Eleven years on the border
The Foundation was created by Sumy’s volunteer community in 2014, when the war in the east began. By 2022 more than 10 million hryvnias had passed through it: equipment, gear and food for soldiers in Donbas, tactical medicine training, work with the families of the fallen.
On 24 February 2022 the Sumy region became one of the first directions of the invasion. Everyone connected to the Foundation gathered on Kuznechna Street, where the office used to be. The first days were chaos: humanitarian aid knee-deep and no division of work. In early March the flows were separated — food, medicine, gear, equipment — and the decision was made to cover what helps carry out combat tasks and save lives.
We work with units stationed in the Sumy region and deliberately do not expand further: the team is small, and the people who trust us care about this region specifically.
How it went
- 2014
Sumy’s volunteer community founds the Foundation. Non-profit status from 9 September.
- 2014—2021
Over 10 million hryvnias for equipment, gear and food for soldiers in Donbas. Tactical medicine training, work with the families of the fallen. Alongside it, city programmes: the Smart Hub, the Youth Bank of Initiatives, Sumy Murals, TeatrRadity.
- 24.02.2022
The Sumy region becomes one of the first directions of the invasion. Volunteers gather on Kuznechna Street, in the Foundation’s former office.
- Березень 2022
The aid flows are separated by category. Volunteer and Foundation payment details are merged under one brand so foreign currency transfers can be accepted. About 4 million was raised through the site in the first month.
- 2022—2023
16 million hryvnias in the first year of the full-scale war. Vehicles, quadcopters, thermal imagers, Starlinks, sights, first-aid kits. 80% of the cameras watching the border at night were bought by the Foundation.
- 2024—2026
Monthly reporting, every purchase logged, public reports. First-aid kits are issued only after a tactical medicine course.
What Cukr does
Since 2022 the Foundation’s communications have been run by Cukr — a Sumy outlet funded by its own readers. Cukr announces the campaigns, prepares the monthly reports and shows where the money went.
The Foundation and Cukr are separate organisations. The Foundation raises and buys, Cukr tells the story. No donations go to Cukr’s accounts.
Organisation details
- Full name
- CHARITY ORGANIZATION “COMMUNITY FOUNDATION “SUMY”
- EDRPOU
- 39364679
- Registered address
- вул. Кузнечна, 2, м. Суми, 40000
- Actual address
- вулиця Кузнечна 2, м. Суми, 40030, Україна
- help@fond.sumy.ua
- Phone
- +38 068 286 11 70
- Ledger entries
- 798
- Status
- Non-profit status since 9 September 2014