Lyubov Krokhmalna Lyubov is a Ukrainian fundraising strategist and Managing Partner at Pledge Peak — a consulting agency that helps NGOs, impact-driven businesses, and start-ups build sustainable funding models and develop long-term relationships with donors. Her work combines strategic fundraising expertise with strong storytelling craft and a deep understanding of both Ukrainian realities and international best practice.
Her career spans law, film, and impact — an unusual combination that shapes how she approaches fundraising. Lyubov began with a law degree and work at an international law firm, where she developed a strong understanding of how international and local collaborations are structured — what conditions to negotiate, where to place emphasis, and how to align a product before any agreement is signed. This legal foundation proved to be a lasting advantage: when she moved into grant fundraising, she was able to interpret policies fluently, identify risk points in contracts, and build the kind of rigorous compliance structures that long-term relationships with foundations require.
From there, Lyubov joined FILM.UA Group. She raised funds from international foundations for social content, created pitch decks, and presented projects to international audiences in search of partners, investors, and donors. Over eight years, she was involved in more than 50 film and television projects — across 38 international markets and industry forums. Working within a major content studio gave her something most fundraisers lack: a deep, practical understanding of how stories are built. Not just how to tell them, but where to begin, how to sustain an audience’s engagement, and how to land the ending. She learned the craft from the inside — from production planning and shoot logistics to the full arc from development to delivery.
When the full-scale war began, Lyubov realised that everything she had built over more than eight years needed to be redirected to where it was needed most. This is how she moved into fundraising consulting — and how Pledge Peak came to be.