The Charities Regulator is urging members of the public who wish to support and stand in solidarity with Ukraine to ensure that their donations, whether of goods or of funds, go to registered charities which have the structures in place to ensure that those donations go towards their intended purpose.
You can check whether a specific Irish charity is registered on the Register of Charities at www.charitiesregulator.ie.
The Charities Regulator stated that there are several existing registered charities operating in Ireland that have significant international experience in both providing assistance to refugees, and also operating within conflict zones.
“It is against the law in Ireland to set up a charity and to start collecting donations without being registered with the Charities Regulator. As anyone who has recently registered with the Charities Regulator will know, this registration process is, by necessity, a rigorous one. It is therefore essential that any member of the public that might wish to raise funds or provide other forms of assistance to Ukraine and its citizens, links to an existing registered charity that has an established organisational framework in place and experience of working in high-risk and dangerous environments. This will help ensure that donations go directly to those most in need.”