Russians Give to NGOs Helping Military Because They Feel Government has Failed to Do Its Job, Expert Says New Poll Shows

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Aug. 29 – This year, far fewer Russians have given to charitable organizations than they did in the past, with a single exception – NGOs which are in the business of helping Russians in the military. The reason? Irina Krasnopolskaya of the Higher School of Economics says a new poll shows Russians feel they have to give to make up for government failures.

            According to a poll conducted by Tiburon Research for the Help is Needed Foundation,  Russians now give to military-focused NGOs only somewhat less than they give to those which help animals and the ill (tochno.st/materials/v-2023-godu-rossiyane-stali-gorazdo-rezhe-uchastvovat-v-blagotvoritelnosti-za-isklyucheniem-pomoshchi-voennym-lyudi-ne-doveryayut-fondam-inoagentam-i-nazyvayut-prigozhina-sredi-izvestnykh-blagotvoriteley).

            The overall decline is the result, those surveyed say, not of the fact that they have less money to give but rather than they are less willing to trust NGOs who have been labelled foreign agents or undesirable organizations, something that has happened to many Russian ones increasingly.

            The poll found that almost half of all respondents – 43 percent – “do not understand how charitable organizations are distinguished from government ones” and “mor than half cannot name a single individual from the charitable sector whom they trust.” Instead, they give names like Putin and Prigozhin because these are names known to them.