Tipper Gore donates $1 Million to Razom for Ukraine

Published: June 13, 2022   

Humanitarian, Philanthropist and Activist, former Second Lady Tipper Gore has donated a total of $1 million to the Ukrainian-American nonprofit, Razom for Ukraine. The funds are being used to provide immediate humanitarian aid to Ukrainians on the ground. The former Second Lady has long been involved in disaster relief efforts across the globe and is now working with Razom to ensure that Ukrainians receive critically-needed aid and supplies.

“Razom’s mission, to save lives and support on-the-ground efforts in Ukraine, is as vital as it is awe-inspiring.”

Tipper Gore

Razom for Ukraine mobilized its emergency response project to deliver vital humanitarian aid, including medical and hospital supplies since the Russian invasion began. This outreach has allowed Razom to build and deepen relationships with other nonprofit organizations in local hotspots, to coordinate the collection of donations, aggregate medical supplies, and deliver trainings to Ukrainian physicians. Tipper Gore’s donation will help Razom’s efforts to provide Ukraine with life-saving aid and resources.

“Razom’s mission, to save lives and support on-the-ground efforts in Ukraine, is as vital as it is awe-inspiring. Philanthropic support allows Razom to significantly expand its capabilities and scale its efforts as Russia’s unjustified, egregious attack rages on. I am proud to share that I am supporting Razom’s efforts in Ukraine, in the hope that it encourages others to do the same. As someone who has seen the effects of war firsthand in Zaire, I understand how critical Razom’s work is both now, and going forward. In this fight, the Ukrainian people have been a beacon of democracy for those who value their freedom from tyranny. The Russian invasion must be stopped to avoid pain for years and generations to come,” said Gore.

The first $900,000 of her contribution is being used to send direct aid to Ukraine, while the remaining $100,000 contribution is going toward expanding capacity.

Donations like Gore’s have allowed Razom to invest over $32.7M into the nonprofit’s emergency response efforts:

  • $19M went toward delivering life-saving tactical medicine and medical supplies to territorial defense units, hospitals, and field hospitals, all in active combat zones across Ukraine.
  • $9.9M went toward providing non-medical humanitarian aid such as communications resources that help ensure safe and effective delivery of aid
  • $1.7M went toward funding grants issued by Razom to organizations and initiatives that help civilians in combat zones and/or internally displaced persons
  • $1.1M went toward carrying out Razom’s logistic chain
  • $591K went toward procuring vehicles to deliver aid and help evacuate children, families, and wounded persons
  • $84K went toward aiding Razom’s advocacy work

“We are deeply honored to receive support from someone with such a textured history of advocacy, compassion, and philanthropy as Tipper Gore. Any and all contributions enable us to remain resolute in our mission to build a free and prosperous Ukraine. As such, we are immensely grateful to the former Second Lady for her generous contribution, one which I hope will inspire others to support our mission,” said Dora Chomiak, President of Razom. “Every cent given to us supports our emergency response and advocacy efforts, which embody a singular purpose right now: to save lives in Ukraine.”

Razom has directed most of its efforts to delivering critical humanitarian aid on the ground in Ukraine. Razom will continue its mission of building a free, democratic, and prosperous Ukraine and amplifying Ukrainian voices.

Contacts

Nonna Tsiganok
Media Relations, Razom
nonna@razomforukraine.org

$40M to Help Ukraine. Razom Press-Conference in Lviv

Published: May 5, 2022   

5 травня 2022 року у львівському “Ukraine Media Centre” відбулась прес-конференція представників NGO “Razom for Ukraine” на тему “40 млн. дол. для допомоги Україні: як українські волонтери у США наближають нашу перемогу”.

З початку вторгнення Росії в Україну “Razom for Ukraine” поставила на паузу усі свої проекти й зосередилася на єдиному – допомогти українцям під час війни. За ці місяці за допомогою фандрайзингу організації вдалося зібрали 40 мільйонів доларів.

“З них вже на 27 мільйонів доларів вже закуплено товарів таких, як товари тактичної медицини, засоби комунікації, супутникові телефони, планшети, рації, дрони” – повідомила співзасновниця та віце-президентка NGO “Razom for Ukraine” Люба Шипович.

