The Kherson Regional Charitable Foundation "Union" was established in 2011 to improve relationships in society in order to establish a democratic civil society in Ukraine, promote human rights, and protect the population from negative phenomena.
The Foundation, in its activities, focuses on using the latest media technologies that leading experts in the US and Europe use, to create a platform of socially active people who are ready to change themselves and change the space around them with positive transformations. We believe that self-development aimed at community development is the basis of positive changes in society.
The Foundation "Union" is a member and co-founder of the Active Citizens' Association.
The Foundation owns brandmark OpenSchool - a certificate of Ukraine for goods and services No. 265881 of 10.10.2019.
In 2022-2025, the Foundation performs its activities to resist full-scale intruding into Ukraine, supporting the civilian population, which was forced to remain in temporary occupation, as well as in the frontier-deoccupied communities of the Kherson region, strengthening public safety in communities, assistance to State Emergency Service of Ukraine, police, and establishing coordination and cooperation between different stakeholder for recovery and reconstruction.
In 2019-2021, the Foundation performs its activities in the following areas: Open Data development and the development of local communities.
1. Open Data development
- Introduction of a Unified System of Open Budgets for Schools in Ukraine with the support of the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine
2. Development of local communities
- Active Citizen project in cooperation with the British Council in Ukraine
- Project "Strengthening intersectoral cooperation for social cohesion (SC3)" in cooperation with the British Council, NGO "Strong Community", NGO "Youth Platform" with the support of the EU
- Project "The Coast of the Azov Sea: Public Safety and Social Cohesion in Conditions of Changes" in the Chaplynka, Prysyvashshia, Henichesk, and Novotroitsk communities in the Kherson region with support within the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Program in Ukraine.
- Project "Strengthening Civil Society in Southern Ukraine" in the Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa regions with the support of NED
- Project "PTD: Partnership and Transparency for Development" in the Kherson, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kirovograd regions with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in Ukraine.
- Project "Local Actions: Global Changes" in Chervonograd, Vinnytsia, Kherson, Nikopol, and Kramatorsk with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic in Ukraine
In 2017-2018, the Foundation performed its activities in the following areas: the development of independent media communities, the development of Open Data, and the development of local communities.
1. Development of Media Community
- School of Hyperlocal Media Community with the support of the US Embassy in Ukraine
- Media School for Youth Centers with the support of the British Council in Ukraine
2. "Development of Open Data"
- Implementation of a Unified System of Open Budgets for Schools in Kherson, Vinnytsia, Chernigiv, and Dnipro with the support of Freedom House, The International Renaissance Foundation, and the EU Anti-Corruption Initiative in Ukraine
3. "Development of local communities"
- The implementation of the Active Citizens Program with the support of the British Council in Ukraine
- Community Mapping School with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic
- "Public Action" with the support of the Division of Press, Education and Culture of the US Embassy in Ukraine.
In 2014-2016, the Foundation focused on the development of communities through the introduction of information and communication Internet technologies (ICIT) in the activities of the authorities and public organizations of Ukraine to increase their competitiveness and investment attractiveness in the Kherson region, as well as the development of communities through active citizens. Due to the complicated political situation in the country, special attention is paid to developing independent small media groups and counter-propaganda in cyberspace in the region.
In 2015-2016, the KRCF "Union" performed its activities in the following areas
1. "Community Development through ICIT"
- Joint project with Google Ukraine and the Kherson region "Digital Transformation of the Kherson Region"
- The project "Our Kherson - historical city map" with Google Ukraine and Kherson City Council,
- The School of Creation of Media Hyperlocal Communities (with the support of the Media Development Fund of the US Embassy in Ukraine)
- The public voice of the East (with the support of the US Embassy in Ukraine)
- Project "Promoting Civic Journalism Development in Ukraine" (with the support of the National Endowment for Democracy)
- Project "Open Budget of Schools" - creating an online transparency system of school activity
- Open data project "Community: Open Initiative" (with the support of The International Renaissance Foundation)
- The Website and YouTube Canals Development Courses for AHALAR Graduates
- The 1st and the 2nd Regional competitions "Best Cartographer in Kherson and the Kherson Region"
- The project "Kherson District Map"
2. Community Development through Active Citizens
- The development of the local community of cartographers in the Kherson region
- The development of active citizens in the Kherson region in partnership with the British Council in Ukraine
- The project "From the language of hostility to the language of good" (with the support of DVV International)
In 2014, the KRCF "Union" performed its activities in the following areas:
1. "Community Development through ICIT"
- Media project "The Public Says"
- Online project "The Kherson Region Online"
- The project "Kherson District Map"
- The project "Modern Media of the Rapid Response Group"
- The project "Countering negative foreign influence in the information space in the area of high risk of military conflicts" Research "Electron Volunteer in Ukraine"
- The joint project with Google Ukraine and the Kherson region, "Digital Transformation of Kherson Region"
In 2013, the Foundation worked in the following areas: promotion of the use of modern IT technologies in the work of socially active people of Ukraine, the development of the Ukrainian Social Community media community in partnership with public organizations of Ukraine and from abroad, personality development, and as a component of development volunteer movement through training (both online and offline) to solve existing problems in the communities of the Kherson region, protection of human rights.
