Iryna Shevchuk: From employee to NGO leader

Iryna Shevchuk, a 21-year-old Ukrainian woman from the village of Tarasivka in Kyiv region, is a fundraiser and founder of the NGO Nachynnia. Thanks to her participation in the mentorship program of the Women For The Future initiative, she prepared for a full transition into managing and developing her own nonprofit organization.

For several years, Iryna has been balancing the development of her youth NGO Nachynnia, which promotes Ukrainian culture among young people, with her job as a fundraiser for another organization, Stop Sexting, which works to protect children from sexual abuse online. She wanted to determine whether she was ready to make a full career shift, leave her salaried job, and focus entirely on growing her own organization.

“My goal was to prepare for a complete transition to my own NGO — not just to continue the project as a side initiative, but to create a realistic foundation for developing the organization as my main professional focus.”

Iryna openly admits that the decision to make such a professional shift came with doubts. Everything was new: responsibility, tasks, team, finances.

“It’s a new field, and suddenly you have many new areas of responsibility, challenges, decisions... So much uncertainty. On the one hand, it’s very exciting, but on the other, it brings anxiety about how to manage it all. But maybe those fears are even a bit pleasant.”

Working with her mentor, Iryna gradually found answers to the questions that had been troubling her. Together, they created a strategic plan that included a financial model for the NGO as well as personal development for Iryna as a leader and manager.

“We worked on my mindset, external factors, and the financial part. And that helped me realize: the transition is possible and realistic if the tasks are clearly defined before the full switch.”

However, the true guiding light in choosing her professional path remained her passion for culture, something that had inspired Iryna from the very beginning. The mentorship program helped her gain confidence that her own NGO was a path worth fully committing to.

“This is an idea that has motivated me for a long time. The topic of Ukrainian culture and history is something I have always been and will always be willing to invest in. I would call it my passion.”

During the Women For The Future mentorship program, she not only made the final decision to fully commit to the development of her NGO but also began implementing ideas that previously felt too risky. Within the first few weeks of working with her mentor, she launched a new project, [Un]forgotten Ukrainians, under the umbrella of her organization.

“It’s scary, unclear — you want more certainty. But we have started, and now we’re actively implementing it. The main goal of the project is to tell stories about lesser-known figures who made a significant contribution to the development of the country. We’ve already held a panel discussion with the Kyiv City Youth Council, a lecture in Kyiv about Heorhiy Kistiakivskyi, and an awareness campaign about Mariia Zankovetska, Milena Rudnytska, and others. Partners are actively joining in to support communication and event organization.”

At the same time, Iryna does not advocate radical decisions. Her approach is thoughtful and rational. She believes in the power of gradual change and listening to one's own sense of readiness.

“If you want to create something of your own, you always have to work on it. I know from my own experience: I’m quite rational and calm, not the type to dive headfirst into something new. My advice is to think everything through logically and build a soft landing, such as financial savings, psychological resilience, and a solid strategy, so that you can create something of your own in a comfortable environment. Listen to yourself, and everything will work out.”

The greatest resource for Iryna in this transformation process has been the support of her team and the sense that her work is making a real impact.

“My environment and my team. People who see the results, who are inspired. Someone once told me: ‘I wasn’t into culture, but I accidentally came to one of your events and realized how exciting it is. Now I want to be involved.’ If even one person changes their worldview because of our work, then I’ll be ready to keep investing in it.”

This publication has been created as part of the Women For The Future initiative, which is implemented by Happy Monday (NGO "Professionals of the Future") within the UN Women project titled "Transformational Approaches to Achieving Gender Equality in Ukraine." This project is funded by the Government of Sweden and is in collaboration with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. Financial support for the initiative is also provided by the Government of France.