Спеціалізацією “RAZOM” є закупівля сертифікованих засобів тактичної медицини та доставка гуманітарної допомоги. Спочатку організація визначала та купувала необхідне самостійно, далі — налагодила комунікацію безпосередньо з військовими частинами та організаціями ТРО й почала отримувати запити безпосередньо від них. Військові найчастіше просили квадрокоптери, медичні аптечки та кровоспинні турнікети.

“За цей час війни нам уже вдалося виконати більше 550 заявок, які ми доставляємо напряму на передову. Тобто кінцевими отримувачами нашої допомоги є військові частини, госпіталі, організації територіальної оборони у прифронтових зонах” – поділилась виконавча директорка благодійного фонду “Разом для України” Евеліна Курілець.

Ще одним важливим напрямком допомоги “Razom for Ukraine” спільно з громадським рухом “Діти, ми встигнемо” стала евакуація діток з особливими потребами із гарячих точок та прифронтових зон. За два місяці волонтерам вдалося евакуювати 10 діток зі СМА закордон, а також вивезли до безпечних місць понад 500 дітей та жінок.

“Пізніше ми трансформувались і вирішили, що ми не тільки будемо евакуйовувати людей, однак, і доставляти ці надважливі вантажі, про які говорили попередні спікери. Ми доставляємо, фактично, гуманітарні вантажі, а назад веземо евакуйованих людей” – зазначив голова громадського руху “Діти, ми встигнемо” Віталій Свічинський.

Ініціатива “Razom for Ukraine” виникла ще під час “Революції Гідності” та об’єднала людей, не байдужих до української демократії. Сьогодні ж у США лише фандрейзингом займаються понад 100 волонтерів, працює лобістська команда, яка проводить зустрічі у Вашингтоні із Сенаторами та держслужбовцями США ТОП-рівня, а в Україні на складі організації працюють 45 осіб.

“Ми відкриті до співпраці і якщо комусь потрібна наша допомога, або хтось може нас підтримати – ласкаво просимо, ми відкриті до співпраці” – підсумувала прес-конференцію Евеліна Курілець.

Eva Kurilets (left), Vitaliy Svichynskyi (center), Lyuba Shipovich (right)
former Ambassador to Ukraine from Canada Andrij Shevchenko

On May 5, 2022, a press conference was held at the Ukraine Media Center in Lviv by representatives of Razom for Ukraine on the topic “$40 million to help Ukraine: how Ukrainian volunteers in the United States are approaching our victory.”

Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Razom for Ukraine has paused all its projects and focused on one thing – helping Ukrainians in war time. During these months, the organization managed to raise $40 million through fundraising.

“Of these, $27 million have already been purchased for goods such as tactical medicine, communications, satellite phones, tablets, walkie-talkies, drones,” said Lyuba Shipovich, co-founder and vice president of Razom for Ukraine.

RAZOM specializes in the purchase of certified tactical medical supplies and the delivery of humanitarian aid. Initially, the organization determined and purchased the necessary items on its own, then established communication directly with military units and territorial defense units and began to receive inquiries directly from them. The military most often asked for quadcopters, first aid kits and hemostatic tourniquets.

“During this war, we have already managed to fulfill more than 550 requests, which we deliver directly to the front. That is, the final recipients of our assistance are military units, hospitals and field hospitals, territorial defense units in the frontline zones” – shared the executive director of Razom dlia Ukraini Evelina Kurilets.

Another important branch of ​​aid for Razom together with the social movement “Children, we will make it” was the evacuation of children with special needs from hotspots and frontline areas. In two months, volunteers managed to evacuate 10 children with SMA abroad and more than 500 children and women to safety.

“Shortly we have transformed and decided that we would not only evacuate people, but also deliver this crucial aid, which was mentioned by previous speakers. Thus, we deliver humanitarian goods, and we take the evacuated people back,” said Vitaliy Svichynskyi, the head of the movement “Children, we will make it”.

Razom for Ukraine originated during the Revolution of Dignity and brought together people who stand for Ukrainian democracy. Today, more than 100 volunteers in the United States alone fundraise for Ukraine, an advocacy team meets in Washington D.C. with top U.S. senators and government officials, and 45 people work in Ukraine.

“We are open to cooperation and if someone needs our help, or someone can support us – welcome, we are open to cooperation,” Evelina Kurilets concluded the press conference.

