#How to help the people of Ukraine: 3 ideas for giving

After Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine, many Americans of all walks of life are wondering how they can help the Ukrainian people in their time of suffering.

While there are many fundraisers, charities and organizations to consider donating to or helping in some way, Charity Navigator has put together a list of some of the top-rated nonprofits that are aiding in relief and recovery efforts in Ukraine.

These charities have earned high ratings for their financial efficiency and for clarity and transparency about their operations.

Charity Navigator helps charitable givers make “intelligent giving decisions” by providing objective ratings and analysis of the financial health and accountability of America’s largest charities.

The following nonprofits are “engaged in relief and recovery efforts in Ukraine and the surrounding region,” according to Charity Navigator.

While any decision to give should be carefully considered, the three groups below earned Charity Navigator’s highest rating of four stars.

Get the latest updates in the Russia-Ukraine conflict with the Post’s live coverage.

Save the Children. The organization reports that “children in Eastern Ukraine have grown up in conflict for the past eight years, enduring violence, shelling and displacement. Without urgent de-escalation, the crisis will spiral out of control, with devastating consequences for families.”

The organization, begun in 1919, says that 85% of every dollar donated “goes straight to its mission.” 

It is an accredited charity by the Better Business Bureau.

In an “emergency note” posted on its website, the organization says it is “gravely concerned for children in Ukraine, Afghanistan and around the world who might be caught in the middle of armed conflict, forced to flee their homes and exposed to injury, hunger and sub-zero temperatures.”

Single and monthly donations are accepted.

Project HOPE. The group notes that Russia’s assault on Ukraine “will force hundreds of thousands [of people] to flee their homes. Access to basic needs, health care and more are now in jeopardy.”

It notes that “emergency teams from this group in Europe are sending medical supplies and standing by to provide health screening and care for refugees.”

It is a Better Business Bureau-accredited charity; it reports that 87% of its resources support its programs. 

The organization says is “actively shipping essential medicines and medical supplies to affected areas in Ukraine.” 

On its website, the group declares that the crisis in Ukraine has “already prompted massive displacement from the capital of Kyiv and other parts of the country, with several thousand people already entering neighboring countries and more to come.”

It adds, “Ukrainians near the conflict zones are lining up to access cash and fuel, and although communications and cell towers are reportedly functional for now, citizens are preparing for significant disruptions to supply chains, health care, and road access.”

GlobalGiving. The group’s main goal, it says, “is selfless charity work in the public interest or [for] certain categories of citizens.” 

It is the first and largest global crowdfunding community connecting vetted nonprofits, donors and companies, it says, in countries around the globe.

It has delivered funds to community-led organizations that are “best-suited to provide relief and long-term recovery.” 

Global Giving — a BBB-accredited charity — created the Ukraine Crisis Relief fund, with a goal of raising $3 million in disaster response funding. 

As of early Friday morning, its website notes it’s raised over $135,000.

All donations support humanitarian assistance in impacted communities in Ukraine and surrounding regions where Ukrainian refugees have fled — “including food, shelter, clean water, access to education, health and psychosocial support,” the organization says.