Multi-million support initiative to save Ukrainian independent media faced with he Russian full-scale invasion
Context
Russian full scale invasion severely strained Ukrainian media, causing a drop in revenues and making it hard to cover operational costs.
Unexpected war-related expenses further stressed media outlets, complicating their financial stability.
Key activities
Fundraising over 4+ million euros in support of the Ukrainian media sector overall, both via GoFundMe and directly (more than 16 thousand people donated)
Running a comprehensive emergency support fund to help key Ukrainian media withstand the first year of the full-scale invasion
6-months of donor fundraising activities where national and regional media were pitched to cover their 3-6 months of operations
Launch of the UA Media Support Center, chatbot for journalists, editors and media managers working in Ukraine, to support them with relocation, equipment and other opportunities
Purchase and management of tech equipment delivery to Ukraine (first aid kits, bulletproof vests, helmets)
Results
Over 4+ million euros fundraised, both via GoFundMe and directly (more than 16 thousand people donated)
Supporting 10+ national and investigative media as part of the emergency support fund. Supporting dozens of local media with ad hoc financial aid, equipment and technical support
Approx. 440,000 EUR in emergency equipment and supplies purchased
Securing/ coordinating tech support to 15 media, generously provided pro bono by global tech firms and specialists. The main areas include migration to non-Ukraine servers, increased capacity, debugging, etc.
