By Matt Haller

As the situation in Ukraine continues to deteriorate, many are asking how they can help. In fact, this was one of the most frequent questions I got in San Diego this past week, showing the dedication our community has to giving back. Service to our communities, and to others, is at the core of the franchising sector. In the year before the pandemic, franchisees donated an estimated $1.5 billion to charity, raised over $900 million, and sponsored 18 million hours of volunteer activity. So it is no surprise that while we are gathered together in the midst of conflict and violence happening overseas, everyone’s first reaction has been, “what can I do to help.”

To put everything in one place, we have compiled resources for our IFA community to give to those who need it most and where it will have the greatest impact. There are many options available to you from U.S. and international non-governmental organizations (NGO) already doing work in Ukraine and the surrounding regions. While this time continues to be uncertain, we want to do everything we can to help the Ukrainians and all those in harm’s way.

First, we want to provide our members with the opportunity to donate to two of our partners, both of whom were at Convention as part of our Franchising Gives Back community service projects. Team Rubicon is on the ground in Poland standing ready to help refugees and provide resources as they can. In addition, the notes we wrote for Blue Star Families will be sent to families of service members deployed in Ukraine. Throughout this crisis, both groups are continuing to provide support to those at home and abroad. You can donate to the specific campaign setup by the IFA Foundation for Team Rubicon here, and to Blue Star Families here.

Second, there are several other ways you can donate, highlighted in recent media reports. Those are listed below. This is an evolving list, and if there are additional suggestions to feature on this list, we will continue to add them.

CARE – International humanitarian organization providing food, water, and more reaching over 4 million people, especially women, girls and the elderly

Doctors Without Borders – Partnering with volunteers in Ukraine to help people travel to health-care facilities and working to ensure that people have access to health care and medicine

GlobalGiving – Donations to the fund will support humanitarian assistance in affected communities in Ukraine and surrounding regions where Ukrainian refugees have fled

International Rescue Committee – Helping those affected by humanitarian crises and works in more than 40 affected countries, the group is on the ground in Poland and working to help displaced families

International Committee of the Red Cross – Working in Ukraine to supply emergency assistance and support hospitals with medical equipment

Project Hope – Emergency teams in Europe are sending medical supplies and standing by to provide health screening and care for refugees

Razom for Ukraine – A nonprofit organization focused on purchasing medical supplies for critical situations like blood loss and other tactical medicine items.

Save the Children – Working in the hardest-to-reach places, “where it’s toughest to be a child,” the organization says it is “gravely concerned” for the children of Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Sunflower of Peace – A nonprofit providing medical and humanitarian aid for people impacted by violence in Ukraine

Voices of Children – Ukraine-based charitable foundation that provides psychological and psychosocial support to children “to help them overcome the consequences of armed conflict”

U.N. Crisis Relief – Goals include supporting lifesaving activities, filling funding gaps and expanding assistance in hard-to-reach areas, according to its website

World Food Programme – The U.N.’s anti-hunger humanitarian organization working to provide food assistance to 3.1 million Ukrainians affected by the conflict and has deployed 400 tons of food to the Ukrainian border

International Franchise Association Foundation – The Foundation, through its Franchising Gives Back program, helps to promote the generosity of spirit and dedication to community that exists within the franchising industry. Please consider a donation so that we can continue our work and build additional partnerships.

Paul Davis – Local franchisee helping provide resources to Ukraine through Saint Andrew Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral in Silver Spring, Maryland. “Collecting necessities at our homes and then bringing them to the church on a weekly basis as well as work on campaigns to purchase items online and ship directly to warehouses, where volunteers sort and ship out to Ukraine.”

The entire IFA community stands with free people of Ukraine, and we are ready to help however we can.

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