The Youth Initiatives Bank (YIB) has been operating for several months now at the Zhytomyr Community Foundation – a platform that unites active youth around ideas of city development, volunteering, and civic participation.

The Coordinator of the Youth Initiatives Bank in Zhytomyr is Yuliia Kharchyshyna – a young leader who is convinced that support is not the role of one person, it is the business of the entire youth team.

“YIB is an environment for those who want to not just dream, but to act. It’s about shared responsibility, the power of ideas that are implemented together,” says Yuliia.

YIB: The Team Working for Community Development

The organization focuses on supporting youth, promoting volunteering, developing civil society, and non-formal education. YIB creates a space where everyone has a chance to implement their initiative, try their hand at project management, develop leadership skills, and be involved in local decision-making.

The structure of the Youth Initiatives Bank in Zhytomyr operates in four key areas:

• SMM & Communications – Tsymer Anastasiia, Iniushkina Olha

• Fundraising – Rybchynska Dasha, Radion Sofiia

• Event Organization – Karpushenko Mariia, Franchuk Viktoriia, Kondratiuk Aliona, Bashynska Viktoriia, Prokopenko Sofiia

• Project Management – Ohiichuk Nadia, Petruk Vadym

• Each area has its own tasks, but all work smoothly, supporting each other and working towards a common goal – changes in the city that young people can feel.

Three Months of Action: What Has Been Achieved?

“These three months have been productive and eventful. We organized various events, including Speaking Clubs, open-air yoga, art therapy sessions, and other formats that helped engage youth and raise funds to support initiatives,” says Yuliia.

Every event aimed not only at youth development but also at resource mobilization. During this time, the team was actively engaged in fundraising, which made it possible to support three youth initiatives:

• “The Art of the Sword” – a project aimed at developing fencing among youth

• “Zhytomyr Quest” – a city quest that introduces participants to the history and mysteries of their hometown

• “The Green Room” – a space for relaxation, inspiration, and creativity

YIB After the Grant Competition Ends: What’s Next?

“The competition is over, but our work is not. We continue to plan, invent new formats, improve our skills, and develop the team,” says the coordinator.

Recently, YIB participants completed the “Fundraising School” – a two-day intensive where they learned to attract resources, worked in teams on practical cases, and presented their ideas for fundraising campaigns.

“Such trainings are not just about knowledge. They are also about faith that we can truly change something. When you have a team – everything is possible,” adds Yuliia Kharchyshyna.

YIB Zhytomyr is about youth creating change. It’s about leadership, cooperation, and real actions. And it is definitely not about waiting. It’s about acting. Together.

If you want to join the team – follow our news and open calls. Because you might be the next person to change the community for the better.