Until Feb. 1, 2023, we were Group Health Foundation. This post was written under our former identity. To learn more about our new name, read our announcement HERE.
Andrey with his brother, Vlad, at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park.
Andrey Muzychenko (he/him/his) joins Group Health Foundation as a program officer with the grantmaking team and comes with more than 10 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations like United Way.
Born in Kropyvnytskyi, a city in central Ukraine on the Inhul river, Andrey spent several years in Argentina before his family relocated to Spokane. Being part of many different communities was formative to shaping his worldview and drives his passion for working in the nonprofit sector.
“When my family came to United States, we got to benefit from the nonprofits serving my community,” Andrey recalls. “I saw that it set us up for a trajectory of success.”
From access to employment and rental assistance to information about local food banks and adult English learning courses, the support of local nonprofits had a positive impact in his family’s experience transitioning to their new home. He says what was most helpful was getting connected to navigators and case workers who spoke their home languages of Ukrainian and Russian.
“When my family arrived in Spokane in April 2000, there weren’t any [resources like] Google Maps or Google Translate,” he adds for perspective.
Andrey graduated from Eastern Washington University where he received a bachelor’s degree in business management and eventually his Master of Public Administration. When he joined United Way, he was excited to work with many different communities. It felt familiar to work alongside people from different cultures—it reminded him of his experiences as a young person. He was especially eager to connect with other immigrants and refugees in Spokane. Andrey worked at United Way for nearly a decade, beginning as a community impact manager and working his way to become the director of impact and equity, overseeing the grantmaking process and community-centered initiatives. Andrey also served on the board for Continuum of Care and was the vice chair for Priority Spokane. He currently serves on the board of Global Neighborhood Thrift, a thrift store that offers employment assistance to immigrants and refugees.
As Andrey delved deeper into the nonprofit sector and learned more about how nonprofits functioned, he knew that he was in the right field but began to see where systems could be improved. He recognized how fortunate his family was to benefit from nonprofit services growing up, but also saw how other communities are left behind.
“I want to be part of a group of individuals who are driven by the vision of transforming the balance of power, recognizing that philanthropy has left behind some while favoring others, and really prioritizing making decisions based on values,” he says.
Andrey gleefully poses with a “baby” Yucca Brevifolia Tree or Joshua in Joshua Tree National Park.
As a program officer, Andrey will help foster and maintain relationships with communities and grantees to advance the foundation’s learning agenda and evolving grantmaking and advocacy strategies. He’s excited to connect with communities across Washington and looks forward to exciting work on the foundation’s horizon.
“When I had a chance to interview with other GHF program officers, I saw the energy that they had,the way they talked about their experience and communities that they’re working with. I knew that I wanted to be part of this group that is learning and growing together.”
Andrey finds community in one of his interests: soccer. He is an avid fan and has been supporting his club, Barcelona, since 2006 and was rooting for Argentina in the last World Cup. “Depending on how they do in their next game, you might want to leave that last part out,” he jokes.
He also finds joy in solo activities, including music—he plays the piano, collects vinyl records, and enjoys live music at jazz clubs.
