“Who, if not us?” Explaining the success of the biggest crisis-response fundraising campaigns in Ukraine

This article investigates phenomena associated with the success of volunteer-led crisis-responsive fundraising campaigns in Ukraine during the ongoing Russian war. Applying the theory of collective action as an analytical lens, the study explores how such initiatives mobilise resources, keep effective engagement, and achieve outcomes in high-risk environments. Based on 18 expert interviews with organisers, promoters, and donors of major fundraising campaigns, targeting volunteer-led and government-led ones, the research identifies three key phenomena associated with success: motivation, effectiveness, and outcomes. Motivation, shaped by the wartime context, stems from a collective sense of urgency of action for protection freedom and national identity, as well as emotional engagement, revealing context-specific drivers, such as shared perceptions of injustice, which extend beyond traditional fundraising motives and drive widespread participation. Effectiveness is ensured through decentralised coordination, trust-based networks, and digital fundraising tools that enable rapid large-scale resource mobilisation. The outcomes extend beyond immediate financial results, fostering social cohesion, civic engagement, and a culture of supportive democratic participation. The findings contribute to scholarship on collective action and crisis management by demonstrating how influencers and communities self-organise for strategic and sustainable fundraising in times of war, challenging conventional top-down crisis response approaches and resource redistribution.