The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is heart-wrenching and complex. In many respects, it’s similar to a natural disaster, but the challenges it will pose are both immediate and also likely to extend long into the future.

Philanthropists, especially those with private foundations, can be of great help here. Not only can they respond rapidly when a crisis occurs, but they can also take a longer view to understand the full scope of the problems, pinpoint where they can make the greatest impact, and determine how to allocate their resources most effectively to boost established relief efforts or spawn new ones.

What follows are some insights to help your charitable clients assist Ukraine now and in the difficult years ahead.

Immediate Help
The circumstances in Ukraine are fluid. The conflict will likely escalate in both scale and urgency, and it’s unknown how much help will be required. The following are broad types of humanitarian aid sought by people in urgent need:

• Health and medical support;
• Shelter, water, food, sanitation, hygiene and other essentials;
• Clothing and nonfood items;
• Time-critical support for both internally displaced and refugee populations;
• Protection for people in conflict zones;
• Special services for the elderly, disabled, ill, impoverished or other vulnerable people; and
• The replacement of suspended education and income.

Cash donations are the most effective way for donors and private foundations to provide such support. Such donations give charitable agencies the most flexibility to direct funds to the areas of greatest need. (Clothing and medical supplies require shipping, receipt and management of goods and materials, creating logistical problems that may actually hinder response efforts.)

In times of emergency, the Internal Revenue Service allows private foundations special funding opportunities: Beyond the usual accepted procedure of making grants to charities, foundations can make grants directly to individuals and families as well without obtaining prior IRS approval.

Screening Charities
It’s easy to find an online list of nonprofit organizations supporting Ukraine relief efforts. Before your clients support any charity or cause, though, you should counsel them to ask the following:

• Is the organization well-established and reputable? What is its history?
• Does it have a clear mission?
• Does it meet a vital need?
• How sound is its stated approach?
• Are its values congruent with the client’s?
• Are its services and programs unique?
• Who sits on the organization’s board?
• Does it achieve substantial results?

Additionally, clients should check the organization’s rating from one or more “watchdog” sites that apply a uniform set of standards to analyze and grade the finances and programmatic quality of nonprofits. Some of the more well-known watchdog sites are Give Well, Charity Navigator, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance and CharityWatch.

The Disaster Life Cycle
Crisis and disaster response happens in several stages. By distributing funds and support throughout the “disaster life cycle,” your clients may be able to achieve greater impact with their resources while aligning their response with their values and giving priorities.

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy says there are four stages in the disaster life cycle:

• Response and relief. Immediately following an emergency, the focus of responders is often on saving lives, preventing further damage and providing basic human services. This stage typically draws the most attention from the media and the most funding.

• Reconstruction and recovery. This work typically begins after the event no longer dominates the news cycle, and yet it’s often more expensive than relief. This is the stage that comes after the damage has been assessed, and it involves longer-term efforts to restore a community or country to its pre-disaster state. This period is often overlooked and underfunded by public charities, private philanthropists and insurance companies.

• Preparedness. This is one of the phases for anticipating disasters. The preparation phase involves creating detailed plans that will help people and areas respond effectively to crises. The activities may include planning exercises; the training and education of volunteers; the identification of evacuation routes and partners; and the stocking of food, water and other basic necessities.

• Mitigation. This phase requires thinking about ways to proactively curb the risks of future disasters and limit the destruction of things like floods, earthquakes or war. It requires hazard risk analysis and the investment of time and resources—for instance, it may involve strengthening existing infrastructure such as roads or seawalls, adding insurance or relocating vulnerable populations.

Devising a Crisis Response
In determining how best to respond to a disaster or crisis, advise your clients to do the following:

• Understand their own motivations. What about the crisis speaks to them? Is there a stage in the disaster life cycle that would benefit greatly from their personal network or professional strengths? There are numerous ways to connect a client’s philanthropic mission to the needs that arise in emergency situations.

• Do research. This includes staying abreast of current affairs as well as looking to past disasters and similar situations for guidance and lessons that can help clients construct a high-impact response.

• Be aware of scams. Many new nonprofits are formed in response to disasters. While some are legitimate, others aren’t, unfortunately. Clients should evaluate new organizations carefully before making a commitment.

• Consider social equity. Disasters and crises can magnify social inequities. There may be marginalized, vulnerable or under-resourced populations feeling the crisis more acutely, and they may have difficulty accessing essential services.

• Partner with other funders. Your clients who want to give should exchange insights and best practices with other philanthropists. In the process they may find collaborators with similar or complementary goals who will help them develop a more innovative or comprehensive response.

During this critical time for Ukraine, and during other crises as well, encourage your charitable clients to address both immediate and long-term need when they provide support.

Gillian Howell is Head of Client Advisory Solutions for Foundation Source, which provides comprehensive support services for private foundations. The firm works in partnership with financial and legal advisors as well as directly with individuals and families.