Our History
2015 The Foundation’s Establishment
Glib, Kateryna, and Volodymyr Zagoriy established their family foundation “Zagoriy Foundation” to systemically coordinate charitable activities and make real changes in three areas:
- promoting the culture of charity;
- enhancing educational and research initiatives;
- supporting cultural heritage and promoting art.
While the family had supported charitable initiatives earlier, the Foundation guaranteed that the processes flow in a systemic, controlled, and transparent way. Furthermore, it motivated other families and patrons.
The Foundation’s Initial Mission
Everyone in Ukraine is involved in charity consciously and systemically. Zagoriy Family Foundation inspires others to make great stories and serves as a model of systemic, high-quality charity in Ukraine.
“Though people have done good deeds at all times, that was what individual philanthropists did, unrelated to each other. Good unites, erases borders, and becomes an integral human instinct. That is why Zagoriy Foundation pays much attention to the ‘Culture of Charity’ area,” Kateryna Zagoriy, co-founder of the Foundation, says.
2015–2018
Zagoriy Foundation implemented about 45 international and national projects.
It supported a scholarship program and the school of rehabilitation medicine at the UCU and entrepreneurship training for ATO veterans at the KSE.
The Foundation participated in the educational project for schoolchildren “I Can Save a Life,” the “Donor Blood” project, and the development of a network of rehabilitation centers for ATO veterans. It funded exhibitions, galleries, book publishing, and research studies on charity.
“It is important for us to make great stories. They do not necessarily have to be grandiose and large-scale, comprising the whole of Ukraine. Still, they are somehow great for us.
The choice is simple — it should be a systemic, structural project that we believe in. Charity areas that a person chooses should relate to them emotionally, since this is a non-commercial activity, and if there’s no passion, there’s no project. If what you do relates to you emotionally, if you believe in what you are doing, you’ll be involved personally regardless of funds,” says Kateryna Zagoriy, co-founder of the Foundation.
Promoted Ukrainian Clothing Trend
Thanks to the Foundation, the Ukrainian Institute of Fashion History was established — the first interactive program in Ukraine that introduces Ukrainians to the traditions of their national attire and fosters the development of modern Ukrainian fashion.
The Vytoky collection was demonstrated at Ukrainian Fashion Week, while the project “Spadok,” implemented jointly with FilmUA, was shown during Eurovision 2017 in Ukraine.
2018
Kateryna Zagoriy initiated “Giving Tuesday” in Ukraine — the global #GivingTuesday initiative promoting volunteering and charity around the world. The Ukrainian Philanthropists Forum, charitable foundation “Tabletochki,” and charitable organization “Dobrodiy Club” co-initiated the day of good deeds.
Ran for Fallen Soldiers
and Published Books
The Foundation supported the event “Honoring Soldiers, Running for the Heroes of Ukraine” in memory of the fallen defenders.
In addition, it further supported the publishing of books on Ukraine’s traditions and culture history.
2019
The Foundation’s team doubled, and over 120,000 people joined Giving Tuesday.
The Foundation presented its study “Charitable Giving as Viewed by Ukrainians,” continued its cooperation with the UCU and KSE, and started collaborating with Plast and public organization “Osvitoria.” It supported the Centre Anne de Kyiv and Pavlo Gudimov’s exhibition “Angels.”
2020
The year covered the #ЩедрийЗабіг (lit. GivingRun) with Kind Challenge, a fundraising marathon, the “Goodness Should Be Loud” campaign, the “New Approaches to Philanthropy” conference, and 800+ Giving Tuesday activities, including #GivingTuesdayNOW to address the consequences of the pandemic.
As Well As Explored, Developed, and Highlighted
The Foundation launched a mini-grant program worth almost UAH 3.5 million and its own podcast on charity.
It conducted three more charity studies and the “Who’s Behind That” campaign with bit.ua on Ukrainian philanthropists.
It funded the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation and became one of the sponsors of the Global Teacher Prize.
Preserved Traditions and Life
Zagoriy Foundation, together with pharmaceutical companies “Darnytsia” and “Interkhim,” implemented a project to preserve St. Sophia Cathedral.
Together with Darnytsia and the Charity Exchange, it helped Ukrainian doctors fight COVID-19.
2021
The Foundation presented its study “Charitable Giving as Viewed by Ukrainians in 2021,” launched the first media on charity in Ukraine, opened a series of five bronze mini sculptures of Kyiv patrons together with #Шукай! (lit. Search!), together with EdCamp released a charity guide for schools “Lessons of Kindness,” and supported 28 projects worth almost UAH 5 million.
Supported and Strengthened
the “Station 451” literary podcast with The Village Ukraine, art projects “The Ivan Honchar Museum Online” and “150 names of Lesya Ukrainka,” the charity neckerchief “Kind Heart” together with OLIZ, the partnership with Book Arsenal, the publication of the first children’s book about charity In Search of Sunny Days together with Osnovy Publishing, and funding of cultural heritage preservation projects together with the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation.
2022
86% of Ukrainians
had to turn philanthropists, while the non-profit sector made a powerful growth leap. The Foundation continued to develop the charity culture and support NGOs and influencers.
As Well As Taught, Provided Grants, and United
The Foundation presented its study “Charity in Times of War,” supported 48 organizations with grants totaling almost UAH 14 million, and held the Charity Match 2.0 training course as well as the Dobrofest online festival (uniting 80,000 people) for Giving Tuesday.
2023
The Foundation held a lecture on charity with Serhiy Prytula for Giving Tuesday and presented its study “Professional Burnout of Employees Working in the Charity Sector.” Together with its partners, it recapped the year of good deeds, and in partnership with the NBU, it held activities for #ЩедрийВівторокДіти (lit. GivingTuesdayChildren) including a school of charity for teachers, a Marathon of Good Deeds for Ukraine’s educational institutions, and a video competition “Traditions of Good Deeds” for preschoolers and school and university students.
Invested in Communities and the Future
Supporting educational institutions is one of the ways for us to invest in the country’s future.
Under Zagoriy Foundation support, a space for teenagers “Topchyk” was opened in the Dacha family house, while 61 students and 10 teachers received personalized scholarships at the UCU.
The following projects were founded:
Vytoky. A guide to Ukrainian customs — survey of Ukrainian traditions and their integration into the present.
Halt — a military space for like-minded people.
Prostir Dobra (lit. Space of Good) — a cultural and arts hub in Yaremche.
Zachyn (ex-Varangian Dogs and Cats) — a center in Yaremche for animals’ adoption and training for them to be able to adapt to people.
A Year of Changes and Transformations
The Foundation abandoned fundraising while focusing on projects funded by the founders themselves and aligning with their values.
Zagoriy Foundation transformed into a Laboratory of Social Projects involving a new strategy and identity. By the end of the year, it was developing nine of its own social projects.
Flexibility, consistency, and impact on the outcomes are the main advantages of the new work format. We do not abandon the development of the charity culture in Ukraine. Still, we want to do more and do it more globally — to not only support existing initiatives but also create and develop our own ones.
The new mission of Zagoriy Foundation is to enable positive scenarios for Ukraine’s future
Through the development and support of communities and leaders. Through the push for self-reliance. We help scale and apply successful practices, highlighting them.
We strive to make Ukraine a magnet where people consider themselves a community, affect changes, and engage in building the future of the state.
