Olivia Jenkins, Head of The Philanthropy Centre, Europe and the Middle East for J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Hang Ho, Head of International Markets for J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation
David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Philanthropists are often in a position to be nimble and reactive, putting them in a unique position to respond to crises quickly. But how can they help when the duration of a crisis is unknown and the impact is unrelenting?

In this article, Olivia Jenkins, Head of The Philanthropy Centre, Europe and the Middle East for J.P. Morgan Private Bank, shares advice she received from Hang Ho, Head of Global Philanthropy International for the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation, and David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), for philanthropists to consider one year on from the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.

Their lessons and thoughts are relevant when thinking through continued support for Ukraine, but also in reaction to future and current disasters, such as the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria earlier this month.

Collaboration and communication

When working in often dangerous situations, philanthropy needs to be collaborative. Hang reminds us that it’s important to acknowledge when you are not the expert, and to focus on supporting trusted organisations to provide support where it is needed most. Encouraging open dialogue with your partners in relief efforts is vital to allow you to identify your role both in an initial response, and on an ongoing basis.

David echoed much of this, highlighting that the IRC views partnership as based on a marriage of expertise – expertise that is both different and complementary to its own. As an organisation they seek to have local credibility and legitimacy, allowing them to work with others to scale in response to changing needs. This has been particularly relevant to their work in Eastern Ukraine, where fewer NGOs have a presence and there is continuing pressing need.

The message from both was clear – build a team, either internally or with partners, that you know and trust, allowing you to have the confidence in them to respond in the most impactful way to a crisis.

Consider cash as a tool and remain flexible

David shared that the IRC often use cash as a distribution method; considering it to be empowering, efficient and effective. Cash allows families to respond to their own changing requirements in a disaster and working with existing banking systems – such as in Ukraine – can be the fastest way to reach the most vulnerable.

The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation offers flexible funding when it comes to relief efforts, operating on an unrestricted basis as they believe that in quickly changing situations their partners on the ground know how to provide support best. This is a sentiment we often encourage clients we work with in The Philanthropy Centre to consider.

Who are we trying to reach?

When working in conflict situations, David reminded us that women and girls bear extra risks, and so providing holistic care such as psychosocial support forms part of their considerations. The majority of Ukrainian refugees in Poland are women and children, many of whom are in need of social and medical care in addition to housing and childcare to enable them to enter employment. The J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation therefore worked with trusted partners to develop considered programmes that worked alongside schools and social partners to deliver employment programmes that also provide wrap around support – including access to childcare. Starting from a stance of ‘who are we trying to reach?’ allows thoughtful grantmaking.

Pull all levers at your disposal

Hang and her team at the J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation have had an evolving response to the crisis in Ukraine. What started as an initial philanthropic commitment to existing and trusted partners to deliver relief developed into a collaboration with The Chamber of Commerce of the Polish Hotel Industry via our real estate team to offer shelter and assistance to refugees. This has now led to a work and training programme including language and schooling support in the J.P. Morgan Warsaw office. By working with internal and external partners, Hang and her team were able to identify how they could best help those impacted by the war.

We encourage philanthropists to similarly explore all avenues for impact available to them; remaining flexible and responsive to need, and considering different tools for support as situations develop.

Philanthropic capital as risk capital

We spoke to David less than 36 hours after the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, in the middle of the IRC’s initial response. He spoke of the desperate need for blankets, tents and food as the freezing temperatures impacted the survivors and the rescue efforts. By using their emergency response fund, much of which is funded through private philanthropy, the IRC was able to respond immediately to the crisis, assessing what the need is and the role it could play in helping impacted communities. This current example highlights the important role philanthropy can play in providing quick and flexible assistance.

Looking to the future – consider the sustainability of interventions

Finally, David encourages philanthropists to look to the future, considering both conflict and climate as among the key drivers for future crises. Private philanthropy is an important part of the sector’s ability to be able to respond instantly to need and also plays a role in ensuring sustainable rather than episodic recovery.

When working in Poland, Hang and her team collaborated with partners with strong links in the community and ability to work collaboratively with key actors across sectors to ensure sustainable programme design that acknowledges the unique challenges that Ukrainian refugees face, taking lessons learnt from their previous responses. 

We are here to help

Time, a willingness to learn, combined with financial means, can lead to a powerful philanthropic contribution. Based on our experiences supporting clients’ philanthropic visions across the globe, we have seen that there can be nothing more satisfying than knowing that you have improved the lives of people or the health of the planet.

J.P. Morgan Private Bank is committed to helping you enhance your philanthropic impact by offering advice, thought leadership and learning opportunities across our global network. To learn more, we encourage you to contact your J.P. Morgan team.