From the first days of the full-scale invasion, society immediately began to actively react to the severe test that befell Ukraine. Many volunteer organizations have appeared that provide a variety of assistance: collecting funds for the needs of the Armed Forces, evacuating people living in areas where hostilities are active, providing medical and psychological assistance to those affected by the consequences of war, even finding a shelter for animals. This list of good deeds can be continued indefinitely. And if in the first days volunteer assistance had a more spontaneous nature, then every day it became more and more organized.
Rating of volunteer organizations
The Kyiv International Institute of Sociology has been conducting an annual study of the effectiveness of volunteer organizations under the name “Civil Society of Ukraine in War Conditions” since the very beginning of the full-scale invasion. According to his data, it is possible to track the degree of public trust in existing volunteer organizations. Therefore, the most popular among Ukrainians was the “Return Alive” Fund, which gained 43% of citizens’ trust. In second place is the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Fund with a slight gap of 42%. While the Ukrainian Red Cross Society gained only 21% trust, and United24 – 17%.
The sphere of activity of volunteer organizations
It should be noted right away that there is a certain difference between public and volunteer organizations, which lies in their sphere of activity. Public organizations concentrate their sphere of activity at the local level (24% of such organizations). Volunteers focus on the national level.
The “Return Alive” Foundation focuses its attention on professional and high-quality assistance to the Armed Forces, its active activity dates back to the first years of the large-scale invasion. Thanks to the Fund, more than 5.2 billion hryvnias were collected for the needs of the Armed Forces. This money was spent on the purchase of armored cars, copters and thermal imagers. The fund was also distinguished by the fact that it was one of the first to issue a permit for the import of dual-use goods from abroad. This made it possible to purchase the Bayraktar TB2 complex for $16.5 million. Volunteers also provide assistance in the field of training – sapper work, shooting from closed positions, sniping, aerial reconnaissance.
The Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation engages in volunteer assistance for both military and civilian victims of war. Moreover, the Fund quickly finds a response among Ukrainians, for example, it took literally a day to collect 350 million hryvnias and purchase RAM II UAV drones for our defenders.
The charity platform United 24, under the patronage of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi, attracts the attention of the whole world thanks to the appointed world-famous ambassadors. At the moment, the platform has already collected 203 million US dollars, which is planned to be directed to medical aid, defense and demining of the territories of active hostilities.
An interesting example of volunteer activity is the charitable non-profit organization United Help Ukraine. She was born on the streets of Washington from a small group of activists who actively told Americans about the horrors of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The efforts were not in vain, and the organization collected about 24 million US dollars. The funds are directed to help the Armed Forces, medical care and humanitarian aid to the population affected by the war. Thus, USD 18 was sent to meet the needs of the Armed Forces. That made it possible to provide our defenders with personal protective equipment, food, and clothing.
As for medical aid, United Help Ukraine provides soldiers with first-aid kits, brings medical equipment for hospitals and paramedics, and also, which is also very important, provides psychological help to Ukrainian children affected by the arbitrariness of war. Humanitarian aid for the civilian population comes in the form of cash grants and kits of goods for internally displaced people. Along with collecting donations, the organization also receives donations. For example, it is known that the state of Maryland donated 200 ventilators worth $500 million to Ukrainian hospitals. Today, United Help Ukraine is collecting equipment to help Ukraine prepare for winter, because the lack of energy resources and constant shelling threaten the provision of heat to the population. The process of purchasing generators is already actively underway, and the option of equipping shelters in winter is being considered.
So, volunteer organizations play an important role in the lives of both military personnel and civilians affected by the war. During the war, they gained some experience in performing their duties, but according to the data of the study of such experienced organizations, only 10%.
The largest percentage of volunteer organizations focuses their attention on helping the Armed Forces (46%). And this is not for nothing, because only a decently equipped army is able to repel the enemy. Victims of hostilities are also not left in trouble – 26% of aid is given to them. At the same time, only 16% of volunteer organizations help people with disabilities.
In 2022, there were 320 people who were members of volunteer organizations, but by the end of 2023, their number had increased to 7,000. An interesting fact is that the majority of volunteers are women, but management positions in such organizations are mainly held by men (according to the KMIS study).
Dynamics of activity of volunteer organizations
If we compare the regions in terms of the growth in the number of volunteers, the Kherson region is among the leaders. This is due to constant hostilities in this territory, and especially the undermining of the Kakhovskaya HPP.
Recently, there has been a tendency to decrease the number of volunteer organizations. At present, only 11% of organizations involved in the field of assistance to vulnerable segments of the population make up only 11%. Whereas in 2022 they were 43%, and in 2023 – 32%.
It should be noted that in recent years, financial assistance to volunteer organizations in Ukraine has significantly decreased. According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the total amount of financial assistance from them was approximately UAH 1.5 billion. In 2023, financial assistance decreased to UAH 1 billion. In 2024, it became even smaller.
Why Ukrainian volunteer organizations began to help less in 2024
Decisions of the authorities that interfere with volunteering. In recent years, some government decisions and changes in tax legislation have created additional difficulties for volunteer organizations in Ukraine. In 2023, scheduled documentary inspections of taxpayers from certain areas of activity were resumed. This includes the areas of production and sale of excise goods, gambling and financial services. During martial law, these checks are carried out without taking into account the usual risk criteria, which can put additional administrative pressure on organizations that assist the civilian population and the military.
From 2024, new tax rates have been introduced for individual entrepreneurs – for FOPs of the first group, it is necessary to pay the Unified social contribution in the amount of 1,562 hryvnias per month, which is 22% of the minimum wage. The single tax is 10% of the subsistence minimum, which is 302.80 hryvnias per month. Such changes increase the financial burden on volunteers, who are often FOPs and engage in volunteer activities in parallel with their main work.
In addition, the Ukrainian government intends to introduce a progressive scale of personal income tax rates instead of a fixed rate of 18%. This change could affect volunteers with higher incomes, increasing their tax burden and potentially reducing their ability to financially support volunteer initiatives.
Volunteering is also negatively affected by the resumption of inspections and “persuasive requests” to pay taxes in advance. This increases the administrative burden and the risk of fines for late or incorrect tax payments, which demotivates volunteers.
Reduction of financial resources. Many volunteer organizations used their reserves during the first years of the war, but over time their volume began to decrease due to economic difficulties both in Ukraine and abroad. Many entrepreneurs who actively donated lost their jobs, profits, and are now losing staff due to mobilization. In addition, volunteers are currently facing difficulties in attracting new financial resources.
Fatigue of volunteers. Many volunteers have been working for more than two years in conditions of constant stress and high responsibility. This leads to emotional burnout, which reduces their motivation and ability to continue active activities. In addition, volunteers experience physical fatigue caused by long hours of work without proper rest, which also significantly affects the volunteers’ ability to help effectively.
Loss of trust and transparency. Some organizations have faced accusations of inefficient use of funds or even corruption. This had a negative impact on the trust of citizens and potential donors. Insufficient transparency in the financial reports and activities of organizations also contributes to the loss of trust in them from the public.
Difficulties with coordination and logistics. Problems with supply, transport and aid coordination significantly reduce the effectiveness of volunteer organizations. In addition, the lack of effective coordination between different organizations leads to duplication of effort and inefficient use of resources.
Despite all the difficulties volunteer organizations face in their activities, each of them has a certain strategy for movement in the future. Thus, 34% of organizations already have plans to implement their projects in 2024. Obviously, the faith in the future of Ukraine is strong thanks to the dedicated work of volunteer activities, and the state should not interfere, but contribute in this direction.
