PCF Launches Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Fund of Tampa Bay

The Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Fund of Tampa Bay at Pinellas Community Foundation is a trusted charitable vehicle for the community to assist Ukrainians with their unprecedented and growing humanitarian needs arising from Russia’s unrelenting invasion.

CEO Duggan Cooley said, “Our community always shows generosity during times of disaster. We wanted to find a way to unite local generosity with the growing global response to the Ukrainian people’s needs.”

In creating this fund, PCF is leveraging its experience in vetting and supporting relief efforts after disasters, including hurricanes and the pandemic. While those events are not the same as war, principles of coordination and collaboration are the bedrock of the foundation’s mission and work in the aftermath of a disaster.

The Ukraine Humanitarian Relief Fund of Tampa Bay provides our local community a safe, responsible way to support Ukraine’s critical human needs arising from the conflict. PCF is connected and responds to evolving philanthropic and humanitarian needs through various organizations, including the Community Foundations Ukraine. This network of foundations across Ukraine has on-the-ground knowledge about the country’s humanitarian needs. (More info: National Network for the Development of Local Philanthropy/Community Foundations Ukraine).

“Our goal is to provide a trusted way for Tampa Bay donors who are asking us how they can make monetary contributions to help the Ukrainian people who are suffering so greatly,” said Myriam Irizarry, chairwoman of the PCF board of governors.

PCF is also connected with philanthropic and humanitarian coalitions to ensure local contributions can unite and support alliances with the experience to carry out the most robust humanitarian response to this crisis. Such alliances include trusted partners, like the International Committee of the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Airlink, that are already responding to the crisis.