Key Points
- As an NGO receiving around $100m plus annually, Pathfinder International is keen to be able to demonstrate to donors that it operates transparently, with a high proportion of donor funds going directly to recipients
- Sunlight Payments, a cloud-based digital payments solution that provides NGOs with a secure, private, and fully-traceable service for delivering aid to low to middle income countries, approached Pathfinder to pilot the solution
- Tanzania and Uganda were chosen for the initial trials, which proved highly successful
- The author outlines the significant benefits of the platform to Pathfinder and its donors and will continue to work with Sunlight Payments and help to develop the platform
In the world of global philanthropy, financial transparency is the holy grail. When Pathfinder International heard about a solution that would allow tracking of donor funds from initial receipt down to in-country usage at the click of a button, it was a no-brainer. Linda DeNicola, CFO at Pathfinder International, explains.
As a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that receives funding of circa $100m plus every year, we are always looking for smarter ways to work. Ensuring that we are using donor funds to efficiently and effectively serve people in the communities where we work is paramount – especially since future funding is never guaranteed.
The more we can do to demonstrate to donors that we operate in a fully transparent manner, and that an extremely high proportion of donor funds go directly to services in some of the world’s poorest countries, the more likelihood there is of repeat donations. The theory is often easier than the practice, however.
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