Boycott Business With russia

Published: May 4, 2022   

On May 4th, Ukrainians were joined by the Wall Street “Fearless Girl” to call for more transparency on companies continuing to do business in russia. Razom organized a silent “Save the Children!” Protest, whose message is simple – by continuing to do business in russia, companies are feeding the war machine and killing more Ukrainian children. Protestors held the signs like “Stop funding putin’s war!”, “Boycott Business With russia” as well as QR codes with links to websites tracking russia “remainders”, such as Yale russia list, Boycott russia, Stop Business With russia (SBWr), Squeezing putin, Don’t Fund War and Exit russia.

Photos by George de Castro-Day/@aperture.delta

Razom business advocacy team has been collaborating with some of these initiatives to bring attention to the companies still paying their tax dollars stained by blood. The protests are happening in different corners of the US and the world. Stop Business With russia activists have written more than 300 emails to company CEOs, investor relations and shareholders urging them to get out of russia. Ukrainian financial analysts are pouring over quarterly earnings reports to see that the companies are following their public announcements and are indeed leaving russia. The pressure is on!


Razom is proud to be part of the effort for more transparency – we joined the Ukrainian American Bar Association, and Natalie Jaresko (former Minister of Finance of Ukraine) in submitting The Russia Disclosure rulemaking petition to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission requiring US public companies to disclose their business with/within russia and Belarus. The petition 4-784 is now available on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission website. Our proposal, if adopted, will provide critical information for investors, who may prefer to distance themselves from the financing of war crimes entirely, and also evaluate the risks of further sanctions, boycotts, reputational/ESG risks, and increased costs stemming from continued operation in russia. 

CALL TO ACTION: You can help make this common-sense disclosure a reality with ~10 minutes of your time:

1. SEND A LETTER TO THE SEC: Email a note explaining why you support the proposed Russia Disclosure to rule-comments@sec.gov. The subject line of your message MUST include the 4-784 file number for the petition. Ok to attach a PDF.

2. WRITE TO YOUR SENATORS / CONGRESS REPS (or better call them) – relevant contacts based on your address available here: https://lnkd.in/dR32pE96. Request/suggest that they: (A) Send a letter to the SEC in support of the Russia Disclosure Petition 4-784, and (B) Support or co-sponsor “H.R.7228 Reveal Risky Russia Business Act” introduced by Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) on March 24 (https://lnkd.in/dPXjWEaq) or introduce their own bill.
As Andrii Galiuk from SBWr initiative explains: “Why is there both an SEC Petition and a Congress Act pursuing similar disclosure requirements? Good question. SEC can introduce a new disclosure requirement independent of Congress, solely based on the Petition, but it may also deny the petition and do nothing. Alternatively, US Congress can require SEC to introduce the disclosure – that’s how Conflict Minerals and Iran Business disclosures came to be. Of course, Congress requiring the disclosure in a bill would be optimal. But for now, both paths are viable and worth pursuing”.

3. SHARE THIS WITH YOUR NETWORK on social media. Tag political and civic leaders, and journalists who can help raise awareness.

4. Write letters to companies remaining in russia on Yale russia list, corporate emails are listed here https://emailcontactukraine.com/

Joint Statement on Inter-Community Support for Ukraine

Published: May 3, 2022   

The ethnic and religious communities we represent believe in democracy, human rights, and freedom. We call the United States home but share historic experiences of oppression, violence, and war — many times also at the hands of the Russian regime. We wholeheartedly support Ukraine in its fight for these values. 

We praise the United States for its support of the Ukrainian people defending their homeland. We applaud the great Ukrainian community in the United States for their efforts to support Ukraine. The United States must continue to support Ukraine militarily, financially, and materially on any and all levels possible. We urge the United States government to do all within its power to continue providing the Ukrainian people with the assistance they need in their fight for freedom, justice, and truth. 


Ukraine must prevail as quickly as possible to stop the loss of life and begin rebuilding. We call on Congress to immediately pass the emergency supplemental appropriation for critical security and economic assistance to Ukraine.

#ArmUkraineNow – Urgent Call To Action

Published: April 19, 2022   

For fifty-four days, Ukraine has been heroically resisting russia’s military aggression.  It is clear now that this is not just a russian military operation, but a planned genocide of the Ukrainian people.  Hundreds of children have been displaced, injured and killed.  Civilian buildings, and entire cities, have been destroyed, leveled and looted.  Russia has begun a renewed offensive in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine can stop russia only if it receives critical weapons from its international partners, such as heavy artillery, heavy-armored vehicles, air defense systems, and combat aircraft (full list here).

