You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to start a community foundation. Sometimes, you need to get a flat tire.
In 1998, American Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur visited Ukraine to see her husband’s homeland. Somewhere near the village of Hrytsiv in the Khmelnytskyi region, her car got a flat tire.
“She must have asked hundreds of people for help, but no one could assist her. Then our village head, Nataliya Hnatyuk, asked in English: ‘How can I help you?’ The foreigner was stunned — in a Ukrainian village in 1998, some people spoke English,” recalls Maia Dzhurabaieva, co-founder of the Hrytsiv Revival Association.
The tire was fixed, and the group continued their conversation at the village council. The local English teacher was invitedto interpret, and Maia and Vasyl Dzhurabaiev — young and active locals who had returned to Hrytsiv after graduating from university — also joined in.
Over coffee, they learned that Marcy Kaptur worked in the U.S. Congress and supported agribusiness development in small communities in Ukraine.
“She said, ‘My God, you are such smart people! You really want to build something here. How can I help?’ And she suggested we reach out to ACDI/VOCA, which at the time focused mostly on agricultural development.”
After a study trip to Slovakia, the Hrytsiv Revival Association was officially founded on December 24, 1998.
Maia recalls that time:
“From the very beginning, we worked with international organizations. We cooperated with external donors, wrote development project proposals, implemented rural community development programs, and made things happen.”
In the 2000s, American Peace Corps volunteer Andrea Mason came to Hrytsiv. She helped the team write their first project proposal to the U.S. Embassy, which focused on cultural and international exchange programs.
In 2007, a group of six Ukrainians, including Vasyl Dzhurabaiev, went on a study tour to the U.S. There, Vasyl learned about community foundations and how they operate. Upon returning in 2008, the Hrytsiv Revival Association amended its statutes and began working according to the community foundation model.
“The community foundation format was the best way to explain what we were already doing,” says Maia. “At first, people came out of curiosity. Trust was evident from the outset when we conducted our first community needs survey — our Listening Project. We walked the streets, spoke with people, and consulted with local deputies. People were curious: What’s going to happen? Why are they asking us all these questions?
We asked 5–7 simple things: What do you like? What don’t you like? What would you like to change? Would you be ready to contribute? These were simple questions so as not to overwhelm or scare anyone — after all, seeing someone with a notebook and pen could make people suspicious.”
The community foundation in Hrytsiv continues to operate in this manner to this day. The team studied at ISAR’s Community Foundation School, later taught there themselves, and eventually became co-founders of Philanthropists.
What the community is most proud of is the “I Love You, My Hrytsiv!” festival, which has been bringing people together for many years.
Maia says she has never regretted founding the organization:
“If you want to do something, to change something, to be involved, you need to live in the community. You have to feel its pulse — the touch, the rhythm, the joys and sorrows, the satisfaction and frustrations. You have to experience it, be with people side by side. You need to be present and in the moment.
