War changes not only the situation on the frontline but also the way work is organized in the rear. Today, what matters is not only the support provided by charitable organizations, but also how transparently and clearly that support is managed.

That is why, in 2025, the “Come Back Alive” Foundation underwent an audit in accordance with the international standard ISO 9001:2015, Quality Management Systems. The CBA Initiatives Center, which has been working alongside the Foundation since 2018 to strengthen Ukraine’s resilience, was also certified.

ISO 9001 certification is confirmation by an independent accredited body that an organization’s quality management system complies with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2015 international standard.

For the “Come Back Alive” Foundation, this certification means that all stages of its work — from fundraising to the delivery of assistance — are transparent, documented, and controlled. Moreover, the research conducted by the CBA Initiatives Center’s analytical team (along with the processes related to it) became the first in Ukraine to receive such certification.

There are more than 25,000 ISO standards worldwide. The Foundation received certification under ISO 9001, which focuses on the effectiveness of quality management systems. The standard requires key processes to be defined, measured, analyzed, and continuously improved. In manufacturing, this ensures stable product quality; in the charitable sector, it ensures the effective use of every donation and every team resource.

Certification can be obtained formally — by hiring a company to compile the necessary documentation and structure internal processes. However, the “Come Back Alive” Foundation team chose a different path and prepared for the audit independently. The audit was conducted by Bureau Veritas, a leading international certification body. Developing and implementing the quality management system took more than six months. During the audit, all key processes were reviewed: document management, donation administration, procurement and delivery of aid, and the management decision-making system.

“For us, this was not about ticking a box or obtaining a certificate for its own sake. We wanted to honestly answer the question of whether we can explain every process, every decision, and every step in a way that is clear to an external auditor, a donor, and society at large. Certification became a way to bring even more order into the system and to make sure it truly works — not just on paper,” explains Yurii Prysyazhniuk, Head of the Certification Preparation Project.

ISO 9001 certification does not mean that processes are “perfect,” but it does confirm that the quality management system is effective and designed for continuous improvement. From now on, the “Come Back Alive” Foundation and the public organization will undergo annual surveillance audits, with full recertification taking place every three years.

This approach encourages regular performance analysis, identification of weak points, and ongoing process improvement — even under the challenging conditions of the war in which Russia attacked Ukraine.

For donors, partners, and society, ISO 9001 certification is a signal that the “Come Back Alive” Foundation and the CBA Initiatives Center operate according to verifiable rules. It is a foundation of trust, without which long-term support for the country during wartime is impossible.