Ukraine: What should charities do in response to the war?

When an event dominates the news cycle as the war in Ukraine has, it is understandable that we consider how it affects us however much that may pale compared to the effect on the people of Ukraine. This extends to charitable trustees considering if the war impacts on their charity in any way and if there is anything they can or should be doing in response.

This guidance covers four areas charity trustees should be considering in response to the war in Ukraine:

1. Supporting the Ukrainian people – does the charity wish to support Ukrainians in some way and, if so, what should it do?
2. Reviewing IT and cyber security arrangements – what IT security policies does the charity have in place and do they need refreshed?
3. Managing surplus donations of goods – what can the charity do with surplus donations of goods that cannot be transported or distributed to Ukraine?
4. Awareness of the sanctions regime – does the charity have any transactions with Russian organisations or individuals and will they be affected by the tightening sanctions regime?