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We Love Ukraine

Grant Programme We Love Ukraine

In 2025, thanks to financial support from GlobalGiving, we launched the fourth edition of the “We Love Ukraine” grant program with a total allocation of 65,000 euros. Financial support was awarded to five experienced nongovernmental organizations operating in the Košice and Prešov regions (ADRA—Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Platform for Families of Children with Disabilities, Mareena, IPčko, PLAST Scout Association), which have long been dedicated to supporting Ukrainian refugees and other vulnerable groups in eastern Slovakia.

The “We Love Ukraine 4.0” grant program builds on previous editions and focuses on long-term, sustainable solutions that help Ukrainian refugees and other disadvantaged and socially excluded groups better integrate into society and lead independent lives. The supported projects focus primarily on mental health support, labor market integration, community engagement, and the creation of inclusive and tolerant communities. Special attention is given to young Ukrainian students, people with disabilities, and other groups facing various forms of disadvantage.

The program also includes capacity-building for supported organizations through training, networking, and strengthening communication skills. The program’s goal is not only to provide concrete assistance but also to build long-term support systems and strengthen the cohesion of communities where Ukrainian refugees and people with specific needs live together.

Previous Years

  • In 2024 and 2025, thanks to support from Global Giving, we carried out the “We Love Ukraine 3.0” campaign, through which we distributed nearly 60,000 euros among five organizations and helped more than 1,200 people. Read more about the organizations’ activities HERE.
  • In 2023, as part of the “We Love Ukraine 2.0” program, we supported 7 projects with a total of 80,000 euros and helped 1,064 refugees.
  • The program was launched in 2022 in response to the war in Ukraine. In its first year, we distributed more than 172,000 euros among 48 projects that helped more than 14,000 people.

In 2024 and 2025, with the support of Global Giving, we launched the grant call We Love Ukraine 3.0, through which we distributed nearly €60,000 in funding. This financial support went to five specific organizations that have been providing long-term assistance to Ukrainian refugees in eastern Slovakia, helping them grow, thrive, and find safety and a meaningful home.
A total of 1,200 refugees received direct support through the program. However, its impact reached even further, extending into Ukraine itself. Read more HERE.

The third round of the program followed We Love Ukraine 2.0, through which we allocated €80,000 in 2023 to support seven projects. As a result, 1,064 refugees in Slovakia received meaningful assistance, half of whom were children.The funding enabled NGOs, schools, and local municipalities to provide more systematic, long-term, and sustainable support for people displaced by the war in Ukraine.

The entire We Love Ukraine grant program was established in the wake of the full-scale war in Ukraine, as large numbers of Ukrainians were fleeing to Slovakia in search of safety. Its aim was to provide financial support to organizations, schools, and municipalities assisting refugees at the border and within communities in eastern Slovakia. In 2022, we distributed €172,247 across 48 projects focused on providing humanitarian aid, housing, childcare support, access to education, assistance with obtaining necessary documents and communicating with public authorities, support with entering the job market, and psychosocial care for people arriving from Ukraine who had been traumatized by the war. The grant scheme responded to the needs of all refugees, while placing particular emphasis on vulnerable groups such as mothers with young children, seniors, people with disabilities, Roma, and LGBTI+ individuals. Support was delivered through low-threshold, administratively simple grants, with decisions made on a weekly basis. Through this approach, 14,000 refugees from Ukraine received support.

Funding for the We Love Ukraine program was allocated from the Carpathian Foundation’s Crisis Fund, which is used to respond to acute crisis situations of local, regional, or global nature. This fund also included contributions from the We Love Ukraine fundraising campaign, as well as support from donors and partners (see below). The first round was also funded through a donor campaign we launched on Donio.sk.

The We Love Ukraine Fundraising Campaign

After the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, and the resulting large-scale refugee crisis across Europe, we launched the We Love Ukraine fundraising campaign via Donio.sk. Our goal was to raise funds to help people arriving in Slovakia who were in urgent need of food, warm clothing, hygiene supplies, shelter, support, and many other essentials.

Raising Awareness

Disinformation and hoaxes spread by pro-Kremlin propaganda influenced a portion of public opinion in Slovakia, leading some people to oppose support for refugees from Ukraine. That is why, as part of our activities, we also focused on raising public awareness and fostering empathy around the importance of continued solidarity with refugees. We created a wide range of content for our social media channels, wrote articles, gave interviews, and also produced and published video documentaries and podcasts. Through these efforts, we reached a total of 338,432 users — including social media audiences, viewers, and readers.

An interview with Regina Lovišková sheds light on the trauma experienced by refugees from Ukraine and on how art therapy helps them process it — along with others facing trauma or emotional distress. The article was published on the online news platform Aktuality.sk.

Partners and supporters of the We Love Ukraine programme and awareness-raising activities:

Read about our humanitarian aid to Ukraine HERE
Read about the Together for Children / UNICEF programme HERE