CUSUR is using 2016 to both integrate/consolidate and innovate; it plans to make its various sizable long term expansion plans operational as well as remain properly situational (able to respond to multi-level uncertainties still facing Ukraine). It is preparing to host several major conferences (including some intended to monitor the mentioned unpredictability). Further, it intends to update (and where necessary, revamp) its informational network (adding new capabilities that proved so necessary during the turbulence engulfing Ukraine in 2014-2015). Finally, it intends to harness the US-UA Working Group (20 UA Experts/20 US Experts) to several tasks at hand-running the annual “Report Card for Ukraine” event, organizing the “Occasional Papers Briefings” gatherings and providing the “next generation” players emerging from Ukraine”s ever dynamic political, social, economic and security landscape with the necessary tools to think strategically.
Clearly all the above takes a good deal of funding. In 2016, CUSUR will embrace a “donation drive” model that served it well in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, but finally intends to add an interesting financial flourish.
As previously, we intend to turn to our traditional corporate donors to ask for contributions. As in times past, the return general service that CUSUR will offer is ‘the very high visibility’ a firm or institution can attain in ‘the world of US-Ukrainian relations’ being touted as a contributor in one of three categories: “Principal CUSUR Corporate Patron” (at 25,000 dollars US) or “CUSUR Corporate Patron” (at 15,000 dollars US) or “Associate CUSUR Corporate Patron” (at 5,000 dollars US).
And we will again be actively pursuing individual donors. Here too we will retain three levels of contribution.
A contributor will be able to quality as a “Meczenat” (a highly regarded Ukrainian title for “philanthropist”) by donating 1,000 dollars US a year (in the future, the Center intends to refer to the Meczenats collectively as the “Mazepa Group”). A contributor can also become either ‘Friend of CUSUR” or an “Associate of CUSUR” by donating 500 dollars US or 250 dollars US respectively.
The return benefit that CUSUR intends to offer all its individual donors is the procurement of a “birds-eye seat” at all of forums that CUSUR plans to host; as further incentive, the Center plans to offer reserved invitations to CUSUR’s US-UA WG Yearly Summits for ‘Mazepa Group’ members, provide VIP UA Quest RT Lunches for the ‘Friends of CUSUR’ and request the presence of all ‘Associates of CUSUR” at its DC Briefings.
Individual donors may wish to donate online. To process the donation, please select from one of the following categories:
- I wish to become a CUSUR Meczenat (and contribute $1000 US)
- I wish to become a Friend of CUSUR (and contribute $500 US)
- I wish to become an Associate of CUSUR (and contribute $250 US)