Come Back Alive

Come Back Alive was founded in 2014 by Vitaliy Deynega, an IT specialist from Kyiv. Similar to other volunteers helping Ukrainian forces, he began buying bulletproof vests to aid soldiers.[8] Deynega wrote an inscription on each vest, which subsequently became the name of his Facebook group and charitable foundation.[9][10]

According to Deynega, his first batch arrived to the battlefront on 14 May 2014.[8] Shortly after, he concluded that there was a greater need for thermographic cameras and night vision devices than bulletproof vests, therefore the organization has provided primarily night vision optics since.[8][9] Initially it concentrated its efforts on the 80th and the 95th airmobile brigades,[11] but later began to work with a number of other units posted on the front lines.[12][13]

In the beginning the group consisted of only three members.[13] By October 2015 their number grew to 16,[12] and to 45 by June 2016.[14] The members are not only from Kyiv, but also Lviv, Dnipro, and Vinnytsia.[14] In the foundation's first month and a half it collected almost 1.5 million hryvnias[15] (about 100,000 USD), in its first six months ‒ 12.6 million,[16] in the first year ‒ 50 million,[8] and after 1.5 years ‒ 70 million.[17] By 11 February 2022 the organization had reported 200 million hryvnia (more than US$7 million).[18][19] This amount has accumulated from charitable donations, the average size of which is 500-700 hryvnias (20-30 USD).[20][12][21]

In 2018 the Foundation added media, a veterans' organization, and a think tank to the list of its activities. Its analytical reports are officially ordered by the Ministry of Defence and its associates. The Fund has been a co-organizer of the Invictus Games in Ukraine since 2019.[7]

In May 2020 Oksana Koliada, former Minister of Temporarily Occupied Territories and IDPs, became head of the foundation.[22] Since November 2020 head of the foundation has been former naval infantryman and civil volunteer Taras Chmut.[23]

In 2022, days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the foundation received more donations than the previous years combined.[24]

In the day of Russian invasion, February 24, 2022, Come Back Alive's Patreon page was removed due to a violation of Patreon's policy of not permitting funds to be used for funding "weapons or military activity."[25][26] The same day, in the first few hours after invasion, the foundation raised around $400,000 in bitcoin.[3]

Binoculars from Come Back Alive and Veterans of power engineering of Kyiv. Marking "Not for sale" is seen.

The organization has declared its guiding principles to be political neutrality, open reporting about incomes and expenses, and distribution of aid to those with the greatest need.[17][27] It primarily helps military units that are engaged in the most intensive warfare.[28][12] According to the group's report from October 2015, it had sent aid to 66 units.[12] The equipment donated becomes property of the unit, and military officials provide the organization with corresponding documents.[21][11][29][13][30] Costly equipment is marked with the inscription "Come Back Alive" and "Not for sale" in Ukrainian and English.[10][31] Since November 2014 the group has also marked every device with an ordinal number for more effective theft prevention and greater transparency.[32] Between 2015 and 2016, the organization monitored the presence of supplied goods in the military units it served.[30][21]

The foundation collects donations through various systems of non-cash payments and organizes additional fundraising events, such as:

• In July 2014 in Lviv a special art project took place for collecting money for the needs of the 80th and the 95th airmobile brigades.[33][34]
• In 2014 and 2015, the group published large-sized calendars with portraits of soldiers who took part in the battles of Donetsk Airport. The donations were directed for the repair of their vehicles, and for thermographic cameras for their reinforcements.[35][36][37][13]
• In January 2015, the foundation started to collaborate with the State Savings Bank of Ukraine, which provided it with technical support for collecting donations (in particular, through its system of non-cash transactions and payment terminals).[38]
• In March 2015, Come Back Alive and several other volunteer organizations started the sale of T-shirts and shawls for raise money for equipment for soldiers.[39]
• In April 2015, the foundation and Ukrposhta started the sale of special postcards for the soldiers. The proceeds were used for buying an ambulance for the army.[40][41][42][43][44]
• In February 2016, Come Back Alive invited all willing participants to exchange SMS correspondence with front line soldiers to boost morale. The samples are planned to be included in a new book, and the proceeds will be directed to help the army.[45][46]

The organization receives donations not only from Ukraine, but also from other countries. In particular, several thermal imaging devices were bought with the help of the Ukrainian diaspora in San Francisco.[47][48] The list of donations and purchases is published[49] online. Maintenance of the organization itself is not financed from the main fund of donations, but from a targeted sponsor's help.[4][13][27]

• An assessment of results of Ukrainian charitable projects published by Ukrainian Philanthropists Association in 2014,[50] 2015,[51] 2017,[52] 2018,[53] and 2019[54] qualifies Come Back Alive as one of the most effective and transparent Ukrainian charitable and volunteer initiatives.

• On February 24, 2022, Come Back Alive's Patreon page was removed due to a violation of Patreon's policy.[25] Yahoo reported on Patreon's rationale for their decision as well as the status of the charity's funds on the platform:

"'We don’t allow Patreon to be used for funding weapons or military activity. It is a violation of our policies, and so we have removed the page,'... adding that all remaining funds in the charity's account will be refunded to contributors."[26]

• The founder of the group Vitaliy Deynega was awarded the Order of Merit of 3rd grade (edict of the president of Ukraine from 23 August 2014)[55][56] and the Cross of Ivan Mazepa (edict of the president of Ukraine from 5 December 2019).[57]
• 15 January 2016, the foundation was awarded with non-state order "People's Hero of Ukraine", which is given by a commission of known servicemen and civil volunteers.[58][59]
• 13 May 2016, the Minister of Defence of Ukraine Stepan Poltorak awarded members of the organization Daria Bura, Vitaliy Deynega, Alina Zhuk, Artem Parkhomenko, Tetiana Romakh, Victoria Stokratiuk and Irina Turchak with medals "For Assistance to the Armed Forces of Ukraine".[60]
• Awards of various military units (including 3rd Separate Regiment of Special Forces etc.).[61]

• Civil volunteer movement helping Ukrainian forces in the war in Donbass

• Website of the foundation