Donation has become something commonplace for Ukrainians. But how do we keep this phenomenon alive after the victory? Let's talk about the culture of giving.
Instead of coffee, a donation, instead of payment, a donation, instead of a gift, a donation.
Everyone in Ukraine today donates, and the survival of our country depends on it.
The culture of donations is a requirement of the times. During the full-scale invasion, the percentage of people making donations increased from 56% in 2021 to 65% in 2022, and the average donation increased 9 times (according to a study by the Zagoriy Foundation). People have begun to take a more systematic approach to working with charitable and public organizations, to contribute resources to cooperation, which has led to an increase in the index of trust in the NGO sector.
But will we be able to turn this into a systemic habit after the victory?
First, let's understand the concepts.
A donation is financial assistance for public benefit.
Philanthropy is the use of private resources for public benefit, taking into account long-term results and preventing possible problems. It is also about systematic giving to solve a single problem. The results of such giving can be seen after a certain period of time: six months, a year, several years. If we look at current realities, the financing of the satellite that Prytula and Lachen bought is about philanthropy. Because the results came only after a certain amount of time.
Charity is the use of private resources for public benefit to meet urgent needs. It's when we mobilize here and now to help the victims and those in need. For us, charity is the most widespread today - we raise money every day for drones and other things for the military, and we mobilized to help the people of Kherson after the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was blown up.
Philanthropy is about using private resources for public projects related to culture, science, and education. It is also usually about long-term results: the creation of museums, educational institutions, and research institutions. But very often, this part of giving is criticized by some activists because it is often "out of time": how can someone create a gallery with their name on it when there is still hunger in the world? However, this is another way of addressing socially important issues, such as public education, preservation of cultural heritage, talent development, etc.
So will we need to continue donating and giving after the victory?
Today, many needs in communities are covered by international funding and the resources of local activists: time, the ability to manage projects and work with international funds, public trust, established community ties, community resources, etc.
But in 2-3 years after the end of the war and our victory, international organizations and foundations will mostly leave Ukraine because their mission of humanitarian response during an emergency will be over. There will, of course, be international technical assistance funds and, hopefully, reparations for the priority reconstruction of Ukrainian cities.
But there will also be many other challenges: socialization of veterans, fighting unemployment, human rights protection, ecology, and education. We will have some international grants and government programs. But international aid will decrease significantly. And the needs will still be great.
Therefore, we have to start developing the habit of giving systematically, for long-term projects. We need to develop a culture of giving and the infrastructure for it. Look for methods of sustainable giving of our resources, such as social enterprises and endowments for communities and communities. In the following articles, we will discuss how activists can create such an infrastructure and how donors can join it to best serve their interests.
Sustainable welfare starts with development. Let's start developing ourselves and our communities right now. I will talk about how to develop a culture of giving in the next article.