As a not-for-profit, educational and charitable institution, the UCCA has sought to preserve and disseminate the rich intellectual and cultural heritage of Ukrainian-Americans. Simultaneously, the UCCA has served as a conduit through which Ukrainian Americans have provided humanitarian aid and assistance to residents of Ukraine and Ukrainians throughout the former Soviet Union. To date, several million dollars of assistance have been distributed via the UCCA's special projects and councils to Ukrainians in Ukraine and in the countries of the former Soviet Union.