Ukraine Crisis Response: Strategic Giving Opportunities

In less than 2 weeks, 2M+ refugees have fled Ukraine. The UN Refugee Agency projects up to 4 million people may flee in total and another 6.7M people will be internally displaced if fighting continues. Christian ministries from around the world have responded to the crisis by providing emergency aid. Below is a list of 4 organizations who are uniquely positioned to bring help and hope to suffering Ukrainians on the ground.

Evaluation Criteria

Excellence in Giving uses seven basic criteria to filter through dozens of organizations responding to each crisis. After screening organization plans, operating history, staff, and partners in the affected area, we identified 4 of our favorites responding to the Ukrainian crises. The giving recommendations below are based on these seven criteria:

• Well-positioned Staff. Quality and tenure of staff on the ground in the affected area
• In Action. Current and significant role in immediate relief efforts of food, shelter, and medical services
• Pre-established Partner Network. Strong and extensive network of indigenous partners
• Experienced. Proven disaster response capabilities in the affected area
• Transportation Infrastructure. Ability to transport supplies, money, and people efficiently
• Holistic. Faith-based organization concerned about physical, social, and spiritual care
• Can Do More with More Money. Not overfunded & able to put more money to work in the next 90 days

Giving Recommendations

1. Mission Eurasia

Funds needs in next 90 days: $2.4M
Funds raised so far: $1.2M
Network Size: 20K former students
Disaster Relief Experiences: 8 years in Ukraine Region

Rationale: Over the last 10 years, ME has provided leadership training to 20K young adult Christians in 14 countries from the former Soviet Union – the training emphasizes the church’s responsibility to meet tangible needs in the local community. All of ME’s ministry is overseen by a field ministry team headquartered in Ukraine. In 2014, ME decided to leverage its network of former students for a humanitarian response to the Russian invasion of Crimea. Since then, ME has delivered 140+ containers of food to refugees in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Ukraine through a formal humanitarian aid program. ME’s immediate goal is to provide 20K emergency food packages to vulnerable families inside Ukraine. It has delivered 6K food packages so far which are trucked from 2 service hubs within Ukraine toward the war zones where food is scarcest. ME estimates over 700 former students have volunteered so far to source, pack, and transport food packs. Each pack contains enough food to sustain a family of 5 for a week and includes a “copy of Scripture.” ME has also set up 2 church-based service hubs in Poland and 1 in Moldova to house, feed, and care for refugees who have escaped Ukraine – each hub is serving 300+ people every day.

2. Sports Catalyst

Funds needs in next 90 days: $3M – $5M
Funds raised so far: $2.8M
Network Size: 119 Help Centers in Ukraine
Disaster Relief Experiences: 2 weeks

Rationale: Since 2007, SC has been training missionaries, church planters, and Christian nonprofit leaders how to run sports clinics at churches in Ukraine. So, SC has a network of hundreds of trainees who have experience coordinating logistics and leveraging church resources to serve large numbers of people. Since the war started, SC pivoted its strategy to help its network of trainees open 119 “Help Centers” in gymnasiums, churches, and homes across 3 Ukrainian states. Approximately 12K people are receiving food and other basic needs from the Help Centers daily, and each center is housing displaced people. 16 trainees operate a command center in the country to coordinate supply distribution, triage Help Center requests, and quickly approve Help Center grants of up to $5K. Staff in Houston approve grants from $5K-$30K and a Board approves grants over $30K – SC has distributed $500K to the Help Centers to date. SC also provides Bible-themed coloring books, sports activities, online counseling access, and online education for school children at the Help Centers.

3. European Great Commission Collaboration

Funds needs in next 90 days: $1.1M
Funds raised so far: $770K
Network Size: 600+ Churches
Disaster Relief Experiences: Varies by Partner

Rationale: EGCC is a collaborative giving initiative based in Europe targeting kingdom-minded transformation on the continent. EGCC was founded by the Walach brothers who oversee 3W Foundation in the Czech Republic. 3W gives $4M annually to 130 organizations. 3W staff have selected 5 organizations to receive Ukraine relief funding from EGCC based on (1) their presence in Ukraine, (2) the size of their church networks in the region, and (3) the level of trust they have built with each leader over 3+ years of relationship. The money will be used to (1) transport refugees to safe areas, (2) provide medical equipment and food, and (3) provide care to re-settling refugees (health care, visa support, spiritual & mental counseling, etc.). The 5 ministries on the ground leverage existing partnerships with 600+ churches across Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Moldova, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. EGCC has released $245K of funding to the 5 partners so far. 3W staff will monitor progress and distribute the remaining funds based on how effectively each organization puts the money to work, strategic opportunities on the ground, and need for funding.

4. World Relief

Funds needs in next 90 days: $1M – $2M
Funds raised so far: $250K
Network Size: 200 Churches in Ukraine
Disaster Relief Experiences: 75 years in 100+ Countries

Rationale: WR has served displaced people/refugees for 75 years in 100+ countries. WR is (1) providing food and supplies to churches housing refugees in western Ukraine and (2) establishing temporary tent shelters at crossings along the Romania and Slovakia borders. Because WR is part of the National Association of Evangelicals, it gained immediate partnership with associated denominations in the region. As a result, WR is supporting a network of over 200 church partners in western Ukraine and in Kyiv. WR resources are mostly being put to work within Ukraine because most of the people displaced are unlikely to cross an international border (many family members refuse to leave Ukraine because men in the family aged 18-60 are not allowed to leave). WR recently delivered 16 vans of food to Baptist church partners for people who had not eaten in 3 days, so WR is able to get supplies to people in great need. Because WR anticipated the crisis in Ukraine, its Director of Disaster Relief was on the ground in mid-January to prepare and meet with partners. WR had secured tents and heaters to set up border shelters before the war began.