The full-scale war has tested Ukraine's resilience, but it has also unlocked its creativity. As the number of traditional donations has dwindled, entrepreneurs and creators, collaborating with the army, have built a sustainable fundraising model that fuses commerce, art and support for the armed forces together.

From the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukrainian society has shown remarkable unity and resilience. Public fundraisers and donation campaigns exploded overnight – volunteers would raise thousands of dollars within hours, and large foundations would collect millions in just a few days.

But as the war stretched into its fourth year, inflation ate into family budgets, and the hryvnia weakened. Donor fatigue set in – not from lack of patriotism, but from oppressive economic reality. The white-hot urgency of those first few weeks of war cooled into something more complicated: people still wanted to help, but now their wallets had limits.

Yet Ukrainian volunteer culture didn't collapse under the weight of these challenges. Instead, it adapted – merging patriotism with entrepreneurship and turning everyday products into tools of solidarity with the army.

The rise of creative fundraising

From clothing and jewellery to drinks and art, Ukrainian businesses, activists, volunteers and military units have built partnerships that blend commerce with civic engagement. These projects demonstrate how Ukrainians can support the defenсe effort not only financially, but also emotionally and culturally.

Supporting the military is still deeply rooted in a sense of moral responsibility, yet it has also evolved into a social movement embraced and amplified by celebrities and influencers across social media.

The donation system now works on several different levels:

• Major Foundations like Come Back Alive and United24 use institutional trust and national symbols to raise millions to provide much-needed equipment for the armed forces.

• Military Units as Brands , like AZOV.ONE and the 3rd Assault Brigade's AB3 STORE, have turned combat units into consumer platforms with clear donation paths.

• Business Collaborations from fashion houses to craft breweries have built support for the military into their business operations.

Come Back Alive: making fundraising part of daily life

The Come Back Alive Foundation changed civil-military relations even before the full-scale invasion, bringing fundraising into everyday life through creative campaigns.

In 2016 the #WARTAXI campaign, launched with ride-hailing app Uklon, turned regular taxi rides into donations – veterans and volunteers drove the cars, with all money going to frontline vehicles.

During the "Last Day at the Office" campaign in 2018, celebrities like Boombox frontman Andriy Khlyvniuk and actor, screenwriter and director Akhtem Seitablayev swapped the stage for the kitchen, dropping off orders with Veterano Pizza to raise funds for military drones.

Dodo Socks , a long-term Foundation partner, has fully embedded charity into its business model. Since 2022, the company has raised over UAH 30 million, including UAH 25 million for the Come Back Alive Foundation, through patriotic designs that turn essentials like socks into army support.

"Right now, it's almost impossible to raise funds for the army without a creative approach," explains Oleksandra Haivoronska, Director of the Development and Partnerships Department. "The military's needs are huge, and there are so many public fundraisers competing for people's attention."

Come Back Alive's Black Box campaign was the ultimate indicator of institutional trust – announcing a fundraiser for a secret "black box" for military intelligence while asking donors to contribute without knowing the final purchase details for an entire year.

"People supported us because they knew Come Back Alive had clear reporting and, at that point, eight years of solid work," Oleksandra notes.

But the Foundation's boldest effort was the Atlas Festival's Fundraiser 13 . The campaign featured a TikTok series with top artists and influencers, Okean Elzy remaking their classic hit song "911" together with parody boy band the Badstreet Boys, with a car giveaway and interactive festival booths where fans could buy an autograph, VIP access or exclusive merch from their favourite band.

The Festival organisers said many businesses supported their goal by contributing their own donations or setting up special fundraising locations at the festival. The result: over UAH 121 million raised to shoot down Russian drones, with UAH 8 million coming from the festival alone.

United24: Reimagining national symbols

Two symbols of endurance – Azovstal and Artemsil – have been transformed into fundraising projects through the United24 platform.

The Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol became a global symbol of resistance during the 2022 siege. Fragments of the plant were used to make limited-edition bracelets crafted from the last pre-war steel made at the factory. Made of titanium and engraved with the campaign name, the bracelets represent strength, sacrifice, and survival. All the money raised goes to buy combat drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

"Azovstal is not just a place. It's a story of unstoppable resistance written in steel," says United24.

The Artemsil salt mine in Soledar – once among Europe's largest – was destroyed early in the invasion. To keep its memory and symbolic presence alive, United24 released a limited amount of salt, taken out before the mine's occupation, in a campaign titled SOLIDARITY. Ukrainian Rock . 100,000 packs of salt were released, with all profits going to the Flotilla of Kamikaze Drones for Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.

The campaign was an instant success, raising over UAH 58.5 million to purchase FPV drones. An additional UAH 8 million was raised by auctioning five packs signed by Defence Intelligence Head Kyrylo Budanov.

AZOV.ONE: Professional military fundraising

The Azov Brigade, one of Ukraine's most battle-hardened military units, has reimagined public connection through AZOV.ONE – a platform mixing defenсe, culture, and creative fundraising.

"AZOV.ONE started as a response to two key needs: society's need to regularly support the unit, and the need to create a single platform that would effectively turn this support into what we need to continue the fight," says Hennadii Sukharnikov, Manager of Partnerships at AZOV.ONE.

Launched in February 2023, the project quickly became a standout example of wartime branding, combining transparency and innovation. Its second annual report showed UAH 333 million raised, tripling the previous year's total.

"AZOV.ONE was the first service whose activities are focused on fundraising exclusively within one military formation."

The platform's approach focuses on quality and smart partnerships. One of its projects was an exclusive charity skincare set created in collaboration with iconic Ukrainian brand Crumb, Tata Kepler's "Ptahy" (Birds) Project (a volunteer initiative providing medical aid to the military), and Azov's medical unit. The products featured QR codes for direct donations. The set sold out in 24 hours and created a huge buzz on social media.

