Frequently Asked Questions
All information about our fund’s work focus, how to donate, and who we support in one place.
General
Who do I help by donating?
Dzyga’s Paw provides Ukrainian Defenders with high-tech equipment. We only offer assistance to people we know and vet. As a result, we can guarantee that no supplies are lost in the chain of middlemen. We ensure that the requests make sense, only then do we put forth our best efforts to fulfill those requests that have been 100% validated.
You can find a list of all the Heroes we support here.
Who is the fund run by?
Dzyga’s Paw was started by a former IT specialist, Dimko Zhluktenko. On February 24, 2022, Dimko quit his job in IT and dedicated himself solely to volunteering to support his friends in Ukraine’s Armed Forces. In the beginning, he bought various high-tech equipment for military needs using his savings. After sharing these efforts on his Twitter page, people immediately started donating to his work after seeing that it was an honest and genuine initiative that had a real impact.
Now, Dzyga’s Paw has a team of both volunteers and staff members, who share our philosophy and dedicate their time to helping Ukraine win the war.
All jokes aside, the foundation’s actual leader is Dzyga dog, who has rallied an entire team behind her paw!
What is the verified way to reach you?
To get in touch with us, send an email to hello@dzygaspaw.com.
Payment
How can you accept my donation?
We offer a user-friendly website donation system that allows you to select your currency, amount, and donation frequency! We accept donations through Visa and Mastercard, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Alternatively, we offer such donation methods as direct bank transfer via SWIFT, international money transfer systems (PayPal), and cryptocurrency. For larger amounts, we recommend opting for a Bank Transfer.
We are also listed on Benevity, so be sure to double your donation with employer-matched funds in case your employer uses it for corporate matching!
Our team is open to helping you with other ways of accepting donations at hello@dzygaspaw.com.
What do I do if I had an issue with my payment?
If you have problems transferring your donation, we can help you resolve it!
Please provide us with details of the issue at hello@dzygaspaw.com so that we may assist you!
How can I find out whether my donation was successful?
You will receive a confirmation email if you indicate your email address while donating.
Furthermore, you can find your donation on our Transparency page in the Recent Donation chart by the end of the day you donated.
There are numerous ways to donate available on the Support page.
Are there any other organizations that support military, civil people or animals in Ukraine?
We recommend the foundations Come Back Alive, Serhiy Prytula’s Charity Foundation, and UAnimals. You can find more detailed information about these foundations on their official pages.
How much of the donated money goes to the real cause?
During 2023, on average, 91% of the monthly donated funds went directly to support military and humanitarian needs, and 9% was utilized to cover overhead expenses.
Transparency is crucial for Dzyga’s Paw as it builds trust and credibility with our donors. Check our financial reports on the Transparency page.
What countries do you receive donations from?
We receive donations from more than 60 countries around the world, including the USA, the UK, Germany, Sweden, Canada, Norway, Estonia, Finland, Switzerland, and more!
How do I cancel my payment subscription?
After subscribing to Dzyga’s Paw, you will receive an email with your account details. To cancel your subscription, sign in to your account on the Dzyga’s Paw website. You may also cancel your subscription by contacting us directly at hello@dzygaspaw.com.
What can I do if my card payment is declined?
We are sorry that the payment was not successfully processed. Unfortunately, banks consider Ukraine a high-risk country, and based on our statistics, only 75% of payments are successful. This issue is not related to the country itself but varies depending on individual banks.
There is not much we can do on our side. We recommend using a card from a different bank or direct bank transfer via SWIFT. You can also try other payment methods available on our Support page→ Alternative donation options.
Why was my donation charged in UAH?
Due to war, the only legal way for our organization to charge donations in Ukraine is in UAH. This way, the government ensures the stability of our national currency.
Why are you collecting so much personal info? How do I make an anonymous donation?
As we are moving towards using only official charity fund accounts, we have launched our website payment system. Banks often require your legal name and ZIP code to process the payment, especially in the US and Canada. Otherwise, the system will mark the payment and user as “fraud.”
However, we as an organization do not require this information. You are free to use any name or ZIP code of your choice as long as the payment successfully goes through. In other cases, we keep other available payment methods listed on our Support page → Alternative donation options.
Which currency should I choose for the lowest conversion rate?
For the lowest conversion fees for online payments, we recommend selecting UAH (Ukrainian Hryvnia) as your currency of choice. This minimizes the need for additional currency conversion, as many banks can process UAH directly for online payments.
What is your legal status?
We are a registered in Ukraine CHARITY ORGANIZATION ‘CHARITY FOUNDATION DZYGA’S PAW’ (БЛАГОДІЙНА ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯ «БЛАГОДІЙНИЙ ФОНД «ЛАПКА ДЗИҐИ»). Here’s the details:
- Legal entity ID: 44831336
- ID in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities: 1006021020000004166
- Founder and leader: Dmytro Zhluktenko
- Classification of Economic Activities: 88.99 (Providing other social support)
Do you have a 503(c)(1) plan or similar registration as a charitable foundation in the United States or any other country?
