Direct Relief’s aid for Ukraine

Goleta-based nonprofit awards $7.9 million in grants assisting health services and facilities

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series on two local nonprofits helping Ukraine.

Direct Relief has announced a $7.9 million humanitarian aid package for Ukraine.

So far, it’s the Goleta nonprofit’s largest single financial package for medical aid to Ukraine. And it brings Direct Relief’s total amount of cash aid for Ukraine and Ukrainians to $29.4 million, said Tony Morain, the nonprofit’s vice president of communications.

That’s adding to the more than 1,000 tons and $640 million of medical material aid Direct Relief has provided at the request of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health and other healthcare providers since Russia started the invasion of Ukraine, Mr. Morain told the News-Press.

Direct Relief announced the grants last week at events in Ukraine and Slovakia. Those attending included Direct Relief leaders such as President and CEO Thomas Tighe, as well as leaders from the city of Lviv, the Ukrainian organization Unbroken, the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia, the Slovakia Ministry of Health and Crisis Management Department, and Slovakian organizations such as the League for Mental Health and FIre Medical.

Mr. Morain told the News-Press that the $7.9 million humanitarian aid package includes:

— $2 million to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. The money will help medical logistics operations through December 2023.

— $1.5 million to the League for Mental Health in Slovakia to extend mental health services to Ukrainian refugees living in Slovakia. The focus will be on Ukrainians living in shared housing facilities.

— $1 million to the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Center. The money will go toward rehabilitation equipment and training for personnel. The center treats patients from frontline hospitals, and the treatment includes surgeries, orthopedic surgery, prosthetics and long-term rehabilitation.

— $800,000 to purchase 10 refurbished ambulances for nonprofits in Ukraine. When Russia started its invasion of Ukraine, the nation’s usual medical emergency ambulance fleet was reassigned for military use.

— $500,000 to Dobrobut, the largest network of private medical facilities in Ukraine. The network helps patients with war injuries, as well as those needing highly specialized oncology, cardiovascular or surgical services.

— $320,000 to Hromada, which provides humanitarian aid to medical facilities throughout Ukraine.

— $300,000 to Ukraine Brokers without Borders. The funds will cover generators and similar heating equipment for 15 hospitals.

— $300,000 to help Fire Medical, a Slovakian nonprofit that provides ambulatory services. The funds are designed to help sustain operations through March. Fire Medical operates free hospital transportation services for the 1,000 Ukrainian refugees living at the Gabčíkovo humanitarian center outside of Bratislava.

— $120,000 to help Motanka, an organization, to obtain medical and personal care products, surgical equipment and medicines for doctors and surgeons on the frontline of the war.

— $80,000 to the Pirogov First Volunteer Mobile Hospital, a nongovernmental organization of civilian healthcare professionals. They treat and evacuate injured Ukrainians on the frontlines. The money will go toward an armored all-terrain vehicle, which will be a mobile, heated and sheltered stabilization point for surgeries in the field.

Back in the U.S., Direct Relief recently announced it’s awarding $22 million in grants to 71 nonprofits focused on health equity.

And Mr. Morain noted Direct Relief was ranked the fifth largest charity by Forbes in its annual list of the top 100 U.S. charities. The top four charities were, in order from No. 1 to No. 4, Feeding America, United Way Worldwide, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and the Salvation Army.

There were five California-based charities on the Forbes list, and Direct Relief was the largest of them. The other California charities, in order of size for donations, are the Entertainment Industry Foundation, City of Hope, the Cedars-Sinai Health System and the Educational Media Foundation.

According to the Forbes list, Direct Relief received $2.21 billion in private donations in 2022.

“Forbes awarded Direct Relief a score of 100% for both charitable commitment (how much of a charity’s total expenses go directly to the charitable purpose) and 100% on fundraising efficiency (the percent of private donations remaining after deducting fundraising costs),” Mr. Morain told the News-Press.

In fact, the Forbes list shows Direct Relief was more efficient than any of the top four charities. Feeding America was the closest to matching Direct Relief’s efficiency with scores of 99% for both charitable commitment and fundraising efficiency.

And Forbes ranked Direct Relief as the largest charity in the International Needs category. The others in the top five are, in order from No. 2 to No. 5, Americares, Good 360, Habitat for Humanity and Compassion International.

Mr. Morain said Direct Relief earned a four-star rating for the 12th consecutive year from Charity Navigator, an independent charity evaluator.

And Mr. Morain noted that during fiscal year 2022, Direct Relief provided more than $2 billion in medical aid and $58.2 million in financial assistance to healthcare providers and other local organizations in 98 countries and 52 U.S. states and territories.

email: dmason@newspress.com

IN THURSDAY’S NEWS-PRESS: Santa Barbara-based ShelterBox U.S.A. continues its efforts in Ukraine.

FYI
Goleta-based Direct Relief provides medical/health aid around the world and throughout the U.S. To learn more about Direct Relief or donate, go to directrelief.org.