High Tech Biz Supports the Ukrainian Refugees

With the recent escalation of violence in Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes and are now living in refugee camps throughout neighboring countries. Fortunately, some Ukrainian business owners and entrepreneurs have come together to create the High Tech Biz Relief Fund , which offers grants to support humanitarian efforts within Ukraine in the form of supplies, medicines, and other items needed to keep refugees healthy and happy while they recover from the violence.

In response to the Ukrainian refugee crisis, Tech companies have been donating money, time and technology to help the refugees.

• Facebook donated $1 million in emergency relief funds to the International Rescue Committee. They also partnered with the IRC to provide connectivity by installing Wi-Fi hotspots in shelters.
• Google donated $750,000 to aid relief efforts and collaborated with UNICEF on a project that will provide access to clean water for 100,000 people in Ukraine.
• In addition, Microsoft donated $1 million of cloud computing services and software licenses for humanitarian organizations.
• Apple also pledged $2 million in funding for World Vision’s work on behalf of children displaced by the conflict in Ukraine.
• Google is matching any private donation on top of the $10000/month grant they were providing to any NGO even prior to this crisis. Some details on how to access this grant bellow 

But these tech moguls are followers in the global tech community mobilization in support of the Ukrainian refugees. 

Since Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Moldova and Romania are now the main escape gates for Ukrainian refugees, one would expect most refugee sheltering and emergency operations to be focused in these countries as well as adjacent countries.

Refugees and Technology

In light of the ongoing war, non-profit organizations require technical assistance in order to maximize their impact. Assist them in developing digital solutions that are effective. Refugees can now make use of a variety of technological tools to raise finances, obtain medical care, and find work.

Here are a few projects that have been ramped up in record time to support the refugees in finding help and information 

• https://dopomoha.ro/ Using this platform, which was developed by Code for Romania in collaboration with the Ministry of Internal Affairs' Department of Emergency Situations, the UN Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration, and the Romanian National Council for Refugees, civilians fleeing Ukraine's civil war can find all relevant information about seeking protection in Romania. Code for Romania is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of refugees in Romania.
  
• https://www.ukrainetakeshelter.com/ - Refugees from Ukraine can now find homes and shelter in the private or organized sectors. For a couple of Harvard graduates, it just took a couple of days to put together a website where Ukrainian migrants could easily locate shelter.

Here are some platforms for Ukraine refugees to find jobs

• https://pratsya.eu/ - This website provides Ukrainian refugees with a means to identify new job opportunities. Current employment opportunities can ensure a sense of normalcy and a decent revenue for people that are one the run.

How to get funding for you NGO to support Ukraine refugees

• https://gofund.me - GoFundMe is the world's largest social fundraising platform. It provides a way for people to share their stories, raise money, and offer support to people in need. You can ramp up your charity project in close to no time. GoFundMe is the world's largest social fundraising platform. It provides a way for people to share their stories, raise money, and offer support to people in need. You can ramp up your charity project by focusing on the narrative that drives your campaign. The more compelling and personal of a story you tell, the more likely you will be able to connect with others and make an emotional connection. 
• Globalgiving.org - Globalgiving is a crowdfunding platform that connects donors with vetted local charities working on projects worldwide. On Tuesday they announced their $100,000 donation to help those affected by political turmoil in Ukraine. As part of their donation they are offering matching funds to encourage others to donate as well.

What type of projects can you raise money for supporting Ukraine refugees

• Shelter
• Food and urgent supplies
• Transportation and evacuation of refugees
• Medical help
• Education

How to promote your NGO fundraising and Ukraine support projects

Social Media

One of the most accessible ways to promote your fundraiser for Ukraine is your immediate connections, friend family or social media either Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn and Twitter.

Here is an example of social media posts for fundraisers:

Landing pages

Landing pages are pages built to acquire leads. If you want to help with relief efforts in Ukraine, you can create a landing page that clearly defines what your campaign’s goals are and how people can contribute through donation or volunteering.

Google Ads Grants $10000/month budgets to NGOs

Google is opening its deep pockets to charitable organizations with Google Ads Grants. Non-profits can now apply to receive a grant as high as $10,000 per month! Organizations that qualify will be able to use these funds for advertising on GoogleAds and Google Display Network in order to raise awareness of their cause, raise funds and promote their charitable projects. Don't have an organization? You're not out of luck: non-profit foundations and public schools are also eligible to apply. The application process takes less than five minutes—and it's free! There's no better time than now to start your new fundraising campaign or give back some love in your community by supporting causes you care about most.

You can find out more on the actual process to access Google Ads Grants here . 

Tech Global Community Effort to Support the Ukrainian Refugees

As Ukrainian refugees continue to flee into Eastern Europe, tech-friendly NGO’s are partnering with local businesses and high-tech companies in order to provide relief. The plight of these refugees is being partially funded by large grants that have been given by various NGOs. These grants come from both domestic and international donors, who contribute through online crowdfunding sites. In addition to online fundraising, various small business and high-tech companies have offered a large amount of their unused resources.

What can you do? 

Tech for Ukraine platform is a great resource techtotherescue.org/tech/tech-for-ukraine

Non-profit organizations need tech support to maximize impact in the light of the ongoing war. This online community project is currently being held in collaboration with major IT companies and humanitarian organizations including Ngo Impresario of Innovations (NGO i3), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Ukraine and Rise up Kyiv. The “Tech to the rescue” helps non profits design for free digital solutions that matter.

Are you part of an NGO? Here is how we can help you!

We will provide a free planning session to be used at your own will on anything from setting up and accessing grants for your NGO marketing (for eg $10000 monthly Google Ads Grants) to setting up your donations accounts, landing pages for your charitable projects and many more. We will go a great length to support any charitable initiative. Reach out to setup a call with one of our senior consultants and let us help you save the world today.