Want to donate but don’t know where to start? There are multiple organisations collecting money for Ukraine. A private organisation? An insider’s tip on Facebook? Medicine, humanitarian aid or weapons? Here’s our guide to where the money goes…
Support humanitarian and medical aid with Razam e.V.
Founded by the Belarusian diaspora in Germany, Razam e.V. came about in August 2020 as a countermovement to the violent Belarusian regime. Now showing solidarity with Ukraine, the Belarusian organisation has recently started calling for donations to support organisations and partners in Ukraine reaching out. The money raised for Ukraine since February 28 has been given to hospitals in Kyiv, Odesa and Kherson. The latest investment was a purchase of twenty wheelchairs for a hospital in Kyiv.
Check them out here.
Support the Ukrainian army with Come Back Alive
If you want to support the military, Come Back Alive might be a good option. This Kyiv-based organisation supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine and was established in 2014 as an NGO when Russia annexed Crimea and an armed conflict broke out. Come Back Alive aims at strengthening Ukraine’s defence by supplying armour and technological equipment, such as thermal imagers and tablets. They also buy ammunition, however, they state, only for self-protection.
Donate online.
Support medical aid with Ukrainischer Pfadfinderbund in Berlin e.V.
The Ukrainian scouts’ association PLAST has branches in Berlin and Munich with around 10,000 members across Ukraine and Germany. The German division works with clinics in Rivne specialising in the treatment of children with cancer following the Chernobyl disaster. Now, medical supplies are also transported to war zones. With the donations received so far, PLAST was able to purchase and transport two ambulance coaches each worth €20,000, along with 8.5 tonnes of medical supplies. The organisation also provides shelter for internally displaced persons in Ukraine at the local scouting estates of PLAST Ukraine, where supplies are also sent.
PLAST Ukrainischer Pfadfinderbund in Berlin e.V.
Support the academic landscape with Technische Universität Berlin
If research and education are close to your heart, you might want to consider donating to the “Berlin-Ukraine” fund set up by Technische Universität Berlin. Following the destruction and mass flight, universities and institutions in Ukraine are expected to suffer greatly during the next weeks and months. The donations will be used to provide bridge money and scholarships for Ukrainian researchers and students, so this fund is a viable option if you want to invest in the depleting Ukrainian academic landscape.
Find the Berlin-Ukraine fund from Technische Universität Berlin here.
Support specialist medical aid with Ukraine-Hilfe Berlin e.V.
This local initiative was founded in 2014 by a small group of Ukrainian-born Berliners to support the Ukrainian troops fighting in Donbas. Now, Ukraine-Hilfe Berlin is the go-to organisation for many Berlin-based cultural institutions, such as Deutsche Oper, looking to donate the money raised at benefit events.
Next to bringing children from Ukrainian war zones to Germany, their main mission is to gather and send medical aid like bandages and pain killers, but also specialist supplies like metal fixators, prosthetics and surgical equipment. In procuring the supplies, Ukraine-Hilfe also cooperates with PLAST (see above) by pooling donations and resources. The supplies are transported to trusted members of the far-reaching network of organisations in Ukraine, which dispatch them further to hospitals or soldiers at the front. Ukraine-Hilfe are constantly checking and verifying each request to ensure that the equipment, which is often expensive and hard to come by, is evenly distributed among the people who need them.
Visit the Ukraine-Hilfe Berlin e.V. website for more info.
And finally, you can book an AirBnB
If none of the above options appeals to you and you prefer a more personal and direct approach to donating, then booking an AirBnB you’ll never stay at might be worth consider- ing. The person profiting from your money will be the Ukrainian host you booked with – it’s as simple as that. Rightfully, AirBnB is supporting the cause and has waived all guest and host fees for bookings in Ukraine, so you don’t have to worry about extra costs.
Book on airbnb.com.
