Strategic Strengthening of the Foundation: Results of the Institutional Development Project

The “Public Resources and Initiatives” Charity Foundation has completed the implementation of the project “Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the ‘Public Resources and Initiatives’ Charity Foundation”, implemented with the technical support of UN Women in Ukraine and funded by the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF).

The project lasted six months and focused on the strategic strengthening of the organization — developing a shared vision for further growth, updating management approaches, and strengthening team cooperation in the context of multi-regional work.

A key stage of the project was a three-day strategic session in Chernivtsi, which brought together the Foundation’s team from different regions of Ukraine. The session helped update the development strategy, align roles, priorities, and approaches to further work. As a result of the session and subsequent expert support, a package of key documents was developed and approved, including the Strategic Plan for 2026–2027, the Operational Plan, the Communication Plan, the Resource Mobilization Plan, the Risk Management Plan, as well as updated Security Policy and Policy on the Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults. Together, these documents created a comprehensive management framework for more consistent, clear, and predictable work of the Foundation.

According to Yevheniia Pavliuk, the Foundation’s Regional Coordinator in Kyiv Oblast, this process helped the team feel more like one unified organization, despite working across different regions:

“We talked a lot about processes, documents, and plans, but in reality, it was about people and the way we interact with one another. It was about how we hear each other, how we understand each person’s role and workload, and how we make joint decisions. After this process, there is more clarity, trust, and a stronger feeling that we are moving in the same direction.”

In parallel, the project covered two important areas of work with the team — professional development and mental health support. Within the project, seven professional online trainings were conducted on project management, communication, financial management, fundraising, burnout prevention, and PSEA principles.

A separate area of work included 18 mental health and recovery activities in 7 regions of Ukraine. These activities helped support the team’s internal resources, reduce stress levels, strengthen trust among participants, and create a more supportive working environment in conditions of prolonged stress and high workload.

The implementation of these activities helped not only strengthen professional competencies but also change the team’s approach to work. The team became more coordinated, improved cooperation between regions, and started applying more structured approaches to planning and decision-making. New tools and approaches are being integrated into day-to-day practice — from project management to internal communication and cooperation with partners.

Yuliia Lysenko, a volunteer in Dnipro, emphasized the importance of this experience:

“After participating in these processes, your sense of your own role changes. You begin to see your work not as separate tasks, but as part of a shared, systematic activity.”

In total, 25 members of the Foundation’s team participated in the project, including the organization’s leadership, programme coordinators, regional representatives, and volunteers involved in the implementation of programmes in different regions of Ukraine.

As a result of the project, the Foundation strengthened its institutional capacity and created a foundation for more systematic, sustainable, and effective work. This enables the organization not only to plan its work more effectively, but also to provide more consistent and safer support to the people and communities it serves.

According to Serhii Hakman, Vice President of the Foundation, one of the important results of the project was the strengthening of the organization’s strategic culture:

“When an organization works in the context of war, constant uncertainty, and multi-regional activity, strategic planning stops being just a management document. It becomes a tool for orientation in a complex environment. For us, this project was an opportunity to look at our own experience systematically, define priorities, better understand risks, and build a more consistent logic for further work.”

The “Public Resources and Initiatives” Charity Foundation expresses its sincere gratitude to UN Women in Ukraine and the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) for their trust and support.

The completion of the project is not a final point, but an important step toward more sustainable, coordinated, and effective work of the Foundation — with an updated management framework, clearer processes, and a team that shares a common understanding of the way forward.

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The project “Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of the Public Resources and Initiatives Charity Foundation” is produced by  the Public Resources and Initiatives Charity Foundation, with technical support of UN Women Ukraine and and financial support from the The United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), a flexible and rapid financing mechanism that supports quality interventions aimed at strengthening the capacity of local women in conflict prevention, crisis and emergency response, and leveraging key peacebuilding opportunities.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), but the views and content expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views or endorsement of the United Nations.