A protester holds a placard during the “Stand with Ukraine” rally in Times Square, New York

Photograph: Ron Adar/SOPA images/REX/Shutterstock

Matthew Cantor @CantorMatthew for The Guardian, Updated March 7, 2022

A number of charities are addressing humanitarian needs and US people can support Ukrainian journalism or get active politically

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, Americans have offered an outpouring of support for the Ukrainian people. Here are a few ways you can join the effort.

Donations

Charity organizations are offering a wide range of support for those affected by the war. Here are a few that have received high marks (three to four stars) from Charity Navigator, which assesses groups’ efficiency, transparency and other factors.

• UNICEF – Tens of millions of children across the globe, have been uprooted by conflict or crisis, forced to flee violence or extreme poverty or both. Some children have known nothing but war. Some are forced to make difficult and dangerous journeys abroad. Some have been out of school for years and don’t know when they might return.
• GlobalGiving supports non-profits around the world through crowdfunding. Its Ukrainian crisis relief fund is working toward a goal of $7m to provide food, water, shelter and other assistance to refugees.
• Direct Relief is working to fulfill a list of medical needs provided to the organization by Ukraine’s health ministry.
• Care, a 75-year-old organization operating in 100 countries, is working to provide food, water, and hygiene kits to those suffering in Ukraine. Donate here as Care seeks to support 4 million people.
• Doctors Without Borders, a 50-year-old Nobel-winning organization, has teams in Ukraine as well as surrounding countries as it works to send staff and medical supplies to the hardest-hit areas. Donate here to support its efforts in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world.
• Save the Children, a century-old organization that has worked in 100 countries, has a Ukraine crisis relief fund aimed at furnishing children and families with food, hygiene kits, funding and more.
• The International Rescue Committee has teams working in Poland aiding displaced families. The organization, founded in 1933, operates in 40 countries and donations go to food, medical treatment, and other emergency care in Ukraine, Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere. Donate here to the IRC’s work around the world.
• Razom, a Ukrainian-focused charity founded in 2014, is furnishing medical supplies to the country and working to “amplify the voices of Ukrainians”. It has not been evaluated by Charity Navigator but has received wide coverage in the US media. Donate here.

Write to your congressperson

You can use your zip code to find your local US representative here. Click on their image to find their contact information and voice your views on the Russian invasion. You can also contact the White House.

Attend protests or volunteer

Here is a list of forthcoming demonstrations against the invasion, including many in the US. 

Support local Ukrainian journalism

You can support the English-language Kyiv Independent and the New Voice of Ukraine directly. There is also a GoFundMe page to support Ukrainian media more broadly as journalists risk their safety.