Communities: leadership is more important than resources

Rebuilding Ukraine is not possible without strong communities, and their strength begins with people who take responsibility and build trust in common decisions. It is the development of local leadership and management skills that creates the basis for resilience.

And this is exactly what potential partners see: investors, donors, and businesses choose to cooperate with those communities that demonstrate openness, transparency, and the ability to partner.

Why local initiative and self-governance are crucial for community resilience - and why it's not just about business support, but also about equal partnerships?

To remain competitive for investments, grants and support, communities must constantly improve their competence in management and leadership practices, demonstrating to potential partners realistic plans, transparency and capacity to act.

Stronger communities create a stronger economic and social environment in which businesses can grow. At the same time, more and more Ukrainian communities are demonstrating the ability to work with business on an equal footing - not as supplicants, but as proactive partners. They come with clear proposals, ready-made solutions, and a well-reasoned vision of action. This is what changes the logic of partnership: business does not just "help" but cooperates with those who know what they want and know how to achieve it.

The practical part of community education should dominate

For leadership in communities to really work, businesses need to build a clear system of training and support - this is exactly what the School of Community Leaders, created by the MHP-Community Foundation and Mariupol State University, has become.

Over 240 participants from more than 20 communities in five oblasts joined the program during the year. But the important thing here is not so much the number of participants as the fact that they were motivated people who already had an impact in their communities. As a result, seven teams from Kyiv, Cherkasy, Vinnytsia, and Sumy regions proposed projects that received support.

When designing such programs, a link between theory and practice should be formed immediately, and the practical part should even dominate. For example, at the School of Leaders, 60% of the program was devoted to project management and 40% to fundraising. After training, participants were given the opportunity to submit their ideas to a grant competition with a total budget of UAH 5 million. A prerequisite was at least 50% co-financing from other sources, such as the community budget, local businesses, and international partners. This teaches you to think strategically, build trust, and look for allies .