Fashion house LITKOVSKA created a special collection featuring prayers for Azov soldiers and dog tags made from used shell casings, which raised enough to pay for an evacuation vehicle for the brigade.

"We work in two directions: either we initiate a collaboration ourselves after analysing a potential partner's work, or we respond to an initiative that comes to us. Either way, we are always guided by several criteria: impeccable reputation, shared values, and a sincere desire to create a truly powerful campaign."

Other partners have included Kochut Jewellery (over UAH 400,000), RIOTDIVISION (over UAH 500,000), Syndicate (approx. UAH 594,000), and the Shum Gallery , which held an auction that raised around UAH 1.4 million for electronic warfare systems.

3rd Assault Brigade: Direct-to-consumer military support

The 3rd Assault Brigade took a different approach by launching its own official shop – the AB3 STORE . Unlike basic merchandise, this is a full platform operating in two areas: selling the brigade's own branded gear, and functioning as a marketplace where other military units can sell products to fund their own procurement needs.

"We raise funds by creating clothing and accessories, and we're constantly improving quality to make sure they're both practical and durable," explains Danylo Golota , who runs the project. "Accessories are our top sellers – people buy them for themselves, as gifts for their fellow soldiers, or for their families and friends."

The store has generated UAH 4 million in cash flow since the beginning of 2025, serving both military and civilian customers.

"A lot of soldiers buy our merchandise. It helps them stand out and send a certain message. Civilians buy it not just to spend money, but to support the army at the same time," says Danylo.

The gear has also travelled internationally – Ukrainians abroad wear it and foreign delegations often receive it as gifts, spreading awareness of the brigade beyond Ukraine's borders.

Beyond e-commerce, AB3 has developed the DVIZH (Movement) brand. Initially focused on arranging online and offline events, such as public meetings with unit commanders and fighters to bridge the gap between soldiers and the civilian public, DVIZH has recently launched its own energy drink . This expansion directly embeds support for the military within everyday consumer products.

Fashion and veteran reintegration

While there is a significant focus on supporting the front line, helping veterans adjust back to civilian life is equally important. This is a challenge faced by both male and female veterans returning from military duty.

In a deeply human campaign, the fashion brand W8LESS partnered with the VETERANKA movement to highlight the emotional struggles experienced by female soldiers returning from the front.

Their spring collection, launched ahead of International Women's Day, came with a video documentary that told real veteran stories.

"Each return is unique. Even the strongest need support," a VETERANKA representative says.

10% of all sales went to programmes offering medical, mental health and career support for returning female veterans.

Cross-Industry Support Models

Jewellery brand SOVA and fashion label FROLOV released a limited drop, raising funds for tourniquets to stop critical bleeding, for the volunteer paramedic group Hospitallers .

"This is our third collaboration with FROLOV," says Lyudmila Sova, CEO of the SOVA jewellery house. "Each time we try to draw attention to important social topics and fill creative cooperation with deep meaning. Today it is operational medical assistance in hot spots of Ukraine, which is so necessary for our military. The collection portrays different versions of the anatomical heart, as if reflecting every Ukrainian approaching Victory."

But it isn't just fashion pieces – there are countless examples of cross-industry support. Craft brewery VARVAR Brew and Sternenko's Community Fund launched RUSORIZ , a tropical ale whose label reads simply: "Drink for Victory." All profits go towards drone interceptors for Ukrainian defence.

Cultural Platforms as Fundraising Tools

Squat 17b: From Coffee Shop to Fundraising Hub

What began in 2015 as a coffee shop has become one of Kyiv's most active fundraising venues. Squat 17b didn't plan this transformation – it happened organically in the early weeks of 2022.

"We were stupefied like everyone else at first," explains Dasha Kryzh, co-founder of Squat 17b. "But our first event with the Ukrainian band Folkulaka showed us what to do."

Since April 2022, Squat 17b has hosted over 770 events , raising more than UAH 20.9 million for Ukraine's defenсe forces. The business covers all operational costs – technical teams, administrative resources, creative organising – meaning that 100% of ticket sales go directly to military units and verified fundraisers.

Their model works through constant collaboration. Large institutions and small NGOs alike come through their doors. They host networking events for various communities and organise concerts, festivals and cultural gatherings that double as fundraising campaigns.

Among their most memorable projects was the "Neverending Concert" with the band Stas Korolov – a marathon performance that raised UAH 1 million in seven hours for the Hospitallers volunteer medical battalion.

But their signature event is the Deruny (Potato Pancake) Festival , dreamed up by art director Tamara Babakova. When the traditional Deruny Festival in Korosten was cancelled in 2023, Squat 17b created their own version in central Kyiv. The 2025 edition featured eight food stalls and raised UAH 301,161 for the defenсe forces while bringing together folk music bands and building community connections.

For their 10th anniversary in June 2025, Squat 17b organised a two-day festival of contemporary Ukrainian music and folklore featuring Kryhitka, The Unsleeping, the Yevhenii Dubovyk Project, and more. The target was UAH 1 million. They reached UAH 803,261, which was distributed across nine military units and volunteer organisations.

"Fundraising now requires more than just sharing bank account details," Kryzh notes. "We're seeing a noticeable decline – fundraisers that used to reach their targets in three to four days now take two weeks. What works is campaigns with creative approaches: strong visuals, unusual mechanics, brand collaborations, gamification, symbolic gifts. People respond to feeling part of something bigger. Successful fundraising is achieved through systematic work – clear structure, defined goals, a thoughtful strategy, and consistent execution."