A simplified definition of activism is taking direct action to bring about social change.

With the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, many have been speaking out against the war. One common, effective way of participating in activism is donating, but how much is enough? What if we are not rich?

One of the most common and effective ways of participating in activism is to donate and raise money for charity. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations registered in the U.S. (2016), so it is crucial that you do thorough research before deciding how and where to donate.

As individuals, everyone has different financial backgrounds. For example, $10 might be a lot for someone, but it might not mean so much for someone else. So, it is your call. Your donation does not need to be so big that it would make your life more difficult. But what if you are facing difficulties and you can only give $1? That is absolutely fine, think of it this way – if 100 people gave $1, that would be $100!

However, not everybody has the financial means to donate to charities – some are low-income individuals, some barely have enough money to make it through the week or even the day, or some have their own family to take care of. Especially due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, global income inequality has worsened because of “severe job and income losses among lower-income population groups” (Adarov). A study suggests that income inequality (measured by the Gini index) has increased in 2020, “reflect[ing] severe job and income losses among low-skilled workers, low-income households, informal workers, and women” (Adarov). This “translated into a sharp increase in global poverty… 97 million more people are living on less than $1.90 a day… increasing the global poverty rate from 7.8 to 9.1 percent” (Sánchez-Páramo). Although you may feel pressured and guilty for not being able to make monetary contributions, people must realize that not everybody has financial freedom. 

There are many other ways you can participate in activism:

Peaceful protests online or in-person 

• Global Citizen sends emails to those who pledge to protest about information regarding “how to attend a protest near you, how to set up a protest, and how to show your solidarity as an individual” (Global Citizen).

Sign petitions

• Change.org has multiple petitions, calling for action, such as accepting Ukrainian refugees in the United States immediately
• UK Government and Parliament has a petition to defend Ukraine “up to and including full-scale military intervention if required” (Paterson)

Call or email your senator

• Sites like 5calls.org provide scripts for those who are unsure of how to get started
• If many people are emailing the senator, asking for a change, then it will catch their attention

Education yourself and others

• It is important to understand the historical context so that you know what you are relating yourself to and advocating for. What happened in the past? What is Putin trying to achieve? Why is Ukraine under attack? Investing the time in educating yourself and learning the history is the first important step that you can take to participate in activism

Become a penpal (@X-Culture)

• It has been one month into the war, and according to UNICEF, around 4.3 million Ukrainian children have been displaced. This is more than half of the Ukraine child population. Schools are closed. Many Ukrainian children are at home or bomb shelters. Professor Vasyl Taraz from the University of North Carolina Greensboro made a pen pal program as a means of connecting the children to the rest of the world, for them to practice English, receive emotional support, or briefly take their minds off of the war. You can talk to them through email, Zoom, Skype, etc. Applications are open to those aged 10 to 23. 

    Social media is a powerful tool, and many try to show solidarity, raise awareness, and educate others. While the intention may be good and coming from a place of sincerity, it may come across as insensitive. So where do we draw the line?

Performative activism is supporting an issue for attention or relatability, rather than truly caring about the cause. It shows very little effort and does not reflect that you are truly learning or taking real action, and it “often aligns with the good samaritan ideal or… the ‘white savior complex’” (Candelario) – a white person acting from a position of superiority to be the hero.

Sharing explicit footage of the war is an immediate reaction rather than a direct supportive action. While it shows that you care, what good does it really do? “How could someone go from not knowing if Ukraine was in Africa or Europe to sharing regular #IStandWithUkraine posts without appearing superficial?” (Datskovska).

Remember #BLM? To show support, social media users posted black squares, but because they tagged #BLM rather than #BlackoutTuesday and #TheShowMustBePaused, it ended up backfiring as it flooded feeds and prevented users from seeing informative posts.

Remember Pride Month? Many companies changed their brand logo to match the rainbow theme, but do they really support and give back to the LGBTQ+ community? After Pride Month was over, companies switched back to their original logo, reflecting that many corporations really only care about fitting in and following the trend for their own profits.

Remember when celebrities sang “Imagine” in 2020? Although the intention was pure, not many viewers felt comforted watching rich celebrities sing a song. i-D editor Róisín Lanigan comments: “Rather than rushing to push content into the world which doesn’t actually help anyone, it might be best to first take some time and consider how your platform, and your millions of dollars of income, could be put to better use” (George). 

It may be tempting to share everything you do online (“pics or it didn’t happen” (Candelario)) for social approval. Professor Pamela Hovland from Yale suggests to self-critique: “What am I doing in addition to this? Am I donating to the cause? Am I speaking to other people about this offline?” (Jenkins). It is absolutely fine to do things silently: listen, research, learn, and take action. Be an ally not just when it is “trending,” but at all times.

It is crucial to make note that the amount you give does not equate to how helpful you are, and whether or not you want to donate is up to you. When it comes to donations, some want to give money, and some want to give supplies, such as clothing, blankets, etc. Of these options, monetary donations are much preferred over supplies. Ports and highways are closing, making it difficult for delivery, and thus, the supply donations may just end up in landfills as they do not make it to the desired location: “Getting food or clothing delivered in Ukraine is a logistical nightmare” (Lach-Aidelbaum) as it is “very complicated, time-consuming and expensive” (Hill). Dan Walden, Unicef’s senior emergencies specialist, states that “[g]iving cash transfers to trusted charities, whether international ones or those operating on the ground in Ukraine, is not wasteful… does not create dependency and is empowering and effective” (Hill). Monetary donations are long-lasting, too, so the people are aided continually until they are resettled.

If you decide to donate, you will want to donate to a charity that works closely with Ukrainian organizations or is on the ground in Ukraine in order to help specifically Ukraine. This way, the donations will be provided quickly and effectively, as some charities tend to hold on to the money for “long-term development” before actually sending it out, according to Kate Bahen, managing director of Charity Intelligence Canada.

Ukraine-Specific Charities

Here is a list of Ukraine-specific charities or charities that have strong ties with Ukraine, covering needs for medical and humanitarian aid, and support for children, families, soldiers, and local journalists:

• Razom for Ukraine: a volunteer charity organization founded back in 2014 when Russia formally annexed Crimea
• Revived Soldiers Ukraine: medical aid for Ukrainian soldiers and support for their family
• International Rescue Committee: provides evacuation efforts for women, children, and displaced families in Ukraine, and provides support for refugees in Poland
• Save the Children: (based in the U.K.) provides “food, water, hygiene kits, psychosocial support and cash assistance” for Ukrainian children and families
• The Kyiv Independent: local journalists deliver and report the invasion and its impacts on its citizens to the rest of the world
• Vostok SOS: Ukraine based NGO that aids locals, internally displaced persons, and front-line settlements
• Nova Ukraine: “[p]rovide humanitarian aid to vulnerable groups and individuals in Ukraine” (Nova Ukraine)
• Airbnb: book rooms (perhaps near the warzone) and the owners get to decide what to do with the money. Some may keep it to buy supplies, and some may decide to donate to their government. You may want to write them a short message to let them know that you will not be staying there.

When looking for ways to help, you may feel pressured to donate money to charity, and while monetary donations are helpful and effective if made to the right organizations, remember that it is not the only effective way to help. We all have different financial backgrounds, so you get to decide how much is enough given your circumstances. When you cannot afford to donate to charity, you can still participate in activism in many other ways, and when you decide to share your solidarity with others, be careful that you are not engaging in performative activism.