Razom, with Mas Agency, announced a global social media campaign “Arm Ukraine Now.”  Anyone who supports Ukraine, strives for its sovereignty and independence, and supports providing heavy weapons to Ukraine to end russia’s military aggression can participate in this campaign.  It will run until April 30, 2022.

The campaign’s goal is to secure needed weapons for the Ukrainian army as soon as possible to push the aggressor out of Ukraine, and thus save thousands of civilian lives and defend democracy in Europe.

How to join the campaign:

  1. Take a photo of yourself holding a piece of paper, on your phone, or tablet, with the slogan #ArmUkraineNow.  
  2. Post to Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, with a short appeal to the leadership of your country, or to the international community at large with the request to provide Ukraine with heavy weapons to counter Russia’s aggression and to save civilian lives.  Make sure to use the hashtag.
  3. Tag three friends to do the same.  Let’s make this go viral. 

Proposed Text:

Why are we so afraid to arm the professional army of a democratic state that is fighting an aggressor on its own territory?  Let’s unite to stop the war in Ukraine.  Let’s defend freedom and save lives.  I’m asking world leaders to #ArmUkraineNow.

Join us (tag 3 friends):

  • Post a picture with a sign #ArmUkraineNow
  • Ask your government to support Ukraine
  • Tag 3 friends to do the same. 

Without additional weapons for Ukraine, this war will turn into an endless and bloody battle, which will spread misery, suffering, and more death.  The war crimes will continue beyond Mariupol, Bucha, and Kramatorsk.  The global impact of the war will make life more difficult for people around the world, beyond the borders of Ukraine.  The sooner Ukraine gets arms the better for us all.

Join the #ArmUkraineNow social media campaign and invite your friends.

Only when we are many, we will be heard.  Every post, and every participant has an impact!

Razom

Jack Dorsey’s #StartSmall Invests $1 Million to Razom for Ukraine and Partner Organizations to Support Ukraine

Published: April 6, 2022   

NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Twitter co-founder and Block Co-Founder, CEO, and Chairman Jack Dorsey, donates $1 million through his philanthropic initiative, #StartSmall, to support Ukraine and deliver critical humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Following the russian invasion, Ukrainian-American non-profit, Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, quickly mobilized an emergency response to deliver critical humanitarian aid including tactical medical supplies, hospital supplies, and tech-enabled emergency response supplies that facilitate the delivery of this aid. This generous donation will help to continue supporting Ukraine during this critical time.

Since russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, Razom has sent close to 200+ tons of tactical medical equipment and critical medical supplies to Ukraine, with many more on the way. Razom volunteers have made a total of 14 trips carrying tactical medicine cargo to various volunteer civilian defense corps prioritizing cities and regions where Ukrainians are actively repelling russian occupiers. These regions include Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Dnipro, Zaporizhia, Mykolaiv, and Odessa.

Razom has scaled its operations significantly since February and continues to expand its capabilities in delivering critical humanitarian aid. To deliver aid in Ukraine, Razom collaborates with partners on the ground such as Kryla Nadiyi (Wings of Hope), Euromaidan-Warszava, and Ukrainian Education Platform.

Here’s an overview of some of Razom’s impact in the first 30 days of the war in Ukraine:

