The First National Forum of Volunteer Councils took place in Lutsk under the auspices of The Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine. The event brought together 100+ representatives from across Ukraine, including volunteer communities, public authorities, and international partners. The forum focused on defining the role of volunteer councils, identifying key challenges faced by communities, and cooperation between the volunteers and the goverment.  

Vira Nedzvedska, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Foundation, also joined the event, taking part in the panel discussion “International localisation and direct funding for regional organisations.” The discussion centred on cooperation with donors, opportunities for direct support to regional organisations, institutional requirements, and systemic changes needed to strengthen regional capacity.  

“Since 2014, the volunteer movement has become one of the key drivers of civil society development in Ukraine. We see how volunteer organisations have evolved into strong institutional actors capable of managing largescale projects and mobilising significant resources,” Vira noted.  

In her remarks, Vira shared how the Foundation supports volunteer hubs and the solutions we offer to civil society organisations – including our grant programmes, institutional support opportunities, and free courses available on our Zrozumilo! online education platform, which is used by more than 810,000 learners.  

“We do not only provide funding – we support our partners at every stage. Our goal is not to simply fill gaps, but to equip organisations with tools that help them grow stronger and attract further resources from other donors,” Vira summarised.  

The Vice President also emphasised the relevance of localising donor assistance, noting that the most effective solutions emerge where there is a strong understanding of context: 

“Direct support to Ukrainian organisations has proven effective – they make decisions quickly, understand the needs of people and communities well, and are able to act more rapidly,” Vira added. 

The event was held at the initiative of the Ministry of Social Policy and in cooperation with Charitable Foundation “Pomogaem”, Swedish Help Center, National Social Service of Ukraine, East Europe Foundation, and Volyn Regional State Administration.