No, at this time, establishing a 501(c)(3) or similar registration as a charitable foundation in the United States or any other country would require significant operational overhead, involving lawyers, accountants, and other experts to ensure proper compliance and execution.
While we are officially recognized as a non-profit charity in Ukraine, please note that we are not tax-deductible in the United States or any other country outside of Ukraine. Our charitable activities and tax status are specific to our registration within Ukraine.
Suppliance
Can you get any equipment for X person/unit?
Unfortunately, our resources are limited, and we cannot help everyone. We are focusing on providing adequate support to people we know.
Here you can find personal stories of our Heroes and ways to support them directly.
Can you share any tips for buying equipment?
Even though we would love to assist every volunteer, our main focus remains on supporting our Heroes. Therefore, it takes time to respond to every such request.
Still, we would be happy to be of use to you, so please send your request to hello@dzygaspaw.com.
I have skills/experience/contacts/items that could be useful. How can we cooperate?
Brilliant!
Let us know how you can help at hello@dzygaspaw.com, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
What equipment/food is most in demand?
We feel that technology provides us with a tactical advantage over Russian forces. It includes air recon drones, StarLinks, long-range encrypted radios, radio repeaters, advanced night vision, thermal cameras, and so on. Ukrainian defenders ask for it all the time, and we often see how that equipment is making a real difference on the battlefield.
Also, as we speak with the military units on a daily basis, we know that consumables such as sweets, cigarettes, trekking socks, tactical gloves, and batteries are always in high demand.
In order to make it more convenient for you, we have arranged a wishlist with the most demanded items approved and specified by the military. Additionally, you can check out our Amazon wishlist!
I have equipment/food I want to donate. How can I send it to you?
We are willing to accept all sorts of help, so please email us at hello@dzygaspaw.com, and we will make sure your package reaches Ukraine.
Can I buy something that is not on your Amazon wishlist?
Surely! We have Amazon in Germany and France. Check the address you specified.
How secure is Amazon?
Amazon is as secure as any other well-known e-commerce website. It protects your personal and financial information and handles it securely. All parcels delivered to the specified address in France or Germany reach us.
What address can I send parcels to?
We have two Amazon addresses where you can send parcels – in France, and the other is in Germany.
France:
Chez Serhii ONYSHCHENKO
13 Rue de l’Abondance, Lyon / 69003.
Germany:
Viktoriya Feshak
Seestraße 39, Berlin 13353
Projects
Can I pay for a monthly Starlink subscription for defenders you help?
With our donors’ help, we could purchase over 170 Starlinks for the Ukrainian army, including 100 Starlinks from the namesake project! We are still paying for some of the subscriptions, and your assistance is greatly appreciated.
We will transfer your donation to the Starlink subscription if you indicate “Starlink” in the transaction message.
Can I buy a Starlink for defenders you help?
Certainly!
You can buy Starlink on your own in the EU and send it to us along with the account. For support on this matter, contact hello@dzygaspaw.com.
Alternatively, you can donate to us and specify “Starlink” in the transaction message.
How can I make a custom video with an artillery unit I've supported
You can send your greeting or any other message to Russians on the round fired from howitzers our units operate! Here is how it is done:
1. You send a screenshot of your $300+ donation to our foundation at hello@dzygaspaw.com, along with the text you want on the shell.
2. We will send you a video of your shell going straight to the Russians in a few days.
Also, our boys can say anything you want before or after the launch.
Here, you can find some of our videos.
Can I get a war trophy for the donation?
It largely depends on what you specifically want to receive and the customs restrictions on it. Send your request to hello@dzygaspow.com so we can try our best to fulfill it.
I want to raise money and donate it to you. Can you help?
We will be more than happy to help!
Whether you’re celebrating a milestone birthday or a special occasion or want to do something meaningful for Ukraine, you can definitely start your own fundraiser for Dzyga’s Paw. Just email us at hello@dzygaspaw.com, and we will answer any questions!
Here you can learn about our friend fundraising for our cause in the past.
I am a business owner. How can I help you?
You can join us in creating more impact! Whether you are considering a one-time donation, an ongoing partnership, informational support, or have an innovative idea for collaboration, we encourage you to reach out to us.
We have designed special promo materials, which include posters, table/bar stickers, and table tent info cards. Find the preview of the promo materials here.
To receive an exclusive promo package, please e-mail us at hello@dzygaspaw.com with the subject line “Want to receive promotional materials.”
Also, we are open to your ideas on partnership! Contact us via hello@dzygaspaw.com to create something great together!