Launched in March 2022, BlueCheck is a collective of humanitarian crisis response experts, entrepreneurs, and filmmakers dedicated to addressing the needs of conflict-affected populations and amplifying solidarity movements against oppression.

We spoke with Murphy Poindexter, BlueCheck's Executive Director, about the organization’s mission, challenges, and the impact of uniting diverse expertise to drive meaningful change.

Can you tell us about the history of BlueCheck Ukraine?

When the war started, I was volunteering and working for various Ukrainian initiatives in Washington, D.C. A colleague put me in touch with other like-minded people, including actor Liev Schreiber, and we came together to develop a vehicle for finding, vetting, and supporting local groups that were springing up in response to a range of immediate humanitarian needs. We believed – and still believe – that providing a direct infusion of cash at the local level would have great impact while giving donors the biggest bang for their charitable buck.

Can you explain the mission and primary goals of BlueCheck?

Our mission is to find, vet, and fund local aid groups that have the cultural competency and knowledge to deliver the necessities to people living on the frontlines. Once we identify the groups and our pro bono partners, Ropes & Gray and Integrity Risk International, then thoroughly vet the groups so we can assure donors that their money is going to reliable organizations. This vetting methodology allows us to achieve another primary goal: to minimize the administrative burden on the local groups so that they can focus on helping as many people as possible in very difficult circumstances.

How does your team’s diverse background influence your approach?

Each member of our team has a role to play that leverages their skills and assets. Jason Cone, the former executive director of Doctors Without Borders US, brought his contacts and knowledge to the table. Liev helps us reach new audiences and build awareness. And I use my relationships and background in start-ups (finance, technology, and fundraising) to build the organization and run the day-to-day operations.

What are some of the key situations that BlueCheck has responded to since its inception?

In June 2023, Russia destroyed the Kakhovka Dam, causing death, injury, and an environmental catastrophe that displaced nearly 10,000 people. BlueCheck immediately contacted its network of verified local aid organizations to gauge their response capacity and plans and reached out to corporate and individual donors, asking for help while using emergency funding reserves on hand to prepare grants for release. We received over $150,000 from corporate partners, including Uber and McDonalds. Individual donors gave more than $13,500. Within two weeks of the disaster, BlueCheck had put $100,000 in emergency grants directly into the hands of organizations providing humanitarian support to civilian men, women, and children impacted by this disaster.

More recently, BlueCheck’s relationship with Uber yielded another donation to support our frontline partners who are working throughout kharkiv and northeastern Ukraine following Russia’s recent bombing campaign, which is expected to displace an estimated 30,000 - 80,000 people.

How do you determine which crises to respond to and prioritize your efforts?

We now have 28 partners on the ground in Ukraine. We listen to their needs. One great example of this occurred in the wake of the destruction of the dam and many thousands of people lost access to clean drinking water. Our partner Rebuild Our Ukraine requested a grant to build a mobile water drinking water system in the frontline city of Mykolaiv. In June, they unveiled the system, which has the capacity to provide 30,000 people with clean drinking water. We are especially proud of this innovative solution, which demonstrates the power of listening and responding to the needs of people on the ground.

To date, we have distributed over $5M to our partners based on the needs they identify.

What are some of the biggest challenges BlueCheck faces? How do you solve them?

The BlueCheck model allows us to distribute funds very quickly, with minimal overhead that remains constant even as our funding scales. However, raising the funds remains challenging.

When Ukraine was front and center for the general public and the media was hungry for Liev to share the story of BlueCheck, the money flowed more freely. Today, the needs are still great, if not greater for Ukrainian communities, yet there are many issues that are demanding attention and the news cycle does not have room for the ongoing war.

Fortunately, we have donors who are still committed to Ukraine, and we are able to support our partners, but not at the level they need. In addition, we think that the model we have developed can be deployed into other crisis scenarios, so we are also seeking funding partners to seed operations and a potential expansion to other at-risk countries that also have an ecosystem of local response. We are looking for thought partners and supporters who believe in the power of local impact.

Are there any specific campaigns or initiatives that you would like to highlight for potential supporters?

We remain focused on Ukraine. Russia appears to be stepping up its offensive, which means our partners need all the support they can get. We are grateful for every donation and guarantee that 90% of every dollar goes to frontline groups that provide basic necessities, shelters, and a range of emotional, psychological, and social support to people. Please give: bluecheck.in/donate

In addition, the BlueCheck model has a proof of concept in Ukraine and stands to be an important innovation in the humanitarian space which consistently speaks to funding local organizations but is consistently hitting walls.

What opportunities exist for companies looking to partner with BlueCheck?

Corporate partnerships can take many forms, and fortunately BlueCheck is in a position to meet the needs of many of our corporate partners. We can support employee engagement, cause marketing campaigns, as well as corporate philanthropy goals through storytelling and clear impact measurement.

What role do donors and supporters play in your work?

They are absolutely essential. Without them we could not get anything done! Our model not only supports our partners on the ground, but also our donors–we want them to have the same confidence in our partners that we do, and we know they do thanks to our vetting system.

Can you share examples of successful collaborations with corporations or other organizations?

Some of our largest sources of donations were from collaborations with corporations and other non profits. Blizzard launched an in-game item for Ukraine that raised around $1.5 million, and a ballet of Ukrainian dancers in LA raised $500,000 from ticket sales.

How do you keep your donors and partners informed about the outcomes of their contributions?

We have a monthly newsletter in which we share stories about our donors and what they are achieving on the ground. In addition, we highlight our patterns on Instagram as much as we can. We also nurture relationships in real life, as much as we can-–we are always happy to speak with our supporters.

How do you measure the impact of BlueCheck’s initiatives?

Because we work directly with local organizations and are one step away from the beneficiaries, we measure outcomes via tangible support: how many people received food or medicine; how many homes were built; how much water was distributed, etc…. Our goal is to always look at the money that it takes to achieve an outcome and the time it takes us to deliver aid. The goal is to provide cost-effective, high quality support that is done in a timely manner.