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Ukraine Relief Fund

As the crisis in the Ukraine worsens, many of you have been left asking ‘How can we help?’ The devastating consequences for civilians and the resulting humanitarian needs are only expected to rise.

This is why, as a first step, Community Impact and UBS Optimus Foundation have launched the Ukraine Relief Fund. To ensure maximum impact for affected children, we are supporting Lumos and Hope and Homes for Children, who are working to ensure that amid this chaos, children in orphanages are safe, protected, and placed in suitable family-based care settings.

We are also partnering with the International Rescue Committee and Americares, who are providing emergency support and health-focused humanitarian aid to civilians forced to flee their homes by working with local partners in Ukraine and in neighboring countries, such as Poland.

As this is a rapidly evolving situation the fund will also support other trusted partners as the need arises.

Voices from the field: webcast with our grantees

Phyllis Costanza, UBS Optimus Foundation CEO and Head of Social Impact, sat down with Hope and Homes for Children and the International Rescue Committee, two early grantees of the UBS Ukraine Relief Fund. In addition, Tom Hall, Global Head of Philanthropy Services shares how UBS clients are helping and the best ways in which all philanthropists can take action in the context of emergency relief.

Hear what is happening on the ground in Ukraine and in neighboring countries, including the challenges and support being provided to affected people and communities.

How to give during a humanitarian crisis

To learn more from our experts about how to react thoughtfully and effectively with your philanthropy through the giving cycles of humanitarian crises, download the full guide.

In times of need, one of the most effective ways of giving for maximum impact is collectively. Would you like to connect and exchange with other philanthropists and changemakers? If so, ask your client advisor about joining our Global Philanthropists Community.

UBS partners with XTX Markets to match a further USD 20 million in donations to Ukraine humanitarian relief efforts

More than 12,000 employees and some 10,000 clients have now donated over USD25 million to the UBS Optimus Foundation Ukraine Relief Fund. Combined with the matched funding from UBS and our strategic partner XTX Markets, this means that more than USD50 million has been raised to help those affected by the devastating war in Ukraine. Having now reached USD50 million, UBS will continue to match 10% of further donations received from our employees and clients as per our standard Optimus Foundation matching program. For information on how to donate, please see here:

Partners we recommend

Here are some of the partners that we are working with*:

International Rescue Committee

  • Building on IRC's existing presence in Poland, IRC is working with local partners and the Polish authorities to stand up response centers for Ukrainian refugees fleeing to Poland. IRC will ensure that these refugees have their basic needs met through the provision of hygiene kits, cash assistance, and psychosocial support. Cash assistance—through vouchers that can be used at local markets—allows displaced families to buy essential goods including food.
 
  • IRC will deliver life-saving information through its suite of digital tools that provide up-to-date information in multiple languages on legal rights and documentation, accommodation, transportation, medical care and more to people who are in transit or starting life in a new country.
  • IRC is also working with local partners in Ukraine itself, within the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on the eastern edge of the country, to quickly mobilize emergency support for families, such as economic assistance, survival supplies, and protection services for civilians who have been forced to flee their homes.
Fact sheet IRC pdf, 107 KB

Lumos

  • Lumos has been supporting the government in Ukraine to reform the institutional care system to better protect vulnerable children and prevent family separation. Around 100,000 children are currently trapped in orphanages across Ukraine; the invasion by Russian forces means more children are now in danger. 
 
  • Lumos aims to protect as many children as they can by providing emergency food, hygiene and medical kits, and by helping to support their evacuation.
  • Lumos has been working extensively in the Zhytomyr region of Ukraine, which lies between an invading force and the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. In Zhytomyr alone, there are over 1,500 children trapped in orphanages and thousands more are now at risk of displacement and family separation.
Fact sheet Lumos pdf, 88 KB

Americares

  • Americares has been supporting the health sector in Eastern Europe since 1986, and since 1992 has provided more than $120m in aid to Ukrainians. In response to the current crisis, Americares plans to work with Ministries of Health and local health organizations to provide health-focused humanitarian aid for Ukrainians both inside Ukraine and those taking refuge in neighboring countries.
 
  • Americares will focus support on the following three areas:
    • Medicine security: support the international sourcing and distribution of critically needed medicine and medical supplies to partners in Ukraine and countries across Eastern Europe.
    • Emergency medical teams: support provision of primary health and mental health services at the community level while the health system is overwhelmed with patients, including provision outpatient emergency care of injuries and other significant health care needs
    • Mental health and psychosocial support: support access to basic mental health services for individuals experiencing distress during the conflict by training local health workers and other professionals (e.g., emergency responders, social workers, etc.) in providing community-based mental health and psychosocial support services, including psychological first aid.
Fact sheet Americares pdf, 114 KB

Hope and Homes for Children

  • Hope and Homes for Children was born out of the Balkans conflict 30 years ago and is an organization uniquely placed in Ukraine, Moldova and Romania. They are using their resources, skills and expertise to protect children and families right now, and in the aftermath of this war.
 
  • Over 100,000 children remain warehoused in Ukraine’s orphanage system – in a network of over 700 buildings and the vulnerability of the children is increasing by the day. As fighting intensifies and curfews and migration increase, staff are fleeing. Large numbers of children are being left to face the dangers of war, alone. Hope and Homes for Children are working on providing practical, life-saving support through cash transfers and direct interventions including supporting the evacuation of abandoned children, where safe and appropriate to do so, getting them to safe centres with trained social workers. They are also helping families in rural areas get access to food, water and protection.
  • In neighbouring countries Moldava and Romania, they are working with governments and international organizations to ensure the safe reception and protection of refugee, unaccompanied and separated children from Ukraine. Keeping siblings together, away from child traffickers or out of orphanages, and instead pushing for emergency foster care and family reunification are absolute priorities.
Fact sheet Hope and Homes for Children pdf, 89 KB

*Kindly note this list is not exhaustive and donors are unable to allocate their donations to a specific partner.

Maximize your impact

  • Knowing where to give can be overwhelming; with our long-established partnerships, you benefit from grantees carefully pre-vetted by our team of experts.
  • The flexible nature of the Fund allows us to respond quickly as the situation changes, so we can share donations to other vetted partners if such a need arises.
  • We diligently track progress and share regular feedback.

With a gift to the UBS Optimus Foundation Ukraine Relief Fund, you could support thousands of people in immediate need. And to maximize your impact, UBS will add 10% to employee and client donations.

Our aim is to:

  • Mobilize emergency support for Ukrainian families, such as economic assistance, survival supplies, and protection services for civilians who have been forced to flee their homes.
  • Provide health-focused humanitarian aid for Ukrainians both inside Ukraine and those taking refuge in neighboring countries by sourcing and distributing critically needed medicine, deploying emergency medical teams and support access to basic mental health services.
  • Protect vulnerable children and their caregivers in Ukraine trapped in orphanages to provide emergency food, hygiene and medical kits and supporting the evacuation of children, particularly those with physical or mental disabilities.