  • Razom spent more than $10.5M with over $5.8M going towards procuring and delivering tactical medicine and tacmed equipment.
    • Razom procures, on average, 10,000 tourniquets per week (worth over $250,000/week) from the most reputable suppliers buying CAT, SOF-T and/or SAM brands. In life-or-death situations, tourniquets stop arterial bleeding so the quality of this single-use device matters. They continue to be the most sought-after and requested forms of aid across Ukraine.
    • Thanks to Razom’s strong ties to communities and professionals on the ground in Ukraine, Razom has been able to learn of exact needs quickly and act on specific requests that can make a big difference. For example: SAM splints. Razom procured over 3,100 of them for $56,100, designed for immobilizing bone and soft tissue injuries in emergency settings.
    • Purchased over 10,300 chest seals for over $58,000, procured through Ukrainians in the U.S. and Canada, as the supply of chest seals has been completely depleted in North America, through July. Razomers found contacts in Australia and the U.K to buy over 6,000 chest seals.
    • A group of about 15 volunteers worked around the clock to sort and pack aid for shipment overseas. In one week’s time, they put together 3,000+ IFAKs in Razom’s New Jersey warehouse, in partnership with Meest-America. These first aid kids are designed to treat traumatic injuries and severe bleeding.
  • Procured a defibrillator, insulin, and other important medicines like metformin, glimepiride, levothyroxine that was delivered to the Ukrainian Diabetes Association in Kharkiv, Kyiv, and Luhansk regions. Razom accomplished this in partnership with volunteers at AWO Ortsverein Reischach – AG and Ukraine-HILFE Berlin e.V.
  • Delivered 100 drones across the Polish border that will be used to ensure the safe delivery of medical and tactical medical supplies by Razom volunteers traveling across hotspot areas in Ukraine.
  • Evacuated 32 different families (making up 91 individuals) from ten cities and regions of Ukraine.
  • Ran and/or hosted hundreds of events in support of Ukraine in the United States and Canada and conducted hundreds of advocacy interviews in the US and Canadian press.

“Donations come in many forms, both large and small, and we are beyond grateful to Jack Dorsey and #StartSmall for this incredible contribution. We’re also excited to see support for a number of organizations we’ve been working with for years, including Sunflowers of Peace and Nova Ukraine, who are doing critically important work in Ukraine. Our emergency response and mission right now is focused on one thing: to save lives in Ukraine, and this contribution has already helped us do just that,” said Dora Chomiak, President of Razom.

Razom has focused most of its efforts during this time on delivering aid where it is needed most – on the ground in Ukraine. Razom’s overall mission is to build a more prosperous Ukraine.

ABOUT RAZOM

Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, is committed to building a prosperous Ukraine. The organization believes deeply in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world united by a single mission: building a more prosperous Ukraine. Established in the United States, the non-profit organization works towards that mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner and do. In this time of need, they have created the Razom Emergency Response which is focused on purchasing medical supplies for critical situations like blood loss and other tactical medicine items, hospital supplies, and tech enabled emergency response supplies that facilitate the delivery of this aid. Razom’s procurement and logistics teams are made up of a trusted volunteer network they’ve nurtured since 2014 and partner organizations worldwide. Razom is also working with governments and embassies on helping to establish humanitarian corridors.

ABOUT #STARTSMALL

#StartSmall is Jack Dorsey’s philanthropic initiative to fund global COVID-19 relief, girls health and education, and efforts towards Universal Basic Income. Dorsey transferred $1 billion (28% of his wealth) to #StartSmall in 2020.

Contacts

Press

Nonna Tsiganok

Media Relations, Razom

nonna@razomforukraine.org

Statement on the Current Situation

Published: February 25, 2022   

NEW YORK – Razom for Ukraine has issued the following statement regarding the ongoing crisis:

The United States must act immediately. The future of Europe and the world is at stake. Millions of Ukrainian lives will be affected.  It is naive to believe that this kind of unprovoked attack and disruption of the world order will not affect Americans as well.

Razom for Ukraine is making an urgent plea for the following action plan:

  • Protect Ukrainian air space
    • Along with European and NATO allies, request the enforcement of a “no-fly” zone over Ukrainian territory
  • Continue to transfer defensive weaponry and equipment to Ukraine
  • Cut Russia off the SWIFT international banking system and levy additional sanctions against Russia
  • Fully isolate Russian Federation leadership from the international community by all means
  • Deliver financial assistance to strengthen the economy of Ukraine
  • Provide humanitarian assistance

Razom is accepting donations to assist the people of Ukraine. Donate directly so that there is no delay in your funds arriving.

via check made payable to Razom (mailed to 140 Second Avenue NY, NY 10003)

See a list of resources and other credible places to donate at: @RazomForUkraine | Linktree

Spread the word by sharing this now and donating here.

Razom for Ukraine

Razom is a 501(c)(3) organization. Donations and gifts are deductible to the full extent allowable under IRS regulations. Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, believes deeply in the enormous potential of dedicated volunteers around the world united by a single goal: to unlock the potential of Ukraine. Razom works towards that mission by creating spaces where people meet, partner, and act.