A Future Despite the War: Fundraising and the Story Behind the Creation of the Blagomay Charity Fund

 

The work and founding story of the Blagomay Charity Fund were featured in the German Fundraising-Magazin. We would like to thank the journalists and are pleased to share the English version of the publication with you 💚
 

By Ute Nitzsche
 

A Future Despite the War
 

“Maybutnie” is the Ukrainian word for “future” — and this is exactly what the founders of the Blagomay Foundation wish for every child. The foundation is active throughout Ukraine and has grown into one of the country’s leading charitable organizations.

 

Tetiana Karapetian was working in the banking sector when she had to take her own child to a children’s hospital and witnessed another child being left there. This became a defining turning point for her and, at the same time, the beginning of the Blagomay Foundation.

 

“Blago” means “charity” in Ukrainian, and the two words “Maybutnie” and “Blago” therefore embody the foundation’s central mission and idea.

 

“At that time, philanthropy in Ukraine was still in an early stage of development, and it was important to show that charity is not only the responsibility of large organizations or wealthy people. Everyone can contribute to creating positive change,” explains Tetiana Karapetian.

 

Together with Kostiantyn Holubiatnikov, she initially volunteered in family-type children’s homes, boarding schools and hospitals before officially founding the Blagomay Foundation in 2012.

 

The foundation implements educational, medical, humanitarian and infrastructure projects for children, families and local communities throughout Ukraine. Its central goal is to provide children with a dignified childhood, quality education, opportunities for personal development and a safe future.

 

The foundation’s website presents various projects together with their specific funding needs and the amounts already raised, making it easy for anyone to support individual projects directly.

 

One example is the “girlsSTEM” project (pictured), which supports girls from socially vulnerable groups in pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

 

A Project Dedicated to Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage

 

Another project is called “Cultural Code of Ukraine” and introduces children to one of the most important symbols of Ukrainian culture: the vyshyvanka. Vyshyvankas are shirts and blouses decorated with distinctive traditional embroidery patterns. They represent the country’s cultural heritage.

 

People who donate to the project help children preserve their Ukrainian identity. According to the website, by the beginning of July, 93 percent of the funding target had already been reached — the highest level among all current Blagomay projects.

 

A Future Despite the War

 

Following the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Blagomay significantly expanded its activities and adapted its programs to the country’s new needs, says Tetiana Karapetian.

 

These initiatives include equipping schools with shelters, providing orphaned children with warm clothing for the winter, and the “Full backpack” campaign, through which children receive a fully equipped school backpack as well as an emergency backpack.

 

The emergency backpack contains a sleeping mat, a bottle of water, a lunchbox, a flashlight, hygiene products, stationery, a reflective bracelet, a safety vest and a mini power bank.

 

To make support as broad as possible, the foundation also relies on funding programs, including “Help – Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe,” as well as international donation platforms in Europe and North America.

 

“Joint charitable initiatives and partnership projects with companies, civil society organizations and international institutions also play an important role,” adds the foundation’s founder.

 

Donations for Administrative Costs


 

The “Administrative Costs” program also allows donors to directly support the foundation’s ongoing administrative expenses.

 

According to the foundation, these account for around 6–7 percent of the project budget, which is below the maximum permitted share. Ukrainian legislation stipulates that charitable organizations may use a maximum of 20 percent of their income for administrative costs.

 

The foundation is headquartered in Kyiv but, despite the war, continues its work throughout Ukraine, with a particular focus on areas close to the front line and communities that have been particularly severely affected.

 

The team now consists of more than 75 people working both at the headquarters in the capital and in seven educational hubs across different regions of the country.
 

Whether in large cities or small communities, the location does not matter — the foundation is active wherever help is needed.
 

Tetiana Karapetian says:

“We are convinced that investing in education, health and the development of children is the best investment in a country’s future.”

A future that is particularly important for Ukraine right now.