Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, hundreds of humanitarian organisations have mobilised to respond. Bird of Light Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to supporting Ukraine through childcare initiatives and infrastructure redevelopment, having impacted over 676,000 civilians to date by uniting Western resources with Ukrainian solutions to address large-scale challenges.
Charity Journal ratings are independent assessments based on publicly available data. Organisations may submit corrections to our editorial team.
Here’s why you should donate to Bird of Light Foundation
Transparency: B (78/100)
Bird of Light Foundation describes itself as occupying a unique dual position. As a Ukrainian organisation, it is connected to the issues it addresses, allowing it to act effectively. Meanwhile, as a Western organisation, it understands the oversight, governance, and transparency expected from a 501(c)(3) charity.
The organisation publishes regular field updates on its website, documents individual projects with named locations and beneficiary counts, while maintaining an active social media presence with photographic evidence of program delivery. The $7 million in humanitarian value delivered since 2022 is a specific, attributed claim rather than a vague impact statement.
Financial health: B− (74/100)
IRS filings show that Bird of Light Foundation’s three directors, Zhanna Galeyeva, Isaac Yeung, and Tatyana Lazebnik, all of whom work without compensation. No revenue, expenses, or assets are reported in the most recently available IRS data, which, for a small organisation of this type, likely reflects a fiscal sponsorship arrangement or a filing status that does not capture pass-through humanitarian funding. The score reflects the positive signal of zero administrative overhead against the negative signal of limited formal financial disclosure.
Impact and effectiveness: A (92/100)
This is where Bird of Light Foundation’s record is genuinely exceptional for an organisation of its size. Its water security program has directly benefited over 350,000 people through borehole wells, water main repairs, and water storage system installations, working in collaboration with local stakeholders and the UN WASH program to identify and prioritise high-impact projects.
Furthermore, its childcare deinstitutionalisation program collaborates with a Ukrainian government agency and experts from the European Disability Forum to transition children from institutional care to family-based environments. The Empty Beds advocacy installation, a life-sized replica of a deported Ukrainian child’s bedroom, has engaged over 50 elected officials and contributed to an EU resolution on the return of Ukrainian children.
The organisation works through vetted local partners with direct access to communities that larger organisations cannot reach, a model that maximises impact per dollar in a conflict environment where speed and local knowledge are decisive.
Governance: B− (73/100)
Bird of Light Foundation is governed by three directors who serve without compensation. The volunteer governance model is both a strength and a limitation. It signals a complete commitment of resources to the mission rather than to administration which is admirable and appropriate for a wartime humanitarian organisation.
The organisation is a registered 501(c)(3), which requires annual IRS filing and basic governance compliance. For donors considering larger gifts, direct engagement with the organisation to understand its financial controls and partner vetting process is advisable.
Accountability: B (77/100)
Bird of Light Foundation’s accountability model is project-based rather than system-based. It documents what it does in the field with named locations, beneficiary numbers, and photographic evidence rather than through formal reporting frameworks.
This approach is credible and appropriate for a small field-focused organisation operating in an active conflict zone where formal reporting infrastructure is difficult to maintain.
The Mahala deinstitutionalisation pilot, formally transferred to UNICEF upon completion, is the strongest single accountability signal in the organisation’s record. Handing a completed program to a UN agency for continuation is a mark of genuine institutional integrity that most humanitarian organisations at this scale would not achieve. The Empty Beds campaign’s coverage in The Guardian and three Ukrainian national outlets also provides additional independent third-party validation.
Community trust: A− (88/100)
Bird of Light Foundation has delivered aid in Pavlograd, a frontline city sheltering over 15,000 displaced Ukrainians, providing food care packages and clean drinking water, support that brings not only sustenance but dignity and hope to families starting over from nothing.
Meanwhile, its partnership with the World Orphan Fund, its collaboration with the UN WASH program, and its engagement with EU institutions through the Empty Beds campaign signal credibility across humanitarian, international development, and policy audiences simultaneously.
For a small organisation founded by a Ukrainian-American woman who chose to stay and serve rather than return home, the community trust it has earned in Ukraine, in the EU, and among Western donors is disproportionate to its size and reflects the power of authentic, locally-rooted humanitarian work.
“Since 2022, Bird of Light has delivered over $7 million in humanitarian value to more than 676,000 Ukrainians — from near-frontline food distribution to water restoration for children’s hospitals. We work where the need is greatest, through vetted local partners with direct access to communities that larger organisations can’t reach. That hasn’t changed, and it won’t,” said Zhanna Galeyeva, Executive Director & Cofounder, Bird of LIght Foundation.
Achievements in the last 12 months
- Restored running water to Dnipro Children’s Regional Medical Centre through a well rehabilitation project, directly benefiting approximately 241,000 residents in Dnipro, one of the highest single-beneficiary interventions in the organisation’s history
- Coordinated the assembly and distribution of 10,000 food boxes (132 metric tons of food, approximately 400 million calories) to near-frontline communities across Ukraine in partnership with World Orphan Fund
- Delivered 48 generators and 25 tons of fuel across the Dnipropetrovsk region, bringing backup power to 12,000 residents in one of Ukraine’s most targeted oblasts
- Completed the Mahala deinstitutionalisation pilot in the Chernivtsi region and formally transferred it to UNICEF for continuation, a major milestone in sustainable child welfare reform
- The Empty Beds advocacy installation reached 38,000 visitors across three EU institutional venues, Luxembourg’s Europa Experience, the European Parliament, and the European Commission’s Berlaymont, engaging 50 elected officials, securing coverage in The Guardian and Sky TG24, and coinciding with a 63-country coalition meeting attended by EU High Representative Kaja Kallas
Note: Bird of Light Foundation does not publish standardised per-dollar impact figures. These estimates are based on published project cost and beneficiary data. We encourage donors to contact the organisation directly for specific breakdowns.
What your donation does
$20
contributes to clean water access for a Ukrainian family for one month through the water infrastructure program
$50
helps fund one food care package delivering over 40,000 calories of nourishment to a displaced family near the frontline
$100
contributes to generator fuel that keeps an IDP shelter powered through a winter night
$500
contributes to a water infrastructure repair reaching hundreds of residents in a conflict-affected community
What donors should consider before giving to Bird of Light Foundation
- The three-person volunteer leadership team, while admirably lean, creates concentration risk as the organisation’s capacity is closely tied to the availability and continuity of a small founding team
- Operating in an active conflict zone introduces inherent operational risks and verification challenges that even the most rigorous humanitarian organisations cannot fully eliminate
Final verdict for Bird of Light Foundation
Bird of Light Foundation is one of the most impact-dense small humanitarian organisations operating in Ukraine today. Its water infrastructure work has reached hundreds of thousands of people. Its advocacy work has engaged EU institutions at the highest level. Meanwhile, all of this is run by a volunteer-led team with zero administrative overhead. For donors who want their money working near the frontline rather than funding organisational infrastructure, Bird of Light Foundation is a compelling choice.