On September 19-20, the final conference of the Phoenix project, implemented by East Europe Foundation with the financial support of the European Union, took place in Kyiv. The event gathered around 100 participants, including representatives of civil society organizations, civic tech activists, partners and experts involved in the project. Over two days, we jointly discussed the results, challenges, and achievements gained during the 26 months of the Phoenix project.

The project is multi-component. A total of 38 civil society organizations from 11 regions of Ukraine received funding under the project and worked on addressing the challenges posed by the war.

As part of the Acceleration Program and civic tech solutions development, 10 CSOs were able to design and implement technical instruments. “Phoenix” also contributed to the institutional development of organizations through the Institutional Support Program, which included 11 partner organizations. Another 17 CSOs received grants to implement local and national-scale projects aimed at supporting affected communities, assisting relocated businesses, and helping internally displaced persons (IDPs).

We also conducted a comprehensive study of the civil society sector’s needs and challenges during the second year of the Russian full-scale invasion. This study analyzed the problems, challenges, and training needs of civil society organizations. Its findings helped to refine our work within the project.

Victor Liakh, President of East Europe Foundation, emphasized the importance of supporting the civil society sector:
“East Europe Foundation works in many areas, but the development of the civil society sector has always been and remains our priority. A vibrant and active civil society is our strategic goal! With the strong support of our partners from the European Union, we have implemented the Phoenix project, which is our third project funded by the EU aimed at supporting civil society from the time of Covid19 pandemic till now, the time of an ongoing full-scale invasion”.

Additionally, we launched three online courses on the Zrozumilo Educational Online Platform – Successful Grant Writing, SMM for CSOs, and History of Ukrainian Civil Society. One of the courses, titled Ukraine: History of Civil Society, is available to an English-speaking audience on the Coursera platform.

During the first day of the event, we summarized the project’s overall results and shared interesting achievements from different components. We also got to know each other better and explored potential synergies.

“From the European Union’s perspective, Ukrainian civil society continues to play a crucial role in Ukraine’s resilience against the aggressor, supporting social peace and unity in these challenging times. In the EU, we fully recognize that you are a key instrument in strengthening democracy in Ukraine. The EU strongly supports civil society, and we will continue this support. Just last year, we had around 85 ongoing civil society projects with funding of 125 million euros,” said Julia Jacobi, Head of the Civil Society Support Program of the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

The focus of the second day – training and thematic sessions

Thematic workshops on fundraising, communications, and leadership were led by Ulyana Kolodiy, Valeria Tatarchuk, and Halyna Potopalska.

One of the most engaging topics of the day was the discussion on fundraising. Valeria Tatarchuk, founder of the charitable foundation Tvoya Opora (Your Support), emphasized that successful fundraising is based on trust, reputation, and a strategic approach. She urged civil society organizations to work systematically and diversify their funding sources to ensure long-term sustainability.

During the project management session, the discussion focused on how project management can be applied in the nonprofit sector, particularly in the context of high-pressure environments. The session highlighted the critical role of change management and a project-oriented approach. Natalia Slynko, Tetiana Mazur, and Natalia Starynska shared insights into developing a project management office (PMO) at East Europe Foundation, detailing a six-year journey towards establishing it.

“From my years of experience in our organization’s development, I wouldn’t measure institutional growth in terms of time, but rather by the quality of ideas from top management. It’s essential to analyze gaps, identify growth areas, and enhance knowledge of best practices,” said Natalia Slynko, Vice President of East Europe Foundation.

Participants of the Acceleration Program, who developed civic tech solutions, also shared feedback about their involvement in this component. They spoke from personal experience about how civil society organizations can develop technical tools to solve societal problems. Diana Standratyuk and Denys Hubashov facilitated the event and gathered valuable feedback.

The conference concluded with participants exchanging impressions. Evheniya Zakharchenko, head of the NGO Nasha Rada, remarked: “When I became the head of a project and organization, I realized how difficult it was and how much I didn’t know. It’s about growing up, responsibility, and understanding tasks and goals. I met so many great people here who shared so many wonderful insights. When I started implementing the project, I made my first mistakes, but I was supported along the way – thank you for that! My first project was not my last.”

East Europe Foundation thanks the European Union and all partners and organizations involved in the project. Ahead lies new partnerships and opportunities for growth!