Legacy of War Foundation (LoWF) has now launched its innovative Ukraine Small Grants program to provide over $280,000 in flexible funding and support to grassroots Ukrainian organisations. The program invites creative ideas from civil society groups with a track record of supporting their communities and a plan for sustainable growth, and will encourage organisations to define their own metrics for success. The deadline for applications is 23:59 EEST, 27 April 2026.
LoWF CEO and humanitarian Giles Duley, a longtime advocate for Ukraine, explains: “in the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion just 0.0003% of the money raised for Ukraine actually went to Ukrainian organisations. Legacy’s work here for the last four years has focused on getting resources to those doing the real work on the ground, and I’m glad that we’ll be able to develop impactful new partnerships through this fund at such a critical time for civil society.”
Since 2022 Legacy of War Foundation has provided over $1,000,000 in funding and equipment to its Ukrainian partners, many of whom were informal volunteer networks just a few years ago. Over the last four years, LoWF has facilitated over 30,000 primary healthcare appointments to rural communities; provided shelters to women and LGBTQ+ people; educated children about the risks of landmines; delivered specialist disability equipment; and trained people with disabilities as qualified prosthetics & orthotics technicians. For Yevhen Ursalov (pictured above, driving an ambulance in southern Ukraine in 2022 by Giles Duley), founder of LoWF partner Casers, “Legacy of War Foundation was a key element in our early growth. They believed in me when I was trying to rent an ambulance to evacuate people, with nothing except a desire to help and not stand aside during the war. With their support, I scaled to a 15-person team, a fleet of seven vehicles (some of the fleet in 2025, below), and the capacity to provide 13,000 medical consultations per year.”
The Small Grants fund has no specific thematic area but prioritises work from and for marginalised groups. The three stage application process is designed to be simple and accessible, and ensures even unsuccessful applicants can develop useful materials to take to other funders. The program also includes over $30,000 in flexible funding for capacity development and training, and will offer content opportunities to help organisations improve their communications. Up to 60% of funds can be dedicated towards overhead costs, recognising that many applicants will have been delivering impactful work without being able to adequately pay or develop staff.
For LoWF Program Coordinator Olena Onufriv, “one of the key strengths of this Small Grants program is the absence of thematic restrictions, reflecting our trust in local organisations to identify and address the needs of their communities. We are also pleased to support volunteer groups in developing their initiatives, because our approach is to focus on expertise and experience”.
This project is made possible with support from the Global Whole Being Fund and Range Foundation. For more information on the Legacy Small Grants program, including what it can and can’t fund, and to apply please visit Legacy’s website.
For more information or interview requests for Giles Duley related to the program, please contact LoWF Operations Director via [email protected].