Sunflower emojis, striking blue and gold flags, and heart-breaking images are filling our newsfeeds as the world witnesses human suffering due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24. But almost as fast as the situation began to unfold, philanthropists wasted no time stepping in to help.
In fact, in the five weeks since the conflict began, we’ve seen a significant uptick in giving among private foundations and clear patterns are beginning to emerge. Our clients are once again rising to the occasion, making grants to help provide critical care and assistance for this humanitarian crisis.
Where have we seen this before?
Just weeks after the COVID-19 pandemic was officially declared a State of Emergency in the US, foundations took action to provide charitable aid when it was needed most. In our 2021 Report on Private Foundations – Grantmaking, we found that the grant volume in April 2020 nearly doubled year-over-year from 5.6 percent to 9.7 percent of total annual giving in response to the emerging situation. Aside from the traditional surge of giving at year end, this unusual April bump represented the largest giving period of the year.
These generous and timely responses to the Ukraine crisis and the pandemic show us that private foundations are able to pivot quickly to address immediate needs.
Where giving dollars are going to help Ukraine
We took a look at how and where our clients are contributing their philanthropic dollars to provide aid for Ukraine. To learn more, check out our new infographic.
Looking for ways to help Ukraine?
Learn how you can respond to the complex humanitarian crisis. Together lets #begiving.
