The Open Society Foundations have announced a $25 million pledge to launch of the Ukraine Democracy Fund.

Over the duration of the crisis in Ukraine and its inevitable aftermath, OSF aims to raise a total of $100 million from private foundations, philanthropists, and the private sector. The fund will provide support for Ukrainian civil society groups; advance international efforts to defend Ukraine’s freedom and independence, including by providing resources for investigative journalists, artists, scholars, and research and advocacy groups; and fund humanitarian aid, including help for those beyond the reach of other relief programs, as well as efforts to bolster public health work, protect and welcome refugees, and assist with post-conflict reconstruction.

“We have one simple message: we will never abandon Ukraine,” said OSF deputy chair Alex Soros. “As Putin tries to wipe the country off the map, we will do all we can for the people of Ukraine. We urge others to step forward and join us.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/K.R. Blokhin)