The role of charitable foundations in Ukraine needs to be reviewed

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The latest rankings and research in the field of philanthropy stimulate a new debate about the role of the public sector in strengthening the resilience of the state.

In 2022, Ukraine showed impressive growth in the global ranking of philanthropy, taking 10th place, compared to 101st place in 2019 and 20th place last year. The contribution of the top-5 largest charitable foundations of Ukraine exceeds 20 billion hryvnias, which is a huge amount comparable, for example, to the financial needs of the Ministry of Defense for the purchase of drones.

The public sector has always played a key role in changes in the state. I would like to note the rapid increase in the amount of aid provided by charitable foundations during the war. After February 24, it became obvious what an important role non-governmental organizations play in securing both the front and the rear.

Funding for the non-governmental sector is growing exponentially, from millions to billions. This shows not only great help, but also trust and the ability to manage resources quickly and efficiently. It is important to emphasize logistical and institutional capabilities. There are more and more non-governmental organizations in Ukraine.

This trend will only increase, especially after the war, when it will be necessary to effectively convert investments into solutions. The public sector acts as rear support and a powerful weapon ready to defend and defend its values.

Ukraine has very strong charitable foundations, which exceed some state institutions in terms of quality and efficiency. Funds turned out to be more flexible, more transparent and more accountable. This difference is particularly visible in foundations that have excellent reputations in their fields, systematically attract resources to the country, are easily verified by open data and are audited.

This is a tangible growth area for improving partnerships between the state and the non-governmental sector in various areas.

For example, our experience in the implementation of the Transition Plan in the field of health care: when the state trusts non-governmental organizations to purchase services for patients with chronic diseases is a positive example of cooperation that stimulates competition and improves the quality of services. That is, there is already a mechanism of social contracting, when the state purchases services (which were previously provided exclusively by communal and state institutions) from public organizations on a competitive basis through the Prozorro system.

We see how in the field of HIV services, this contributes to more efficient use of state financial resources, improves the quality of services for patients and develops this market. This is the professionalization of relations between the state and the public. I believe that this experience should be extended to other areas.

In Ukraine, such a concept as “professional volunteer” should be fixed for a long time – we see today what results public organizations and volunteer initiatives are capable of achieving. So why not delegate this mandate to them from the state, if their ability, the presence of trust from society, and their passion to do what they do well is obvious.

I am starting this discussion because we have already made a significant contribution to humanitarian aid, raising billions of hryvnias and providing support to patients, medical institutions and organizations. Our experience shows that cooperation with global aid programs can reach even more people.

The demand for help remains high, especially for those near the contact line. And the increase in the role of the non-governmental sector is an indicator of the growth of public consciousness and requires an appropriate response from the state.

Our strength lies in unity, and this is important to remember. I urge the public and the state to join this discussion and work together to develop more effective partnerships and delegation systems in various fields.

Dmytro Sherembey, the head of the BO “100% Life”, especially for UP. Life

Publications in the “View” section are not editorial articles and reflect exclusively the author’s point of view.

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