On 23 April 2026, representatives of the Clean Futures Fund (CFF) met in Slavutych with Serhii Tarakanov, Director General of the Chornobyl NPP, to discuss the results of previous cooperation and future prospects.
“We are sincerely grateful to our partners for their unwavering support and trust. In the most difficult times, initiatives like these become a strong foundation for people. Together, we overcome challenges and shape a future in which responsibility and mutual support truly matter”, Serhii Tarakanov noted during the meeting.
The Clean Futures Fund is a U.S.-based non-profit humanitarian organization founded by Erik Kambarian and Lucas Hixson, who visited the Chornobyl NPP between 2009 and 2015 as part of the RAG-ER program for professionals, developed by Carl Willis and the Willis Scientific. In 2016, they established the CFF.
Initially, the Clean Futures Fund project was planned for three years and focused exclusively on the capture and sterilization of stray animals, which were numerous at the Chornobyl NPP site. It was expected that each summer, a team of five veterinarians, volunteers, and professional dog catchers would travel to the Exclusion Zone to carry out sterilization, maintain animal records, and monitor their condition after medical procedures.
Over time, the scope of cooperation expanded. Within a year, CFF set broader objectives, including developing a comprehensive program to address the issue of stray dogs not only at the Chornobyl NPP site, but also in towns of Chornobyl and Slavutych; providing grants for specialized medical care for children and adults in communities affected by the Chornobyl disaster; supporting Chornobyl NPP veterans by supplying medical equipment and consumables to the Slavutych City Hospital; and developing new partnership programs with the plant by raising awareness and engaging American and European organizations and universities to provide international support for communities affected by industrial accidents and long-term remedial activities.
Residents of Slavutych felt particular support after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces. Since 24 February 2022, the Clean Futures Fund provided over 16,300,000 UAH in targeted assistance to organizations, individuals, and animals throughout the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and the Slavutych region
“To ensure our support is as effective as possible, we have focused our efforts on the following key areas: Infrastructure & Capability Restoration: Supplying essential equipment and materials to rebuild and sustain critical local services disrupted by the war; Humanitarian & Tactical Aid: Delivering ongoing emergency assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs), as well as providing critical, high-quality medical supplies – including CAT 7 tourniquets and individual first aid kits (IFAKs) – to soldiers from Slavutych; Sustained Core Programs: Continuing our long-standing medical assistance grants for adults and children, alongside our internationally recognized “Dogs of Chornobyl” spay/neuter and vaccination program, which has now been expanded into Slavutych”, noted Erik Kambarian.
“It is an honor to support Ukraine. We will continue our assistance efforts for as we celebrate ten years of Clean Futures Fund in Ukraine, 2016 - 2026. During this time, we have provided over 26,600,000 UAH in support. We remain deeply committed to assisting the people and animals of this region”, said Erik Kambarian during the meeting.
During one of the recent visits, CFF delivered highly needed equipment for the Chornobyl NPP canteen. In addition, within the Exclusion Zone, CFF supports National Police, SAUEZM, SAUEZM Emergency Management Unit, SAUEZM Public Council, Energetik canteen and various other enterprises, Chornobyl Fire and Rescue Unit, Fallen Firefighters Fund, ChNPP workers union, SSE Chornobyl NPP, Institute for Safety Problems at Nuclear Power Plants.
In Slavutych, the main assistance recipients include Hospital “Human Clinic,” Health Clinic, Orphanage, Fire and Rescue Unit, Blagodar Rehabilitation Center.
Key programs include individually displaced persons emergency assistance program, soldier medical supplies and comfort supplies program, adult and child medical assistance grant program, Chornobyl Heroes Run, ChNPP – Slavutych Development Fund”. As part of its animal welfare initiatives, CFF has expanded its activities to Ivankiv, Chernihiv, and the Chernihiv district.
In addition, the Fund supported volunteer teams involved in mitigating the consequences of the Kakhovka dam destruction.