Trust and check. How is trust in charitable funds and why is it important

Yevgeny Mazurenko CEO Zagoriy Foundation has undergone more Ukrainian charity over the past six months than, apparently, at any time. For many, it became the same Daily Routine contributions or "to make" a cup of coffee in the morning but what is the percentage of those "many"? What is their age? What is the main motive? These factors are important, because effective charity is, first and foremost, systematic.

Therefore, at the Zagoriy Foundation, together with the Socioinform Research Agency, we conducted a quantitative study of charity during the war. Some figures were pleased, such as the fact that the trust in the funds increased by an average of 50% compared to 2021. And some have given thoughts about the importance of the mission of our fund.

Particularly interesting was the fact that Ukrainians will be more likely to help local charity funds or volunteering, but international funds receive the greatest trust. Video Day Why do Ukrainians trust international funds? Perhaps because of their long history, structure and hope that their reports are checked with greater meticulousness.

Perhaps, because of the still existing in our society, the trust in everything "Western", which, in view of the last few months, is rather reflex than based on evidence. This trust can also be tragically combined with the centuries of inferiority, which, incidentally, has no evidence base. And perhaps such trust in international funds exists through accurate marketing. If you want to buy a peanut beach, you buy Snickers or a local manufacturer's beam? I feel like Snickers.

We were governed at least once, is it organic in peanuts, how many calories in it and whether the company pays decent salary to its employees? No. We just got used to Snickers, its bright packaging and the fact that it is always in sight. This does the work of the PR department of all other bars, perhaps much better, very difficult.

Effective charity is, first and foremost, systematic or correctly trusting international funds than local? I propose to contact the May report of UK Humanitarian Innovation Hub on the reaction of the charity sector to a full -scale invasion. One of the important points of the report is that, unfortunately, international funds were not ready for the volume and intensity of work that expected them, despite many years of experience in assisting the countries in which armed conflicts took place.

The first six weeks after the full -scale invasion of the Russian Federation, almost all assistance in Ukraine was provided by local funds and volunteer initiatives. Interestingly, many of them were formed in a matter of days and began to do almost impossible. One of the great advantages of such groups is flexibility and minimal bureaucracy - what is usually a huge problem in international funds, and makes assistance less effective.

For example, despite the large amount of funds raised in the first days and weeks, a large proportion of them is stuck in bureaucratic thorns and has not yet reached Ukrainians. And one more, not the most important thing, in my opinion: international funds do not stimulate: it is not their war, they do not hurt. Therefore, most of them are concentrated in the West of Ukraine and abroad, and work in cities and villages near the front line and in the occupation conduct local funds and initiatives.

If international funds want to assist in the regions closest to the front line, they simply establish a partnership with a local organization. This means that Ukrainians are at risk of life, but the international fund is disposed of money, which often does not understand the context of the area to effectively allocate the budget. UKHIH also notes in its report that communication on the works of international works in Ukraine is much brighter than what is really being done.

Yes or not - we can say later, but such rhetoric is likely to have its reasons. Let's turn to the contrast of theoretical trust and real action. I want to give a little number for more visual comparison. On a five -point scale, the level of confidence of respondents in international funds is 4. 15, in all -Ukrainian funds - 3. 98 and to local funds - 3. 73. Of the 100% of those surveyed, 7. 9% are ready to assist funds or volunteering to international funds, all -Ukrainian funds - 27. 1%, local funds - 41. 9%.

Why, despite the lower level of trust, Ukrainians are more ready to help local funds? I think one of the reasons is the feeling of control through physical approximation. We see where they go to the way, we help our community and put it in the fact that it is morally and physically important to us.

Many do not think that when foreign donors will no longer respond to Ukraine's problems, international organizations will gradually reduce their physical presence, and local initiatives will remain - rebuild, repair, revive cultural heritage. How do local funds build confidence? How do we generally start trusting Ukrainian funds? First-communication.

It is very difficult, especially now, to allocate time and resources to PR and advertising, even when it seems that all your efforts are better to send to the help of beneficiaries. But it is communications that help raise more money and build quality relationships with donors. Social networks, media and other sites make the activity visible.

You can make many useful projects, but without stories about the activity of the audience just will not know about it, so it is so important not to neglect the dissemination of information about them. Currently, despite the decline in "popularity", the topic of assistance to Ukraine is relevant for foreigners, so it is possible to steam with Western media and promote its fund organically, talking about its activities.

If you have a lack of finance, hands and time for communication - you can seek volunteer for communicators and designers who are also seeking opportunities to be useful. Secondly, systematic reporting. Reports about dawn that are easy to find and read is a huge motivation to help. In the Zagoriy Foundation study, we have seen that it is often the youth that checks the funds for integrity and does so through social networks. Therefore, content reporting is required.

This is your mirror of efficiency and transparency, as well as a way to show the audience that you respect its time. In turn, donors want to ask not to be lazy and check the reporting of funds and before you contribute. It is important to know that your money is working and that they work as you would like. This stimulates both sides to do more. And I think it will be a pleasure to see what a huge amount of work our compatriots do with you.