Shields: “We Teach Businesses That It’s Cool and Important to Talk About Good Deeds”

Shields: “We Teach Businesses That It’s Cool and Important to Talk About Good Deeds”

The history of the Shields Foundation began with volunteering at the onset of the full-scale invasion and has grown into the establishment of an official charitable foundation that has been operating for a year and a half.

The foundation’s interaction with businesses is based on mutual support and a perfect match. Their superpower lies in cooperation founded on trust and an analytical approach to understanding the needs of the army.

How the team manages to create such a great community, the role and participation of businesses in this, and how the foundation has managed to establish effective operations during the war, were discussed with Tanya Kameneva, founder and director of the foundation.

How did you decide that you needed a foundation? What was the turning point when it became clear that you couldn’t continue as volunteers?

For almost a year, we worked as volunteers without a fund. After a year, it became clear that the work was growing more systematic, and we had a team and a growing number of military units to support. It had turned into more than just disaster relief, and we decided to register the foundation.

We realized that this was the main area where we were developing expertise. Charity and volunteering are two different paths, and we’ve been promoting this idea even before the war.

Charity means work, a team, and salaries. For all of us, it is our main job, not just a leisure activity we enjoy. This is what occupies most of my day and the work of everyone who works with me.

How did you realize what you were going to do? How did you find your specialization?

We tried to be as effective as possible. We realized that we didn’t want to help with small, individualized items that everyone could provide for a soldier on their own, like a bag or a sleeping bag. We realized that the bigger the purchase, the more people it would cover, the higher the priority for us.

We decided it was important to help effectively and study the needs of the army as a whole, not just the individual soldier. We chose to buy things that could help many people at once or those that were impossible to buy individually for each soldier.

We don’t duplicate the functions of the state—we act as its assistants in supporting the army. We don’t aim to generate profit for businesses—we focus on spending it efficiently.

How do you study the army’s needs and where can you be of use?

We communicate directly with brigade commanders as well as with ordinary soldiers in the units. We update the needs depending on the frontlines. These requests usually come in waves. Sometimes we need electronic warfare (EW) devices during certain developments, sometimes we need FPVs (flying drones).

War is very dynamic. This fluctuation is related to the dynamics of changes at the front. New frequencies appear, the enemy develops new technology, so we either have to counteract it or do something similar. It’s a constant process of innovation.

We study surrounding companies—who is positioned next to whom, how they are interconnected. If we’re providing electronic warfare equipment somewhere, for example, the coordination level must be aware. If we’re transmitting EW at certain frequencies, FPVs should not be operating nearby.

We communicate regularly with military personnel at both command and rank-and-file levels to understand the situation from all sides.

What about your revenue or fee structure? How much is the share of business here? Do you have any regular donors?

We have businesses that finance our salaries. There’s also a large number of small and medium-sized businesses that contribute and carry out situational activations. They do something small but important—some organize their own fundraisers, some donate their profits for the day, some contribute in collaboration with us (for example, T-shirts).

Most of the time, we process the request for trust. People come to us and say: “We want to do something. Can you implement it in a cool and effective way?” And we make it happen.

This is quite simple communication, often based on personal acquaintances and trust in the people working at the foundation—not necessarily me, but my team. It’s a form of networking.

What’s the basis of your cooperation with businesses? How do you achieve this goal?

We noticed that we are great at building communities. We’re “loved.” My team jokes that we are a third-wave foundation: we are all young, all from marketing.

There’s a certain portrait of us as a team, and similarly, portraits of the people who help us. These are mostly small businesses.

Now we plan to attract donations from larger businesses. We’ve never done this before because we didn’t have the resources. But now we’ve hired someone to handle this and want to move in this direction.

Do businesses that help you get anything in return?

No one ever asks for anything. The businesses’ position is that they don’t need anything in return—they help because they want to help.

However, it’s important for us to thank them publicly. We definitely express our gratitude. We like to record thanks from the military for businesses. We also make sure to report back: we tell them how the money was spent and send receipts, if possible.

We teach businesses that it’s cool and important to talk about good deeds. It inspires and gives strength. And this gratitude is really necessary.

Who comes to you from businesses? Who usually handles CSR?

It’s usually the marketing director or the owner.

We once thought it might be HR people, but no. In our experience, we also interacted with CSR managers who approach foundations because it’s their job and responsibility. That’s a separate person.

What will you do if Ukraine wins? Imagine you come to the office and make yourself a cup of coffee.

For a long time, I thought that when Ukraine wins, I would close the foundation. But over the past year, that thought has faded because we’ve already expanded into other areas. Of course, we’ll adapt and find ways to remain useful. We have a large network of people who trust us, people who come to us for help. We’ll look at pressing issues: reintegration of veterans, prosthetics… I think we will find something to do even after the war.

What are the biggest challenges for you now?

Money. We always want to do more, and we have a plan to move forward.

But it’s not just money. Maintaining the team’s morale is also crucial. Blackouts, the ongoing war, and stress—these all take a toll on people.

A common challenge in the nonprofit sector is burnout, especially when there’s a lack of appreciation or quick results. People often don’t see the impact of their work immediately, and that can be demotivating.

Fortunately, we have no turnover within our team. Everyone regularly sees the tangible results of their efforts—this is the core of our work. For more complex, institutional projects—like changes in the military, education, or recruitment—the process is naturally slower. But with procurement projects, the cycle is much quicker: “We buy, we deliver, and we receive gratitude.”

The biggest issue we face right now is the team’s overall exhaustion. People are dealing with the stress of war while managing everyday life challenges. To support them, we often give extra days off, encourage rest, and reschedule meetings after shelling or stressful events. It’s vital that our team gets the rest they need because that’s what enables them to work more effectively in the long run.