24 February 2022 is a date history will remember as the start of another European war. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has captured our minds and hearts for over a year now. The war brings destruction and a humanitarian crisis unseen in the previous several decades in Europe, affecting the advancement towards the SDGs in Ukraine and worldwide.

Civil society reacted promptly to support those in need. Beyond the level of resources, which is significant, European societies have demonstrated an impressive level of solidarity. The European Union transformed its migration regime, welcoming Ukrainians into their communities.

In that context, community foundations have not only contributed significantly to these efforts in Ukraine, neighbouring countries, and beyond. They have also led local and national efforts to contribute.

Community foundations work for their communities. They hold the mission to enhance the capacity and sustainability of local communities. After a year of war in Ukraine, we are thinking of the community foundation colleagues and their communities in Ukraine, and the entire region, as seeing one’s community being devastated by war is difficult to imagine, let alone to experience. While words cannot capture the pain generated by seeing one’s community be affected by war, Ukrainian community foundations continue to stand up for their communities and Ukraine. The Ukrainian community foundations have continued their work and contribute to guiding their communities facing difficult moments.

Ukrainian community foundations are part of a global network that mobilized to support Ukraine. The European Community Foundation Initiative (ECFI) has functioned as a connector from the early days of the war. Community foundations in other European countries have supported the Ukrainian community foundations and their communities, as well as Ukrainian refugees and migrants.

As James Magowan of ECFI mentions, European community foundations contributed in multiple ways to addressing the humanitarian crisis, including: ‘gathering and shipping humanitarian aid, raising funds and sending money to community foundations in Ukraine and/or to INGOs, and providing support for refugees (e.g., provision of supplies, transport, advice and guidance, accommodation, etc.; grant assistance – providing financial support to NGOs for both funding activities and general operating costs; connecting within and outside the community foundation and philanthropy field – building relationships with municipalities, businesses, and NGOs, and being involved in the longer-term strategic response).’

All neighbouring countries contributed in multiple ways. Some examples include Poland, Slovakia, and Romania. Beata Hirt from Healthy City Community Foundation mentions how the Slovak community foundations contributed with ‘material collection, financial collection, grants to support inclusion on a local level, support language courses, afterschool activities, work with the majority to prevent and decrease hate speech and acts towards Ukrainians living in our communities.’

Iwona Olkowicz from the Federation of Community Foundations in Poland share how Polish community foundations contributed: ‘So far, we have collected and sent gifts worth over PLN 1,000,000 to Ukraine. They were warm clothes, blankets and sleeping bags; power banks, flashlights, and walkie-talkies; long-term food; hygiene and medical supplies; and many other necessary articles. We allocated PLN 250,000 to the refugees who reached our country, mainly financing integration meetings and intercultural workshops; language and professional courses; psychological help and visits to the doctor; and school supplies and scholarships for Ukrainian children attending Polish schools. Currently, thanks to the donation of PLN 930,000 we received from #AffinityTrustLimited, we can continue our activities.’

From Romania, Emilia Ciurchea of the Țara Făgărașului Community Foundation (FCTF) is also sharing a report on how FCTF contributed to the humanitarian crisis. The report can be accessed here.

European countries further away from the immediate vicinity of the conflict have also mobilized resources. Magowan says:‘support came from as far afield as Ireland, as documented in a recent report from the Community Foundation for Ireland ‘Standing with the People of Ukraine.’ Importantly this refers to a strategic response to immediate needs. It demonstrates how community foundations are agile but think long-term and how the Community Foundation for Ireland involved the target group to identify need and help inform the use of resources. Furthermore, it is recognised that continued ongoing support is needed.’

All these efforts are seen and appreciated by Ukrainian colleagues. As Daria Rybalchenko from the Ukrainian National Network of Local Philanthropy Development writes, ‘European Community foundations organized many programs in response to the war in Ukraine. Firstly, there are programs to support Ukrainian refugees abroad as direct humanitarian aid and programs for funding initiatives for Ukrainian refugees. Secondly, it supports Ukrainian community foundations with fundraising, humanitarian aid, logistic hubs, and connecting with donors. So, through a chat on WhatsApp, we received several valuable contacts of donors who currently support Ukrainian community foundations. Also, Root and Wings Foundation connected us with their local hospital, which donated about 30 electrical beds. The Federation of Polish community foundations several times delivered humanitarian aid to Ukraine. There was much support from European community foundations.’

Besides delivering material assistance, community foundations and their practitioners are in the middle of the war experience. Community foundations from Ukraine share their stories here. For community foundation practitioners in neighbouring countries, possibilities to help became necessary in their home communities. In Olkowicz’s words: ‘The most meaningful experience we’ve had during the war was when two companies called me to help them to transfer goods from Poland to Ukraine. They wanted to support workers from Ukrainian factories belonging to bigger corporations. One transport was organized with our support; the second one was organized by the corporation. The most touching moment was a conversation on WhatsApp with a US Peace Corps volunteer who was fundraising among friends to support civilians at the Community Foundation Bar, where he volunteered in 2018/2019.’

Therefore, this war is not only about destruction but also about how we come together and care for each other. Hirt shares a story from Slovakia, ‘lately, when we did a summary of help from February till the end of 2022 – we counted 60 volunteers who came to help regularly once a week to help with the distribution of material aid, and there are Slovaks, Ukrainians, and Russians working together.’

Community foundations intermediate connections that enable action for good. As Magowan explains, ‘firstly, the direct people to people connection in local communities, and across borders, e.g., through the community foundations for Ukraine WhatsApp group, between networks, and between community foundation staff and volunteers (I recall one occasion right at the start when a bus was used to deliver aid and then the offer made to bring out people). There was a sense of solidarity in the community foundation movement from the outset.’

That shared sense of solidarity across communities and countries makes community foundations essential in assisting during the conflict and in the reconstruction efforts once the war ends.

The versatility and connectedness of the community foundations, their embeddedness in local communities, and having a community-cantered mission enable them to play an important role even in cases of emergency and disasters, contributing as such to the situation in Ukraine, in countries affected by the humanitarian crisis and to addressing SDG 16. The quick mobilization and swift delivery of support rely on a powerful shared trust in the community foundation mechanism and strong relationships between community foundation practitioners in the field. Through their actions and persistence, community foundations prove to be mechanisms that play an essential role in enhancing the sustainability of local communities and supporting them to achieve SDG 16, contributing to saving lives and enabling peace to prevail.

Stefan Cibian, Ph.D. is the co-founder and executive director of the Făgăraș Research Institute (FRI) and Center for Global Affairs and Postdevelopment (C-GAP), he is also a Board Member with Țara Făgărașului Community Foundation (FCTF), the Romanian Federation of Community Foundations (FFCR) , and the Association for the Practice of Transformation (APT).