registered institutions – all spin-offs from Eurasia Foundation field offices – have introduced what the founder calls a unique breed of institution to the region, able to combine local knowledge, leadership and legitimacy with a global mindset and internationally recognized best practices. Tapping into both local and foreign sources of funding, the new foundations are intended to provide their communities with lasting channels of support for civil society and private enterprise. They are linked together through the Eurasia Foundation Network, which promotes exchanges among the foundations and other local and international institutions in the region.[1]