Ukraine Community Resilience Fund

Empowering local organisations to support vulnerable communities

Join BEARR in strengthening community resilience in Ukraine

Since 2022, The BEARR Trust has responded to the devastating impact of Russia’s war on Ukraine by supporting grassroots efforts to support the most vulnerable affected by the war. The Emergency Appeal for Ukraine and Moldova is now closed and information about it can be found here.

As we transition from emergency aid to long-term support, we are launching the Ukraine Community Resilience Fund — a new initiative focused on sustaining the efforts of local organisations working on the front lines of recovery. We plan to hold an event to launch the new fund, see below for details.

Why Your Support Matters

The Ukraine Community Resilience Fund provides small grants to community-based organisations (CBOs) in Ukraine that are helping people most affected by the war — internally displaced people, veterans, children, older adults, and those with disabilities. These local groups are the backbone of their communities, offering vital services both during the crisis and in the process of rebuilding.

We also extend support to CBOs in Moldova working with Ukrainian refugees, ensuring displaced individuals receive the care and resources they need.

What makes this fund different? 

Unlike conventional emergency aid or institutional civil society development, our approach focuses on  sustaining and strengthening local action. Most of the CBOs we fund were active before the war, are active now, and will remain vital in rebuilding communities once the war ends. 

We recognise that community resilience is built through  practical, locally led initiatives that bring people together and create long-term social change. Our support ensures that these organisations can continue their critical work and that Ukraine’s civil society remains strong for the future. 

The urgency of local support 

When international donors sought ways to assist Ukraine’s internally displaced people in 2014, they found a  severe lack of local organisations  due to a previous withdrawal of donor support. This left a major gap in Ukraine’s civil society infrastructure but it developed very quickly after 2014 to meet needs that the state could not meet.

Today, that progress is at risk. Major international donors, including USAID and other foreign funders, are now reducing or withdrawing support to local organisations in Ukraine. This funding gap threatens to undo years of grassroots capacity-building at a time when communities still face enormous challenges.

We have a crucial opportunity to strengthen the resilience of local organisations, ensuring they can support their communities now and into the future. These groups are not just responding to crisis; they are essential for peace-building and long-term recovery. 

How your contribution helps 

Your funding will support locally focused projects in specific towns, neighbourhoods, and rural areas. Examples of funded activities: 

• Mental health support (counselling, therapy, trauma recovery). 
• Inclusion and support for vulnerable groups (children, older people, veterans and their families, people with disabilities). 
• Community cohesion initiatives (helping integrate displaced people with local residents) 
• Other locally led projects that align with our mission. 

Who we support 

We prioritise smaller, locally based organisations that have limited access to larger funding sources. These are the groups that can make the most immediate and lasting impact on their communities. If your organisation would like to apply for funding, please email info@bearr.org with a brief proposal. We offer a maximum grant of £2,500 per project (or £1,000 for first-time applicants).

Join us in building resilient communities 

By contributing to the Ukraine Community Resilience Fund, you are investing in sustainable, locally driven support for people affected by war. Your funding will help communities not only survive the conflict but also rebuild and thrive in the future. 

Launch Event

We’re launching the Ukraine Community Resilience Fund on Thursday, May 8, 18:00 (BST) with a special event on Zoom, featuring Professor Victoria Donovan, Professor of Ukrainian and East European Studies at the University of St Andrews and author of Life in Spite of Everything: Tales from the Ukrainian East.

For more information, please contact us at info@bearr.org.