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War in Ukraine
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War in Ukraine

Insights and Guidance for You and Your Company

Jeff Hoffman and Paul Washington
The Conference Board, 2022
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Russia’s invasion affects Ukrainians and almost everyone else, given the war’s impact on the global food, fuel and financial sectors. Jeff Hoffman and Paul Washington of The Conference Board’s ESG Center outline how companies can help displaced Ukrainians now and in the future. Synthesizing information from UN agencies, they discuss how firms can provide humanitarian and business support. Meeting Ukraine’s long-range needs will call for aid, economic support and – if relevant – rebuilding your firm’s presence there. Cash donations help now, but in time, international companies must define where their employees are experiencing the war’s repercussions, in Ukraine or elsewhere, and responsibly address their concerns.

Summary

Providing corporate support to victims of the war in Ukraine differs from supporting those harmed by natural disasters, but some core elements are similar.

Worldwide corporate social responsibility efforts have supported people globally in all kinds of crises from natural disasters to the spread of COVID-19. The war in Ukraine, however, provokes the need for different corporate responses, although some parts of your crisis management plan will be similar.

Getting supplies in a war zone is difficult because the war-torn country or its neighbors could ban the organizations you might work with to make effective contributions. As you pursue the efforts that are appropriate for your organization, make sure your stakeholders understand the challenges of providing support in wartime conditions.

Companies can work with international groups, such as the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which provides liaisons with other UN and humanitarian groups. If you run an American company, ensure you abide by any US sanctions.

Cash donations are best, because they enable nonprofit...

About the Authors

Jeff Hoffman is the institute leader of corporate citizenship and philanthropy at The Conference Board’s ESG Center, where Paul Washington is the executive director.

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