CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 5, 2023--

With hundreds of thousands of families living beyond the reach of humanitarian resources, many in temporarily occupied Russian army-controlled territories, Chicago Entrepreneur, Alex Zatvor, launches a new concept U.S.-based 501(c)3 non-profit, Gate to Ukraine, a pocket-to-purpose initiative that ensures all cash donations go directly to families in need.

“Unfortunately, humanitarian help is not reaching millions in need,” says Founder and CEO Alex Zatvor. “As native Ukrainians, we made it our mission to create an innovative delivery system, which we hope will become the model for altruism. It’s fully transparent and provides the fastest way to get much-needed funds directly to the source with no go-between.

Families apply for a donation capped at $100 USD, which can buy a month of groceries, diapers, or medications. They are asked to submit an application with photos and a video of how the war has affected their life, along with their address, email, phone number, and social media profiles. Gate.org’s team in Ukraine verifies the application and family’s location. The stories for approved applications are translated and published on the Gate.org website, where donors can choose a specific family or can donate generally to cover multiple families.

The donations are then wired from the Gate.org bank account in the US to their registered charitable organization’s bank account in Ukraine, where Gate.org distributes the donations directly to families’ debit cards converting the funds from USD to UAH at the current bank rate. Unlike other foundations, Gate to Ukraine does not charge any fees, 100% of all donations, minus payment processing and currency conversion fees (i.e., Stripe charges ~2.2%, Zelle charges 0%), is transferred directly into a family’s bank account in need within 24-hours. Since founding Gate to Ukraine earlier this year, Alex and his team have raised over $220,000 USD for 2,000 Ukrainian families and counting.

In addition, Alex and his team have created Destroy The Tank , a sale of 500 numbered limited edition engraved fragments produced from the gun of a destroyed T80BVM Russian Tank, which was the pride of the Russian military. It was paraded in Moscow before attacking Ukraine from Belgorod earlier in the war, where it then moved to the Eastern front when it was stopped around Kharkiv by the Ukrainian brigade Kraken. With generous support from Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi, Zatvor and his team were granted official permission from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence and Armed Forces to lift and transport the destroyed tank to a factory in central Ukraine where fragments are engraved, packaged, and sold for $250; with 100% of the proceeds going directly to help Ukrainian people.

“Sponsoring a family is often the difference between them starving or eating, between them being able to move away from areas of active conflict or be forced to stay behind and risk their lives,” adds Zatvor. “Despite their tragic circumstances, their incredible perseverance, resolve, and endless passion for Ukrainian freedom and independence is what keeps us working hard to help as many families as we can.”

View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230105005277/en/

CONTACT: Arianna Finger

713-392-9944

arianna@gcomworks.com

KEYWORD: EUROPE UNITED STATES UKRAINE NORTH AMERICA ILLINOIS

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: FUND RAISING FOUNDATION PHILANTHROPY

SOURCE: Gate.org

Copyright Business Wire 2023.

PUB: 01/05/2023 08:03 AM/DISC: 01/05/2023 08:02 AM

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