How can years of experience be turned into meaningful support for other organisations? Foundation Ukraine is committed to sharing knowledge and developing a mentoring approach that will help refugee-led and diaspora organisations in Poland become more effective, resilient and self-reliant.
As part of a project implemented in cooperation with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, Foundation Ukraine draws on its experience in delivering social, integration, educational and advisory projects to share proven approaches and good practices with other organisations.
The project combines Foundation Ukraine’s institutional development with pilot mentoring support for two refugee-led or diaspora organisations. It will establish a practical mentoring model that can be used in future partnerships with organisations seeking support for their development.
Project Objectives
The main objective of the project is to establish a sustainable foundation for systematically sharing Foundation Ukraine’s knowledge and experience, while strengthening its capacity to deliver mentoring programmes.
The initiative also aims to build the capacity and independence of refugee-led and diaspora organisations by providing support tailored to their individual needs and organisational development goals.
Key Project Activities
Mapping Team Knowledge and Experience
The first stage of the project involves collecting resources, good practices and approaches developed by the Foundation Ukraine team. These cover areas such as organisational management, fundraising, project implementation, team development and partnership building.
Establishing an Internal Knowledge Base
An internal knowledge base will be developed using the collected materials. It will bring together procedures, document templates, training materials and tools used in mentoring.
This resource will improve knowledge management within the Foundation and make it easier to apply existing expertise in day-to-day operations and collaboration with other organisations.
Developing a Mentoring Methodology
The project will develop a mentoring methodology outlining each stage of cooperation with participating organisations – from needs assessment and goal setting to individual action planning, progress monitoring and evaluation of results.
A set of practical tools will also be developed to support the implementation of this process.
Piloting Mentoring with Two Organisations
The mentoring model will be tested in partnership with two refugee-led or diaspora organisations operating in Poland.
Each organisation will undergo a needs assessment, which will inform an individual mentoring plan based on jointly agreed development goals.
A total of approximately 30 hours of mentoring is planned – around 15 hours for each organisation.
Training Sessions and Webinars
Individual mentoring will be complemented by two training sessions or webinars, with topics selected based on the needs identified among participating organisations.
Pilot Evaluation
The final stage will involve evaluating the pilot, gathering feedback from participating organisations and mentors, and assessing the usefulness of the tools developed.
The findings will inform the final refinement of the mentoring model and the development of recommendations for its future use. The knowledge-mapping process will also help identify gaps and areas requiring updates, including missing materials, procedures or documents. These findings will guide further improvements to knowledge management within Foundation Ukraine.
Scope of Mentoring Support
Depending on the needs identified, mentoring may cover areas such as:
- strategic planning and organisational development,
- fundraising and securing financial resources,
- financial management and budgeting,
- project development and implementation,
- defining team roles and responsibilities,
- strengthening organisational structures and internal processes,
- building partnerships and collaborating with other stakeholders.
The project also incorporates a focus on the economic empowerment of refugees from Ukraine, including planning paid employment opportunities within organisations, developing projects that support economic participation, and strengthening cooperation with businesses and employers.
Expected Project Results
The project will deliver:
- a knowledge and experience map for Foundation Ukraine,
- an internal knowledge base,
- a mentoring methodology for refugee-led and diaspora organisations,
- a toolkit for needs assessment, cooperation planning and progress monitoring,
- recommendations for the further development of the mentoring model.
In addition, two training sessions or webinars will be delivered, and two organisations will receive tailored support to help them achieve their agreed development goals.
Depending on their needs, the outcomes of this cooperation may include a fundraising plan, budget, initial project proposal, a clear division of team responsibilities or a partnership development plan.
Project Impact
The project will strengthen Foundation Ukraine’s institutional capacity by improving knowledge management and developing expertise in mentoring and organisational support.
In the longer term, the mentoring model has the potential to strengthen the resilience and independence of refugee-led and diaspora organisations in Poland, enabling them to expand their activities, build partnerships and implement their own initiatives more effectively. This is a step towards stronger organisations that not only respond to the needs of their communities but also play an active role in shaping their future.
The project “Knowledge into Institution – Foundation Ukraine’s Path to Sustainable Mentoring” is implemented by Foundation Ukraine with financial support from UNHCR.
UNHCR financial support: PLN 44,400
