Ukraine Relief Fundraising
Our First Fundraiser: Stand With Ukraine
May 2022 was a meaningful time for Bridge to Music. After a long period of isolation and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic, life was gradually beginning to feel normal again. People were gathering in person, reconnecting with friends, and returning to activities they had missed.
For us, one of those moments was our founder Yuna’s senior recital.
Yuna introducing the fundraiser
The recital marked an important milestone in our musical journey and was also one of our first opportunities in a long time to perform for an audience in person. Until then, all of our concerts had been held digitally. About 60 friends and family members gathered to listen, celebrate, and support us!
At the same time, something very difficult was happening in the world.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had begun, and we were learning more about the devastating impact the war was having on the people of Ukraine. As the three co-founders of our small nonprofit, Bridge to Music, we began learning about the situation and looking for a meaningful way to help.
Our donation box
Because the senior recital was already bringing people together, we thought it could also become an opportunity to support people affected by the war in Ukraine. We did not announce the fundraiser beforehand. Most of our guests were simply coming to hear the recital and spend time with friends and family, and we did not want anyone to feel pressured to donate.
Instead, we prepared a small donation box.
The box included information about Ukraine relief and a QR code that allowed guests to learn more and donate directly to organizations supporting people in Ukraine. Those who preferred to give cash could place their donations directly into the box.
At the beginning of the recital, Yuna briefly introduced the cause and explained why we had decided to include this small fundraising effort. Then, we left the decision entirely up to each individual guest.
By the end of the recital, we had collected $295 in cash donations which was donated to St. Mary’s Protectress Ukrainian Church to support humanitarian relief efforts for Ukraine.
In addition to the $295 collected in cash, many guests also donated online through the QR codes to other related Ukraine relief organizations provided on our box.
We know that $295 may seem small compared with the enormous humanitarian needs created by the war. But we believe that every action, no matter how small, can add up to something meaningful.
This was Bridge to Music’s first fundraiser—and one of our earliest experiences of using music to bring people together not only to share music, but also to give back to a community in need.