In 2013, the KRCF "Union" performed its activities in the following areas:
1. "Modern Information Technologies"
- Electronic Governance "Kherson District Map"
- Media project "The Public Says"
- Online project "The Kherson Region Online"
- Online project "Events in the Third Sector"
- Development of the Ukraine Social Community
- NGO Connections Journal is an Internet magazine about modern IT technologies for non-governmental organizations
2. "Personality Development"
- The project "My Health is in My Hands" in partnership with the Kherson Regional Library for Youth, named after B. Lavrenov
3. "Protection of Human Rights"
- The Letter Writing Marathon 2013 by Amnesty International
4. "Charity Development"
- The activity "Old age is in joy" was implemented in partnership with the Foundation "Protection"
- The project "Life instead of survival" was implemented in partnership with UBB (raised 16,000 UAH and installed 8 new windows at the Kherson Hospice).
In 2011-2012, the Fund's directions were: prevention of HIV and tuberculosis, support of palliative care, protection of the rights of poorly protected segments of the population of the Kherson region, and working with volunteers. However, due to certain internal and external factors and changing the outlook of the Fund's members on the efficiency of non-governmental organizations in Ukraine, the mission and goals of the Fund in the third sector of Ukraine were rethought.
In 2011-2012, the KRCF "Union" performed its activities in the following areas:
1. "Human Rights": Reducing the level of human rights violations in the Kherson region and ensuring citizens' access to free legal aid.
Within the framework of the program:
- the project "Free Legal Aid" was implemented,
- participated in the second (2011) and the third (2012) All-Ukrainian Day of Free Legal Aid,
- in 2011 and 2012, the campaign The Letter Writing Marathon by Amnesty International was implemented.
2. "HIV prevention, TV and palliative care": reducing the level of prevalence of HIV/TB and improving the quality of services provided by HIV service organizations in the Kherson region, support for palliative care.
Within the framework of the program:
- the project "Intening volunteering in the field of palliative care in Kherson" in partnership with the British Council in Ukraine was implemented,
- the project "Information Center in the field of HIV/AIDS" was implemented,
- the project "Palliative Care Support in Kherson" with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation,
- an online study of people's/AIDS awareness was conducted
- The project "Charity campaign for World Palliative Care Day in Kherson region" was implemented in 2011 (38 414 UAH was collected, and equipment was purchased at the Kherson Regional Children's Hospital)
- The project "When not indifferent to another's pain" was implemented for World Palliative Care Day in the Kherson region with the support of the ICF Renaissance in 2012.
- The project "Life instead of survival" was implemented in partnership with UBB (it raised 16,0000 UAH and installed 8 new windows at the Kherson Hospice).
3. "Formation of healthy physical and mental development of a person": prevention of the use of tobacco, alcohol, and narcotic drugs, formation of safe sexual behavior of young people, promotion of healthy physical development of children and young people, promotion of healthy mental development of children, young people, and families.
As part of the program:
- The project "Youth School of Social Activity" was implemented, funded through a mini-grants competition, held by the Eastern European Democratic Center and the New Generation International Organization at the expense of the National Endowment for Democracy.-
- The project "Formation of a Healthy Community Life through Social Media" was implemented
- a one-day training "Leadership and Team Formation" for student self-government and volunteers in Nova Kakhovka
- research was conducted on effective methods of development and publication of children's works,
- participated in the All-Ukrainian action "Stay human".
Representatives of the KRCF "Union" have extensive experience (project implementation) with the following donor organizations: the US Embassy in Ukraine, the British Council in Ukraine, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Renaissance ICF, DVV International, and more.
The Fund's employees constantly improve their skills and participate in specialized training, such as training and conferences conducted by international funds and organizations.
Our desire and vision of the future is a world where health and human rights are the highest social value, a society that eliminates the consequences of negative phenomena, and the formation of a harmonious atmosphere in the family, which is the foundation for creating conditions necessary for physical, mental, moral and moral and moral social development of every citizen and the public in general.