One day after Russia invaded Ukraine, many NCF givers who wanted to get funds to Ukraine and surrounding countries rapidly chose to give through the Ukraine Rapid Response Fund, an international fund established by our friends at TrustBridge Global Foundation. We’re happy to share that $5.3 million has been raised by TrustBridge, and money is still coming in.
[This story was updated on Thursday, March 31, 2022.]
The Ukraine Rapid Response Fund is an opportunity to give into a pool that goes directly to a select group of international charities located on the ground in and around Ukraine.
The fund is receiving guidance from a panel of experts with connections and experience in funding charities and programs in Eurasia. This panel includes Lee Behar who serves Maclellan Foundation as regional director to the Russian-speaking world. Other members include Alana Taube of Impact Foundation, a Ukrainian-American with years of experience in philanthropy and family members living and serving in Ukraine. Scott Amis of Cornerstone Trust is the third member of the panel. Scott has a degree in global leadership and served for more than 16 years in Central Asia.
In addition to these panelists, an international group of advisors is also being consulted to make sure grants are effective in assisting refugees and those affected by the conflict in Ukraine.
At least $365,000 of the funds have already been sent to five charities selected by the panel. Other charities are under evaluation, and new proposals are expected for consideration. The team at TrustBridge and its panel are vetting new opportunities with the intent to make additional grants in the coming days and weeks.
Here are the charities approved for the first round of funding:
Bible Mission Global
Bible Mission Global is working through a network of 27 churches in Western Ukraine and Moldova (Ushgorod, Chernigov, and Chisinau) to bring food from Germany and transport and deliver it to local churches for use in caring for refugees.
Hodos
Hodos is focusing on Zhytomyr, Melitopol, and the Polish border, working with local churches in the area. They are housing, feeding, and attending to medical needs of people, especially the elderly.
M4 Europe
M4 is led by John Lubas, pastor of the biggest Baptist church in Bucharest. They have a strong network of churches along the Ukrainian border. M4 began responding to the crisis within the first four days of war, opening refugee centers at the border south of Moldova, in Bucharest, and two outside the Romanian capital.
Mission Eurasia
Mission Eurasia is distributing food packages to families in Vinnitsa, Rivne, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Ternopol, Lutsk, Ivano-Frankovsk, Chernivtsy, Uzhgorod, and the suburbs of Kyiv. Initial grant will provide 500 families with food for a week.
Ukraine Partnership Foundation (UPF)
With the invasion of Russian forces into Ukraine, Ukrainian Baptist Theological Seminary (UBTS) has halted classes and is now providing humanitarian aid to people who are fleeing west to Lviv. During the first 10 days of war, UBTS has cared for 2,230 people – most of them women and children. All four UBTS facilities are now in use to care for people’s physical, spiritual, and emotional needs.
If you are interested in giving through the Ukraine Rapid Response Fund, visit TrustBridge Global Foundation’s site.
