Patreon said it had suspended the fundraising campaign to collect donations to Ukrainian soldiers. It was distributing body armor, medical kits, and helmets. Patreon is a start-up whose website allows people to give money to individuals and groups.
A charitable foundation, Come Back Alive, was established in 2014 and is based in Kyiv. Its director, Taras Chmut, told CNBC in an interview that the organization last received money from its Patreon page in August.
Chmut said it was getting small amounts for several months. Then Russia invaded Ukraine on Wednesday. After that, more than $300,000 rolled in, including many contributions of less than $1,000. On Thursday, people attempting to visit the page saw the message that the page no longer existed.
Chmut mentioned that’s what he saw when he attempted to access account details and see about transferring money to pay for equipment. He said that the company emailed Patreon and said it was looking into the case. Patreon told CNBC that using the site to support military equipment was banned.
Overview of Patreon and its decision
In an email, a company spokesperson told CNBC that it does not allow any campaigns involved in brutality or purchasing of military equipment, regardless of their cause.
The company also said they are investigating representations on their donation page for using funds. Patreon suspended the campaign in question while they were still investigating the case. If a page is no longer available, their policy is to send the creator refund of all pledges.
After this post, Patreon announced that they would refund the money to everyone who contributed. On Thursday, Ukraine announced a mobilization action to extend the country’s military forces. Chmut said that they have people dying as they don’t have body armor. He added that he previously had served in the country’s armed forces.
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